PhD Student Handbook

PhD Student

Handbook

Academic Year 2021-22

Department of Economics

University of Missouri – Columbia

118 Professional Building

Columbia, MO 65211

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3

II Admission

Application Deadlines and Fees ……………………………………….………………...…...... 3

Application Procedures …………………………………………………………….………...... 3

Admission Requirements and Evaluation ……………………………………….….………...... 4

Financial Aid …………………………………………………………..…….…………………. 4

III. PhD Program …………………………………………………….…..……………………... 5

PhD Required Plan of Study ……………………..………………………….………….…....... 5

Qualifying Exam …………………………………….……………………….……………....... 6

Comprehensive Exam ………………………………………………………………….……… 6

Fields …………………………………………………………………….……………..……… 6

Doctoral Committee ………………………………………………………..………...………… 6

Dissertation ………………………………………………………………………..…………… 6

Statement on Satisfactory Progress ……………………………………………..……………... 7

IV. Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships ………….……………………………………………… 7

Teaching Assistantships ……………………………………………………………………...... 7

Research Assistantships ……………………………………………………………………...... 7

Graduate Fellowships ………………………………………………………………………...... 7

TA/RA/GI Responsibilities …………………………………………………………………...... 7

Review of Financial Support ………………………………………………….……………...... 8

V. Graduate Student Awards ………………………………………………………….…………….... 8

VI. Further Matters ………………………………………………………………….………………… 9

Academic Honesty ……………………………………………………………….……….…… 9

Careers in Economics …………………………………………………………….…………… 9

English Language Requirements for International Graduate Assistants ……………………… 10

Financial Support for Presentations …………………………………………………………… 10

Economics Graduate Student Association (EGSA) …………………………………………… 11

VII. Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………...……… 12

Appendix A: Economics Graduate Courses ……………..…………………………….….…… 12

Appendix B: Academic Honesty Statement …………………………………………………… 14

Appendix C: Required Forms for PhD Program ……..………………………...…… 17

Appendix D: Dates and Deadlines ………………………………………………………...…… 25

I. Introduction

This handbook explains policies and procedures for the PhD program in the Department of Economics.

Students should also consult the MU Graduate Studies’ web site (https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/) for

other University procedures to supplement those given here.

This handbook is designed to aid PhD students in planning and executing their programs. The program

should be developed as soon as possible in consultation with one’s adviser. Information presented below

outlines the department's role as well as the student's responsibilities. Changes to the policies and

procedures may be made from time to time by the departmental faculty. Any subsequent changes will be

communicated to students and reported in revisions of or supplements to this handbook.

Advisors

Throughout this document, the term candidate will apply to all doctoral students who have passed all

parts of the Qualifying Examination. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) serves as advisor to all

PhD students who do not yet have a major advisor. For purposes of the Research Paper, the DGS will

serve as the advisor until the candidate has a dissertation advisor. A PhD dissertation advisor must be a

member of the doctoral faculty in Economics.

II. Admission

Application Deadlines and Fees

We accept and evaluate new applications on an ongoing basis. For priority funding consideration, the

applicant should complete an application by:

PhD application: January 15, 2021

The non-refundable application-processing fee is US$65.00 for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

and US$90.00 for Non-Resident Aliens (Internationals).

Application Procedures

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications online at the MU Online Graduate

Application for Admission website (https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/admissions/apply/). (Note:

Applicants completing the online Graduate Application for Admission will be able to continually monitor

the status of their application using the web-based system. The online application provides the most

convenient and efficient way to apply for graduate study at MU and is the preferred method of applying.)

