Overview
Stony Brook's graduate programs in Economics constitute interlinked Ph.D and M.A. programs.
The Ph.D program is a small, highly selective and tightly focused program. Graduate training begins with a sequence of required core courses in the student's first three semesters; after that point, the students choose major and minor areas of specialization, with courses offered in the second year of study, and then proceed to the thesis. The core courses are capped by comprehensive examinations, and students also take an examination in their major specialization. In choosing among specialized areas of concentration, students at Stony Brook may select from among game theory, macroeconomics, industrial organization, labor economics, economic demography, and health economics . These areas represent the important specializations in which Stony Brook faculty possess excellent national and international reputations, and in which the department as a whole is committed to emphasizing in the future.
The M.A. program is research oriented and highly selective. Admission requirements are identical to the admission requirements for the Ph.D program with a strong emphasis on mathematical background. All but one courses are shared with the Ph.D program and students are expected to fulfill the same high standards. Following the core courses in the first year students can choose a basic option that can be completed in the third semester or an advanced option that will require one more semester (for 4 semester in all). Students choosing the advanced option will concentrate in one of three fields: 1) Industrial Strategy, 2) People Markets and Government and 3) Macroeconomic policy.
The Ph.D and MA programs both have STEM designation, which permits F-1 visa students to remain in the United States for up to 36 months to work in their field of study. For more information, please visit the Department of Homeland Security webpage linked here.
At present, the graduate program involves 16 faculty who teach or advise in the program, and approximately 55 first to seventh-year Ph.D. students and about 30 M.A. students. In a recent ranking of economics department by placement outcomes we were ranked 44th in the world.