About the Program

The Economics PhD program at UC Berkeley is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced study and conducting original research in economics. The PhD degree is awarded in recognition of the recipient's qualifications as a general economist and of the ability to make scholarly contributions in fields of specialization. New admissions to the graduate program are restricted to students pursuing the PhD degree. There is no external, terminal program for the MA degree.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Minimum Requirements for Admission

The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
2. A grade point average of B or better (3.0);
3. If the applicant has completed a basic degree from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 on a 9-point scale (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
4. Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Applicants Who Already Hold a Graduate Degree

The Graduate Council views academic degrees not as vocational training certificates, but as evidence of broad training in research methods, independent study, and articulation of learning. Therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to pursue new subject matter at an advanced level without the need to enroll in a related or similar graduate program.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree only if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

1. Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
2. Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.

Applicants may apply only to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

Required Documents for Applications

1. Transcripts: Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. Unofficial transcripts must contain specific information including the name of the applicant, name of the school, all courses, grades, units, & degree conferral (if applicable). 
2. Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, by the recommender, not the Graduate Admissions.

3. Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants who have completed a basic degree from a country or political entity in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This applies to institutions from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and Quebec (Canada). However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a US university may submit an official transcript from the US university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement:

   • courses in English as a Second Language,

   • courses conducted in a language other than English,

   • courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and

   • courses of a non-academic nature.

Applicants who have previously applied to Berkeley must also submit new test scores that meet the current minimum requirement from one of the standardized tests. Official TOEFL score reports must be sent directly from Educational Test Services (ETS). The institution code for Berkeley is 4833 for Graduate Organizations. Official IELTS score reports must be sent electronically from the testing center to University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall, Rm 318 MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720. TOEFL and IELTS score reports are only valid for two years prior to beginning the graduate program at UC Berkeley. Note: score reports can not expire before the month of June.

Where to Apply

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page. 

Admission to the Program

A degree equivalent to a US bachelor’s is required for admission to the program. An undergraduate degree in economics is not required for admission to the PhD program, provided that applicants have achieved an adequate background in economics and mathematics at the undergraduate level.

• Economics: All applicants are expected to have completed intermediate math-based economic theory courses. Further education in economics and economic theory is helpful, but not required.
• Math: Applicants must have knowledge of multivariate calculus, basic matrix algebra, and differential equations; completion of a two-year math sequence, which emphasizes proofs and derivations. Some knowledge of statistics and elementary probability is highly desirable, as is additional coursework in algebra and real analysis.

The GRE is also required. Please visit our website for all department-specific requirements.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Alternative fields offered by another department or designed by the student may be substituted for one of the fields listed above if approved by the graduate committee. Alternative fields may include Economic Demography, Education and Economics, Health Economics, Law and Economics, Resource Economics, Urban and Regional Economics, or City and Regional Planning.

Prospectus

Students must complete at least one semester of any department seminars prior to taking their oral examination. This is typically done in the third year of study.

Dissertation Prospectus and Oral Examination (QUALIFYING EXAMINATION)

Students are encouraged to begin discussing possible dissertation topics with appropriate faculty members at an early stage. After completing the written field examinations, students choose a faculty member to serve as an advisor on developing a dissertation topic involving significant and original research, and to supervise the writing of a prospectus. The prospectus describes the research to be conducted, the techniques to be used, and initial findings. Students who cannot find an adviser on their own will be matched with a preliminary adviser at the beginning of the third year of study.

Qualifying Examination

When the prospectus is approved by the faculty adviser, the qualifying examination is scheduled. The examining committee consists of four faculty members who conduct an oral examination based on the student's areas of specialization and on the dissertation prospectus. A primary function of the oral examination is to aid the student in developing a dissertation and to determine whether the student is sufficiently prepared to complete original research successfully.

Time in Candidacy

Advancement

Upon successful completion of the oral examination and selection of a dissertation committee, the student is advanced to candidacy. Following advancement to candidacy, students pursue research necessary for the completion of their dissertation.

Fourth Year Paper

In the fourth year students will work with their advisor to write a complete draft of a research paper. The topic can be on what was done for the orals examination, or something new. Students may be excused from this requirement under exceptional circumstances (e.g., lengthy field work), but they would need to submit a letter to the Graduate Chair from the student's advisor requesting an exception. 

Dissertation

Students are encouraged to select dissertation topics that can be completed in one to two years. 

Upon completion of the dissertation and its acceptance by the dissertation committee, the student is awarded the PhD degree.