If you have any questions please contact:

Ms. Pam Gerth, Graduate Secretary

Department of Economics

118 Professional Building

Columbia, MO 65211, USA

Email: pagfgp@missouri.edu

Phone: 573-884-7989

Fax: 573-882-2697

The following items are required to be uploaded to the MU Online Graduate Application for

Admission:

o Transcripts from every college or university you have attended;

o Resume;

o Personal statement;

o Three letters of recommendation;

o Your official TOEFL or IELTS scores (sent directly from the Educational Testing Service)

must be submitted directly to the Graduate Admission Office (210 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO

65211) *International Applicants only

o Your official GRE scores (sent directly from the Educational Testing Service)

Educational Testing Service Codes

MU Institutional Code: 6875

TOEFL Graduate School Code: 99

GRE Department Code: 1801

Admission Requirements and Evaluation

Potential students, with or without an MA or MS degree, may apply to the PhD program. While most

applicants have an undergraduate major in Economics, an undergraduate major in another area may be

considered. Majors in statistics, mathematics, physics, and engineering are especially appropriate for

advanced studies in economics. All applicants are required to have taken intermediate levels of

microeconomics and macroeconomics, two semesters of calculus, and an introductory course in probability

and statistics.

The Graduate Studies Committee, a departmental committee, evaluates the potential of the applicant for

graduate study in Economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Each applicant for admission is

evaluated independently and on the basis of all information submitted in the application packet.

An applicant should have at least a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a 1 – 4 scale).

All applicants must submit GRE (Graduate Record Examination) general test scores, which must not be

more than five years old. Minimum levels normally expected are 146 (for native speakers) on the verbal

and 155 on the quantitative. International applicants must have a minimum TOEFL score of 80 (Internet),

or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5. TOEFL and IELTS scores must not be more than two years old.

Financial Aid

The Department offers financial aid in the form of teaching and research assistantships and graduate

fellowships, allocated on the basis of promise and availability of funds. In addition to a stipend that

depends on the level of aid, all students receiving financial aid receive a tuition waiver. For the academic

year 2019-20, the tuition waiver is worth $19,022 for non-residents and $6,948 for residents. Please read

Section IV of this handbook for further details about graduate assistantships and fellowships.

The Department provides funding to all PhD students who need financial aid at the time of admission

and for up to five years provided that the student maintains good standing in the program.

III. PhD Program

The PhD program is designed to encompass training in economic theory and quantitative methods, as

well as flexibility for students in choosing course work to suit their interests and intended careers as

professional economists. For those entering the program with a bachelor's degree, the following 72 credit

hour plan of coursework, research, and examination is required. A grade of C or better in each course and

a 3.0 (on a 1 – 4 scale) overall GPA must be maintained (exceptions may be granted by the DGS). Students

must earn a C or better in all first-year courses before taking the PhD qualifying examination.

PhD Required Plan of Study (Proposed)

Fall Semester Year 1 Spring Semester Year 1

Econ 8370: Mathematics for Economics

Econ 9451: Advanced Micro Theory I Econ 9452: Advanced Micro Theory II

Econ 9453: Advanced Macro Theory I Econ 9454: Advanced Macro Theory II

Econ 9472: Advanced Econometric Theory I Econ 9473: Advanced Econometric Theory II

Qualifying exam, end of Spring Semester Year 1.

Fall Semester Year 2 Spring Semester Year 2

Area of specialization (course 1) Area of specialization (course 2)

Econ 9xxx: Economics Elective Econ 9xxx: Economics Elective

Research paper completed and submitted by December 15*

Fall Semester Year 3 Spring Semester Year 3

Econ 9413: PhD Research Workshop Econ 9413: PhD Research Workshop

Econ 9085: Problems – PhD Students Econ 9085: Problems – PhD Students

Econ 9090: PhD Dissertation Research Econ 9090: PhD Dissertation Research

Fall Semester Year 4 Spring Semester Year 4

Econ 9413: PhD Research Workshop Econ 9413: PhD Research Workshop

Econ 9085: Problems -- PhD Students Econ 9085: Problems -- PhD Student

Econ 9090: PhD Dissertation Research Econ 9090: PhD Dissertation Research

* Depending on Area of Specialization course offerings, the Research paper may be deferred for up to

one year

Candidates can receive up to 12 hours of course credit for each of the Research Workshop and the

