Procedural Guide for the Department of Economics

Courses/ Progress to Degree

This handbook has been prepared for the use of doctoral students and faculty in the field of Economics and should be read in conjunction with the Code of Legislation, which sets the policies governing advanced degree programs throughout the University.

 

Overview of Milestones:

The major milestones for the PhD Program include: 

  • First year course sequence

  • Qualifying exams

  • Second year paper

  • Chair selection

  • ECON 7850/7851 Third-year Research Seminar

  • Special Committee selection

  • A Exam

  • B Exam 

To see a list of milestones by cohort please refer to the Economics webpage: https://economics.cornell.edu/critical-dates-graduate-students

Our Ph.D. program is designed so that the degree can be awarded after five years of diligent study. We are cognizant that there is a trend in the field of Economics of a median time to degree of six years. We therefore guarantee six years of support to all students who are in good standing and maintaining satisfactory progress toward their degrees.

 

First Year

Students are expected to qualify before the beginning of their second year in four areas: 

  • Econometrics

  • Macroeconomics

  • Mathematics for Economists

  • Microeconomic Theory

In their first year, students are automatically enrolled by the Graduate Field Coordinator in the following courses: 

Fall:

  • Econometrics I (Econ 6190)

  • Macroeconomics I (Econ 6130)

  • Microeconomic Theory I (Econ 6090)

  • Intermediate Mathematical Economics (Econ 6170)

Spring:

  • Econometrics II (Econ 6200)

  • Macroeconomics II (Econ 6140)

  • Microeconomic Theory II (Econ 6100)

  • Microeconomic Theory III (Econ 6110)

To qualify in Mathematics for Economists, students need to achieve a grade of at least a B- in Intermediate Mathematical Economics I (Econ 6170).

To qualify in Econometrics, Macroeconomics, and Microeconomic Theory, students need to pass end-of-first-year qualifying exams. These exams are discussed in further detail below.

Required Training: 

Per the Code of Legislation, the Graduate faculty requires all research degree students to complete training in responsible conduct of research; including authorship, peer review and avoidance and consequences of research misconduct. This training is through the Cornell Office of Research Integrity and Assurance (ORIA) and must be completed before the end of the second semester (Code VI.E.2.a.).

 

Second Year: 

Classes:

While the program does not formally require students to take a given number of courses in the second year, it is recommended that students take 5-6 classes during the second year. 

Workshops:

Enrollment and participation in at least one workshop per semester in the second year and in at least two workshops per semester during all subsequent years is required. With the approval of the special committee, a student may substitute regular participation in a seminar or workshop other than those listed below. View workshop schedules here. The list of workshops currently offered is:

  • Applied Economics 

  • Applied Microeconomics 

  • Behavioral Workshop 

  • Development Economics 

  • Econometrics 

  • Health Economics

  • International Economics

  • Labor Economics

  • Law, Economics, and Policy (LEAP) 

  • Macro/Monetary Economics 

  • Microeconomic Theory 

  • Policy Analysis and Management 

  • Public Economics

Research Project:

Students are required to write a complete, independent research paper in the second year, which is due in August of the summer of the second year. Students are expected to select, by mid-March of their second year, a supervisor for the paper among faculty who are members of the Field of Economics. Students are expected to present the paper in the Fall semester of the third year in the Third-year Research Seminar (Econ 7850). Attendance at this workshop and presentation of the second-year paper is required for all third-year students.

The second-year paper requirement is complete when a PDF version of the paper has been delivered to the instructors of ECON 7850 and the DGS, the paper supervisor has approved the paper, and a grade of “satisfactory” has been recorded for the presentation in ECON 7850. 

Committee Chair Selection:

By the last day of classes in the spring semester of the second year, students must select a special committee chair and nominate them in Student Center. The committee chair will represent the student’s major concentration and will supervise the student’s dissertation.

 

Third Year:

Research Seminar: 

Third-year students are expected to enroll in ECON 7850 (fall) and ECON 7851 (spring) “Third-year Research Seminar.” This seminar covers the presentation of second-year papers and the development of the essays and drafts leading to the A-Exam.