Graduate Program Outcomes

Professional Placement

Students who have received, or will soon receive, the PhD in Economics are assisted by the department in finding suitable career positions. The department learns of available openings for qualified economists through an exchange of information with universities, colleges, government agencies, and research institutes.

The department staff coordinates and facilitates placement activities, and a faculty member oversees and advises placement. Serious effort is made to help students find positions in which their capacities will be both used and rewarded. The department has been highly successful in placing students, which is a reflection on the quality of its students and their training, and the importance the department places on this activity.

Past placement outcomes can be found on the department's website.

Courses

Economics

Faculty and Instructors

* Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Faculty

David Sehun Ahn, Professor. Game theory, decision theory, mathematical economics.
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Alan J. Auerbach, Professor. Public policy, public finance.
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Matthew Backus, Associate Professor. Industrial Organization.

Nano Barahona, Assistant Professor. Industrial Organization and Public Economics.

Sydnee Caldwell, Assistant Professor. Wage-setting, bargaining, labor supply, gender wage gap.
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David Card, Professor. Labor economics.
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* Stefano DellaVigna, Professor. Behavioral economics, applied microeconomics, behavioral finance, media economics.
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J. Bradford DeLong, Professor. Economic history, macroeconomics, economic growth, finance.
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Aaron S. Edlin, Professor. Industrial organization, law and economics, public economics .
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Barry Eichengreen, Professor. Economic history, international economics.
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Haluk I. Ergin, Associate Professor. Theory.
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Ben Faber, Associate Professor. International trade, development economics.
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Joseph Farrell, Professor. Theory, industrial organization.
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Frederico S. Finan, Professor. Development economics, political economy.
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Cecile Gaubert, Assistant Professor. International trade, economic geography.
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Lisa Goldberg, Adjunct Professor.

Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Professor. Macroeconomics, econometrics, international economics, development economics, comparative economics.
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Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Professor. Macroeconomics, international macroeconomics, finance.
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Bryan Graham, Professor. Econometrics, Labor, Development.
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Benjamin R. Handel, Associate Professor. Industrial organization, health economics, applied microeconomics, information economics .
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Benjamin Hermalin, Professor. Economics of organization, industrial organization, contract theory, corporate governance .
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Hilary Hoynes, Professor. Poverty, inequality, economic policy, Social Safety Net, labor economics.
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Michael Jansson, Professor. Econometrics.
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Shachar Kariv, Professor. Economic theory, experimental economics, behavioral economics .
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Supreet Kaur, Assistant Professor. Development economics, behavioral economics, labor economics.
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Kei Kawai, Assistant Professor. Industrial organization, political economy.
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Patrick Kline, Professor. Labor economics, urban economics, applied econometrics.
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Jonathan Kolstad, Associate Professor. Health economics, industrial organization, public economics, applied microeconomics.
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Chen Lian, Assistant Professor. Macroeconomics Theory, Behavioral Macroeconomics, Behavioral Theory, Macro-finance.
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* Ulrike Malmendier, Professor. Corporate finance, behavioral finance, behavioral economics, applied, microeconomics.
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* Edward Andrew Miguel, Professor. Africa, education, development economics, human capital, health, ethnic divisions, social capital, civil conflict, war, pre-analysis plans, water .
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Enrico Moretti, Professor. Labor economics, urban economics.
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John Morgan, Professor. Theory, industrial organization, contracts.
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Emi Nakamura, Professor. Macroeconomics, international economics, industrial organization, monetary policy.
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Maurice Obstfeld, Professor. International economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics .
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* Martha Olney, Teaching Professor. Economic history, macroeconomics, economics of discrimination .
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Demian Gaston Pouzo, Associate Professor. Econometrics, macroeconomics.
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James L. Powell, Professor. Econometrics, statistical modeling.
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Andres Rodriguez-Clare, Professor. International trade, development economics, macroeconomics .
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Gerard Roland, Professor. Political economics, comparative and institutional economics .
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David H. Romer, Professor. Macroeconomics, monetary economics .
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* Christina D. Romer, Professor. Economic history, macroeconomics.
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Jesse Rothstein, Professor. Labor economics, public economics .
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Emmanuel Saez, Professor. Public Economics .
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Benjamin Schoefer, Assistant Professor. Macroeconomics, labor economics, corporate finance.