Dissertation Research. Doctoral candidates must participate in the Research Workshop that is most

closely associated with their research. A coordinator will oversee the workshop. The candidate’s

advisor will oversee the research progress with the 3-credit-hour Problems course. Even though only 18

credit hours are obtained through the course assignments in the 3

- and 4

-years in this plan of study,

Final oral examination

Qualifying Examination:* Students pursuing the PhD degree must pass a qualifying examination. Upon

completion of required courses in the first year, students take the qualifying examination, which covers

microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. The exam is 6 hours in length; it is administered

in parts, with two-hours devoted to each of the three core subjects. The first offering of the exam is in

late May. Students who fail to pass all three parts of the exam the first time may retake the failed part(s)

the following July/August. Students who fail the exam may continue in the MA program.

Research Paper: The candidate must submit a completed original research paper by December 15 at the

end of the candidate’s fifth semester. The paper is evaluated by a committee appointed by the DGS and

consists of the faculty advisor, a research area coordinator and a faculty member in a related area. (An

early dissertation committee in effect.)

The following evaluation process, administered by the “committee”, is used to assess the Research

Paper:

• High Pass: Good idea and execution, keep working towards finishing the paper;

• Low Pass: Good idea, paper executed well, but this idea now looks like a dead end, find a new topic

but requirement has been satisfied;

• Revise/Resubmit: Paper not far enough along, you have two months to turn in a revision;

• Fail: Student cannot conduct research, should be removed from the program;

Under conditions that a candidate’s area of specialization will be offered during the 3

year in the

doctoral program, the candidate may request a one-year deferment. The understanding must be that two

courses in the proposed area of specialization are reasonably expected to be offered by the Economics

Department. As such, the proposed deferment must be presented to the Graduate Studies Committee in

written form before September 1 of the candidate’s 2

year in the doctoral program. The Graduate

Studies Committee will notify the candidate whether the request is accepted or rejected within two

weeks of the written request.

Comprehensive Examination:* Students pursuing the PhD degree must pass a comprehensive

examination. The comprehensive exam has a written section and an oral section, both administered by

the student’s dissertation committee. The oral section of the comprehensive exam is part of the

dissertation proposal defense.

*Students with a medical or family emergency may request to be excused from taking a scheduled exam.

A request must be accompanied by sufficient supporting documentation and must be presented to the

Director of Graduate Studies as soon as physically possible. If approved, the student will be permitted to

take the next scheduled exam.

Fields: Students are required to complete one area of specialization consisting of two courses. It is

expected that this area will be related to the objectives of the student’s dissertation. The areas of

specialization from which the student can choose are listed below. The department commits itself to

offering a second course in any field to all students who have completed an initial course in the field,

within two semesters of the student completing the initial course (not counting the summer semester).

This course may consist of a readings course with one of the faculty members in the field in lieu of a

regular course. If a readings course is provided, then the faculty member is required to provide the

department with the reading list for the course.

Fields and courses:

Econometrics – Economics 9476 and 9477

Industrial Organization – Economics 9455 and 9456 or 9471

International Economics – Any two of Economics 9425, 9426, 9427, or 9460

Labor Economics – Economics 9411 and 9412

Monetary Economics – Economics 9430 and 9431

Public Economics – Economics 9415 and 9416

Public Policy – Public/International – One course from the International Economics Field and one

course from the Public Economics field

Quantitative Microeconomic Policy Analysis – Economics 9446 and 9447

Doctoral Committee: A student must choose a doctoral program committee in consultation with his or

her major advisor. It is strongly recommended that this committee be chosen well before defense of the

dissertation proposal. This committee consists of at least four members, at least three of whom are

members of the graduate faculty in Economics and at least one from another MU doctoral program. At

least two of the doctoral committee members (including the chair) must be MU doctoral faculty. (See

Appendix E for deadlines.)