Nominate Full Special Committee:

Students must form their full special committee by the end of their fifth semester. With the guidance of their chair, students will select at least two additional committee members who will represent their minor concentrations.

A-Exam: 

Students are expected to pass an admission to candidacy examination, called the A-Exam, administered by the student's special committee during the third year of graduate study. This examination must be passed by the end of the third week of the fourth year. Failure to complete the A-Exam in a timely fashion may result in the suspension of all financial aid or termination from the Ph.D. program. A student may petition for more time to the A-Exam.

 

The Fourth Year and Beyond:

The Dissertation and the B Exam:

Students are expected to begin work on the doctoral dissertation in the third year of study and to finish the dissertation by the end of the fifth year of study. The program is designed so that the Ph.D. can be awarded in five years. The median time to degree is six years. Completing the Ph.D. requires passing an oral examination, the B Exam, administered by the student's special committee, followed by filing with the Graduate School a completed doctoral dissertation approved by the committee.

Qualifying Exams

After the spring semester of their first year, students are required to take the Qualifying Exams (Q exams). The Q exams are designed to assess students’ preparation to pursue doctoral studies.  Material that is covered on the Qs can be found on the Economics website: https://economics.cornell.edu/q-exam-syllabi

Q Exams typically occur in late May or early June and consist of three exams, Econometrics, Macroeconomics, and Microeconomics. Each exam occurs on different dates and lasts 4 hours. Exams are graded by a committee and results are sent to students via Dropbox by the Graduate Field Assistant. Students can receive a Fail (F), Pass Masters (PM), Pass Minus (P-), Pass (P), Pass Plus (P+), Distinguished (D). 

If students receive a F or PM on any of the exams, and they wish to remain in the PhD program, they are given a chance to retake the exam. Retakes occur mid-August, two weeks before the beginning of the fall semester. Students can choose not to retake the exam, and start working towards obtaining a masters with thesis as regulated below.  To remain in the PhD program, students are required to pass all Qs between the late-May attempt and, if needed, the mid-August retake. 

If a student does not secure a grade of P- or higher in all Qs between these two opportunities to take the exam, they can remain in the program for one more year, to study towards a Masters degree (with thesis). To ensure that a Masters degree can be conferred, students need to earn a PM on all Q exams (the highest grade obtained on each exam will be used to verify that this requirement is satisfied).  In addition, they need to take the following steps:

  1. Complete and submit a Student Program Change form; available on the Graduate School forms webpage;

  2. Upon acceptance of program change: Create a two-person committee consisting of a chair who will represent their major concentration and a minor member who will represent a minor concentration, or of a chair and a co-chair; 

  3. By May 1 of the Spring semester Write a thesis based on the requirements set by their committee. Pass M-exam and submit thesis with all revisions made into the online ProQuest system by 11:59pm.

 

 

Special Committees

Until students select a chair the DGS serves as their temporary chair. By the end of their second-year students must have selected and nominated a chair. Students use their Student Center to formally nominate and record their chair. In their third year, before the end of their fifth semester, students must select their full committee. A student may petition for more time to form their committee. 

The special committee is made up of three members who represent the students’ major and minor concentrations (see subfields and concentrations on the graduate school’s website: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/economics/)

The function of the special committee is to facilitate a student’s progress toward the degree. Students should remain in frequent contact with their committee, especially their chair. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and maintain contact with members. Petition and exam forms must be approved by the committee and DGS.

Students may change their committee at any time, although changes made after the A exam require a petition to the graduate school. Students must meet deadlines for chair and full committee nominations to remain in good academic standing. 

Student Progress Review

The Student Progress Review (SPR) supports regular communication including written feedback between students and their advisors, requiring research degree students and their Special Committee to have at least one formal conversation each year about academic progress, accomplishments, and plans. All students in the second year and above will complete the SPR in late fall. It is not possible to petition SPR milestones, and missing this deadline can result in an enrollment hold. A rating of Needs Improvement or below may result in a student no longer being in good academic standing.

A Exam

The Graduate School requires that students attempt the Admission to Candidacy or A exam by the day before the term begins in the fourth year in order to be in good standing. Students who do not complete this milestone in time will have a hold placed on their account, which will not permit them to register with the graduate school.