Vira Semenova, Assistant Professor. Econometrics and Machine Learning.
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Chris Shannon, Professor. Economic theory, mathematical economics .
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Joseph Shapiro, Associate Professor. Trade and the environment, water pollution, Clean Water Act, air pollution, climate change.
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David Sraer, Associate Professor. Financial economics, behavioral finance, behavioral economics, economics of organization, entrepreneurship.
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Carolyn Stein, Assistant Professor. Intersection of labor economics and the economics of science and innovation.

Jón Steinsson, Professor. Macroeconomics, monetary economics, international economics .
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Dmitry Taubinsky, Assistant Professor. Behavioral economics, tax policy, soda taxes, payday loans, household consumption and portfolio choice, energy policy, health.
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Nick Tsivanidis, Assistant Professor. Urban and Regional Economics, development economics, applied macroeconomics.

Quitze Valenzuela-Stookey, Assistant Professor. Microeconomic Theory, Public Economics, Industrial Organization.

Reed Walker, Associate Professor. Environmental economics, public economics, labor economics .
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Christopher Walters, Associate Professor. Labor economics, applied econometrics.
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Danny Yagan, Assistant Professor. Taxes and investment, income inequality, employment in recessions.
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Gabriel Zucman, Assistant Professor. Public economics, inequality, wealth, taxation.
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Lecturers

Raymond J. Hawkins, Continuing Lecturer.

Emeritus Faculty

George A. Akerlof, Professor Emeritus. Economics, macroeconomics, poverty, family problems, crime, discrimination, monetary policy, German unification.
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Robert Anderson, Professor Emeritus. Finance, probability theory, mathematical economics, nonstandard analysis.
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Pranab Bardhan, Professor Emeritus. Poverty, inequality, globalization, political economy, institutional economics, development economics, international economics.
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George F. Break, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).

Clair Brown, Professor Emeritus. Innovation, management, economics, labor, employment, labor market institutions, semi-conductor industry.
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Roger Craine, Professor Emeritus. Economics, exchange rate regime credibility, the agency cost of capital, stochastic-volatility jump-diffusion models, dollarization, monetary policy shocks, security market responses.
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Jan De Vries, Professor Emeritus. Economics, demography, history.
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Albert Fishlow, Professor Emeritus.

Richard J. Gilbert, Professor Emeritus. Economics, industrial organization, regulation, market power in electricity networks, market structure, organizational structure, and randd diversity, antitrust policy evolution.
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Steven Goldman, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).

Gregory Grossman, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).

Bronwyn H. Hall, Professor Emeritus. Applied econometrics, economics of technical change, economics of innovation, patent policy, RandD value, taxation, financing RandD.
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Michael Katz, Professor Emeritus. Antitrust, economics of network industries, intellectual property licensing, privacy, telecommunications policy .

Theodore E. Keeler, Professor Emeritus. Industrial organization, health economics, transportation economics.

Ronald D. Lee, Professor Emeritus. Long-run demographic and fiscal stochastic forecasting, intergenerational transfers, macro consequences of population aging, social security, evolutionary theory of the life cycle, population and economic development .

John M. Letiche, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).
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Daniel L. Mcfadden, Professor Emeritus. Econometrics.

John M. Quigley, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).

Michael Reich, Professor Emeritus. Economics, training, pensions, living wages.
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Thomas J. Rothenberg, Professor Emeritus. Economics, econometrics.
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Daniel Rubinfeld, Professor Emeritus. Economics, law and economics, antitrust policy, public economics.

Suzanne Scotchmer, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).

Carl Shapiro, Professor Emeritus. Business, economics, game theory, licensing, anti-trust economics, intellectual property, economics of networks and interconnection.
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Kenneth E. Train, Adjunct Professor Emeritus. Economics, regulation, econometrics, energy, choice modeling.
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Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Professor. High-technology competition, US industrial and technology policies, international economy, US trade policy, US competitiveness, emerging market companies, multinational companies in the US economy, gender gap (economic participation, educational attainment, political empowerment and health), research and development tax credit .
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Lloyd Ulman, Professor Emeritus (In Memoriam).

Hal Varian, Professor Emeritus. Information technology, economics of information technology.

Benjamin N. Ward, Professor Emeritus. Comparative economic systems, philosophy and methodology of economics.

Oliver E. Williamson, Professor Emeritus. Economics, corporations.
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Glenn A. Woroch, Adjunct Professor Emeritus. Economics, privacy, telecommunications policy, antitrust policy, intellectual property protection.

Janet Yellen, Professor Emeritus. Macroeconomics, international economics.