Dissertation: A dissertation, prepared under the direction of the candidate’s major advisor, is required.

The dissertation must make a substantial contribution to knowledge. Upon completion of the dissertation,

students pursuing the PhD degree must pass a final oral examination. This exam can include an evaluation

of the dissertation, the student's defense of the dissertation, and the student's general comprehension of

economics, and is open to the academic community.

Statement on Satisfactory Progress: (a) Completing required course work as scheduled above and

maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. (b) Taking and passing qualifying and comprehensive

examinations as scheduled above. (c) Presenting the written dissertation proposal as scheduled above.

Satisfactory progress is also subject to the discretion of the DGS.

IV. Assistantships and Fellowships

Financial support for PhD students is available in the form of teaching and research assistantships and

graduate fellowships, allocated on the basis of promise, past academic performance and on appointment

performance. Assistantship appointments are primarily one-half and one-quarter time equivalents. Half-

time assistants are expected to work 20 hours per week on average and quarter-time assistants are expected

to work 10 hours per week on average while on appointment.

Financial support is limited to students who are making satisfactory progress toward their degrees, for a

maximum of five years. Tuition and fees will be waived but only on courses relevant to the degree

program. Individuals placed on academic probation are not entitled to tuition or fee waivers.

Teaching Assistantships

TA’s and graders work with faculty members in lower level classes and in some upper level and graduate

courses. Duties may include, among other tasks, leading a discussion section, assisting in a course, and/or

grading for a course.

Research Assistantships

Research assistant positions are generally offered to more advanced students. They are mostly made

available by individual faculty members with research grants. Decisions on the filling of those positions

are usually made by individual faculty.

Graduate Fellowships

The Department provides a limited number of graduate fellowships that do not carry any work

requirements. Normally, fellowships are offered to outstanding PhD students in the initial stages of their

graduate studies at MU. Each year, we also nominate the best applicants to compete for a number of

university-wide fellowships. Winners of these fellowships typically receive a stipend from the Graduate

School in years 1, 2, and 5 and graduate assistantships from the Department in years 3 and 4.

TA/RA/GI Responsibilities

o All graduate assistants are expected to carry out their tasks responsibly. Assistants should seek

guidance from their supervisor as needed to perform their responsibilities.

o All graduate assistants should contact their supervising faculty as soon as possible after receiving an

appointment letter.

o TAs may not cancel classes unless it is absolutely necessary. If at all possible, arrangements should

be made for another TA to cover the class. The supervising faculty must be consulted before any class

may be cancelled. For Graduate Instructors (graduate students teaching an independent class) the

supervising faculty is the Director of Graduate Studies.

o The supervising instructor of the course you are assigned is your employer and assistants are expected

to follow instructions given either by the instructor or head TA. Failure to comply may result in

withdrawal of financial aid and/or a reduction of aid in future semesters. Exceptional work will also

be recognized and, if possible, rewarded with additional aid.

o In large lecture courses, all substantive matters regarding a TA’s duties are to be decided by the

supervising faculty in consultation with the assistants.

o All graduate assistants are required to remain in town until all of your duties are completed for the

semester as specified in your appointment letter.

Review of Financial Support

Financial support is always subject to review at the end of each semester. Assistantships may be

discontinued or reduced for the following reasons: (a) failure to make satisfactory progress; or (b) failure to

follow the requirements stated in the appointment letter; or (c) poor performance on assigned duties; or (d)

poor performance on class work and/or research. In addition, assistantships may be discontinued due to

budgetary constraints.

V. Graduate Student Awards

The Department makes a number of awards to outstanding graduate students in research and teaching.

Awards are made by a vote of the Department faculty, based on recommendations by the Director of

Graduate Studies and the Graduate Studies Committee. In preparing recommendations, the Director of

Graduate Studies solicits nominations from the Department’s faculty.