Preparatory work must be agreed upon by the Special Committee. Students should agree upon a date and time that works for their committee, reserve a class room, and then submit a scheduling form for the A exam from the Graduate School website. This form needs to be signed off on by the committee and DGS. The Graduate Field Assistant must circulate an announcement of the date, time, location of the exam at least seven days prior. The A-Exam is open to all field faculty attendance.

After the exam the student and committee must file the results form with the Graduate School. Possible exam outcomes are:

  • Pass. All members of the Special Committee report this outcome to the Graduate School within 3 business days. The student will be admitted to PhD candidacy.

  • Conditional Pass.  The Special Committee provides the student and the Graduate School with specific conditions and timeline for passing.  Once conditions are met, the student passes the A Exam.

  • Failure – reexamination permitted. Reexamination after a failed A Exam is only permitted by approval of the Special Committee. Reexamination is only permitted at least three months after the failed exam.

  • Unanimous Failure.  If the Special Committee unanimously fails the student on the A Exam, the student will leave the program. The student may ask the Special Committee to award a terminal Master’s degree.

A petition for more time to the A exam is available via the Grad School’s website. 

Dissertation and B Exam

Similar to the A-Exam, the B-Exam is open to all field faculty attendance. Once the student has met with the special committee and decided on a time, date, and location, the student must file the B-Exam form on the Graduate School website. This form is signed off on by the special committee and DGS. The Graduate Field Assistant must circulate an announcement of the date, time, location of the exam at least seven days prior. 

After the exam the student and committee must file the results form with the Graduate School. Possible exam outcomes are:

  • Pass. All members of the Special Committee report this outcome to the Graduate School within 3 business days. Minor edits may still be required and must be completed in 60 days, or before the dissertation submission deadline for the student’s expected conferral date, whichever is earlier.

  • Conditional Pass.  The Special Committee provides the student and the Graduate School with specific conditions and timeline for passing.  Once conditions are met, the student passes the B Exam.

  • Failure – reexamination permitted. Reexamination after a failed B Exam is only permitted by approval of the Special Committee. Reexamination is only permitted at least three months after the failed exam.

  • Unanimous Failure.  If the Special Committee unanimously fails the student on the B Exam, the student will leave the program. The student may ask the Special Committee to award a terminal Master’s degree.

The dissertation must be submitted within 60 days of the B-Exam, or before the dissertation submission deadline for the student’s expected conferral date, whichever is earlier. An acceptable dissertation must satisfy the members of the Special Committee and meet the formal requirements of the Graduate School. For more information see the graduate school’s website: Thesis and Dissertation: Graduate School (cornell.edu)

Funding and Teaching

Almost all PhD Students are awarded a six-year financial support package, which includes two years of the Sage or Dean’s Excellence Fellowship and up to four years of Teaching Assistantships. This is contingent on the student making satisfactory academic progress. Four summers are covered through the Sage Fellowship. Students may be expected to identify funding for one summer through an assistantship, external funding, or paid internship. 

First year students are awarded a Sage or Dean’s Excellence fellowship. Most students serve as TAs or RAs during their second, third, and fourth years and receive the Dissertation Sage fellowship in their fifth year, in which they focus on writing and research their dissertation. 

Students in their fourth year must have written and submitted an external fellowship or grant proposal before their dissertation-year fellowship is awarded. The Graduate School maintains a database of doctoral fellowships: Fellowships : Graduate School (cornell.edu)

English Language Assessment:

Before the beginning of students’ first semester, international students will be evaluated for their spoken English skills in preparation for possible TA duties beginning in the fall semester of their second year. This assessment will determine if they are ready to take on TA responsibilities, or if they need to take a course designed to improve their English skills for the classroom. As Sage Scholars, students are expected to be ready for duties as Teaching Assistants in their second year in the Ph.D. program, assuming satisfactory performance on all the academic components of the program. Cornell University has a policy that requires all first-time TAs who neither speak English as a first language nor submit qualifying TOEFL or IELTS scores to complete an English Language Assessment through the Center for Learning and Teaching’s International Teaching Assistant Development Program. The assessment is used to determine if a student’s English skills are adequate to be assigned as a TA conducting classroom sections and office hours. The teaching assistantship part of your award is contingent upon the satisfactory outcome of this English language assessment. Satisfactory academic performance, required to maintain students’ eligibility for financial aid from Cornell, includes successfully completing this English language assessment. More information about the English language proficiency requirement is available at https://gradschool.cornell.edu/admissions/prepare/english-language-proficiency-requirement/

