The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agricultural and Resource Economics. The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in four to five years, with the first two years focused on coursework and the final two to three years on research and completion of the dissertation. Due to course sequencing, students are normally only admitted for the fall semester.

Ph.D. Requirements

Students are required to satisfactorily complete twelve courses: eight core courses in economic theory and quantitative methods, three courses in an area specialization, and one elective.

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Required Courses
Economic Theory and Quantitative Methods Core Courses
ARE 6311	Applied Econometrics I	3
ARE 6313	Applied Econometrics II	3
ECON 6201	Microeconomic Theory I	3
ECON 6202	Macroeconomic Theory I	3
ECON 6211	Microeconomic Theory II	3
ECON 6301	Advanced Mathematical Economics I	3
ECON 6310	Econometrics I	3
ECON 6311	Econometrics II	3
Area of Specialization
Complete three courses that define an area of specialization set in consultation with student's advisory committee		9
Elective
Course at the 6000 level in ARE 1		3
Total Credits		36

¹

Not part of the core or area of specialization requirements.

Exemptions or substitutions to a particular course requirement based upon courses previously taken in another program of study or alternative courses offered at the University of Connecticut are subject to approval of the Departmental Ph.D. Steering Committee.

Qualifying Examination

All students enrolled in the Ph.D. program must pass a qualifying examination in applied microeconometrics. This examination is based on material presented in the following courses (or equivalent if the department provides an alternative course as an approved substitute):

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
ARE 6311	Applied Econometrics I	3
ARE 6313	Applied Econometrics II	3
ECON 6201	Microeconomic Theory I	3
ECON 6211	Microeconomic Theory II	3
ECON 6310	Econometrics I	3

Unless granted an exemption from the Qualifying Examination Committee, students must take the qualifying examination offered immediately following the completion of the spring semester of their first year. The qualifying examination will occur once per year and students will be given at most two opportunities to pass the examination. Further, unless granted an exemption from the Qualifying Examination Committee, students who fail the qualifying examination must take the first subsequent examination offered. Exemptions will only be granted according to recognized college and university policy.

Area of Specialization Exam

Students who have passed the qualifying examinations in applied microeconometrics or have obtained an exemption and who have filed an approved Plan of Study with the Graduate School may take this exam. The examination covers course work in the Area of Specialization and related courses. The exam is administered by the student's advisory committee, which is also responsible for its format and scheduling. The exam may be of the traditional type or may take the form of a high quality independent research paper. 

Dissertation Proposal

Students must successfully defend a proposal that outlines the research constituting their dissertation. Satisfactory completion of the dissertation proposal is determined by the student’s advisory committee.