TA Training: 

Before the second year, students are required to take a mandatory TA training. This training occurs in the week before Fall classes begin. Second year students should make travel arrangements that will ensure their return to Ithaca before the start of TA training.

Reporting Inappropriate Behavior Guidelines

University policies for prohibiting bias, discrimination, harassment, and sexual and related misconduct fall under Policy 6.4. If you experience or directly observe inappropriate conduct by a faculty or staff member, we recommend you take the following actions:

  1. If you feel you are in immediate danger, leave the situation and call 911. 

  2. Report the incident to the DGS, Department Chair, GFA, or a university designated reporter. The department/field leadership can refer you to resources to help you handle the situation and maintain a safe educational environment. If you would like to ensure your report will be kept confidential, there are a number of confidential resources available.. 

  3. Report the incident through the Cornell Bias Reporting System. This will initiate a review by the Title IX office, who will follow up with appropriate next steps. You can report anonymously or using your name. If you report anonymously, however, they often have less scope to handle the complaint. 

Depending on the situation, you may choose to do (2) or (3), or you can do both sequentially. If you first talk to Department/Field leadership, we may encourage you to file a bias report. If you first file a bias report, the Title IX office may contact the Department. It is best practice to do both, assuming you feel comfortable doing so. 

We strongly encourage you to report inappropriate behavior. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for our students. The only way inappropriate behavior can be addressed is if we know about it. It is illegal for anyone to retaliate against you for reporting such behavior, and if you make a report the University and the Department will work to protect you against any retaliation. If you believe you have been the subject of retaliation, we urge you to report that as well using the mechanisms above. 

Graduate School Resources

The Office of Academic and Student Affairs works with graduate faculty and graduate students on academic policy and programs, academic integrity and misconduct, responsible conduct of research, petitions requesting exceptions to graduate school policy as outlines in the Graduate Faculty’s Code of Legislation, and academic progress and students status. 

The office also offers academic, writing and professional development programs, including proposal/thesis/dissertation writing boot camp, the Productive Writer email (View all online writing resources), Graduate Write-Ins, Graduate Writing Service, Fellowship Application Writing Workshops,Fellowship Listserv Tips,  Productive Fellowship Writer Mailing List,  Writing and Publishing Workshop Series, Three Minute Thesis Competition, and the Advising Guide for Research Students.

The Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE) supports an inclusive and welcoming environment for all graduate and postdoctoral scholars, but especially for those from marginalized communities and/or backgrounds historically excluded from and underrepresented in the academy. OISE supports systemic change and promotes a climate of diversity, belonging, equity, engagement, and achievement, which are integral components of graduate and postdoctoral education. OISE supports scholar success through recruitment, diversity fellowships, mentoring, professional, leadership, and community development programming, and ongoing support.

Mental Health Resources

Cornell has a vast network of resources and people to help with mental health. Students are encouraged to become familiar with Cornell’s resources. Recognizing that health and academic performance are intimately linked, the Office of Graduate Student Life is a source of information, support, and advocacy that creates a more student-centered graduate student life experience.  In addition to being a first-point of contact for students who are struggling or experiencing any form of distress, the Office of Graduate Student Life serves as a coordinating hub with campus-partners that focus on promoting a healthy and holistic student experience. 

More information on available support:

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/student-experience/help-and-support/ 

https://facultydevelopment.cornell.edu/faculty-resources/

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/diversity-inclusion/faculty-resources/

 

Mental Health at Cornell | Mental Health at Cornell

 

Specifically geared towards graduate students: 

Especially for Graduate & Professional Students | Mental Health at Cornell

 

Canvas programs on mental health for students here: 

Programming for Students | Cornell Health

Graduate School Contacts

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