Harry Gunnison Brown Graduate Student Teaching Award

Qualified graduate students will be nominated for the Harry Gunnison Brown Graduate Student Teaching

Award, which carries a cash award, based primarily on performance as a teaching assistant or instructor.

Normally, graduate students who are on probation, or who are not making satisfactory progress toward a

degree, are not eligible. Those who have received this award in the past are not eligible. Normally multiple

awards are given annually.

Harry Gunnison Brown Graduate Student Fellowship

All second year PhD students in economics who have completed two semesters of course work, have

maintained a graduate GPA of at least 3.5, and have passed the qualifying examination are eligible for

this fellowship. The award is based on performance in course work and performance on the qualifying

examination. For students serving as teaching assistants, teaching performance may be considered as well,

although its role will be secondary.

The presumption is that the fellowship will be given every year, although the faculty may choose to

withhold the award if it is decided that no student is an appropriate recipient. Normally, this award will

be made in the fall semester.

Harry Gunnison Brown Research Fellowship

This award is limited to PhD students who have completed year 3 of the plan of study specified above.

The criterion for the award is promise for making a significant research contribution. Course grades and

examination performance are relevant, but the main focus is quality of research. Nominees for this award

must submit significant sections of the dissertation or other research work for review by the faculty.

There is no presumption that this award will be made every year. At the discretion of the faculty, up to

two students may be designated Harry Gunnison Brown Research Fellows each year. A student who has

previously received any of the Harry Gunnison Brown awards remains eligible for a Harry Gunnison

Brown Research Fellowship.

Korea Studies Graduate Student Scholarship

The scholarship shall be given on the basis of academic merit to students fluent in the Korean language

and/or who have an interest in studying the Korean economy.

Selection of recipients and pertinent details, including number and amount of awards, shall be made by

the Chair of the Department of Economics, or by a committee or persons authorized to act on behalf of

the Chair, with the approval of the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.

The Norman Bowers Scholarship

The scholarship is targeted to graduate students writing PhD dissertations (or MA papers) on labor topics

with a strong policy focus. Special preference is given to students conducting research that focuses on the

well-being of vulnerable groups in the labor market or exemplifies the careful use of empirical data,

especially internationally comparative data.

Summer Research Support:

Research support may be offered during the summer session to second and third year Economics PhD

students who satisfy the following requirements:

o have no other financial support (including TA and RA) during the summer session,

o if awarded, will be in residence during the summer session and register for at least one credit hour

in Econ 9085 (Problems in Economics) or Econ 9090 (Research in Economics) during the summer

session,

o have support from a field instructor or dissertation advisor who will supervise research by the

student during the summer session and under whom Econ 9085 or Econ 9090 will be registered (an

email from the faculty member to the Director of Graduate Studies will satisfy this).

The selection committee is the Graduate Studies Committee with the Department Chair helping as

needed.

Graduate School Fellowships

Visit the following web page for information about Graduate School Scholarships and Awards:

https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/funding/assistantships-fellowships/

VI. Further Matters

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is expected of all of our graduate students. See Appendix B for the Department’s

statement on academic honesty.

Careers in Economics

Graduate education in economics prepares students for careers in many areas, including academia,

business, and government. Preparing early and getting advice are two important aspects of your job

search. Your advisor is the best source for advice. Other faculty in the Department, especially those

recently hired, can also provide information on potential career paths. Networking with fellow graduate

students and Economics alumni can be helpful in locating potential employers.

The Department aims to provide as much help as possible to our PhD students on the job market. That

may include brown bag lunch talks on the job search process by recently hired faculty, practice interviews,

mailing of application packets, assistance in setting goals and application targets, etc. The following

placement page is maintained by the Department:

https://economics.missouri.edu/grad/phd-recent-placements

The following web pages provide useful information on academic job markets and careers in economics:

o Guide on the New PhD Job Market – http://ftp.iza.org/dp5984.pdf

o Careers in Economics – http://www.aeaweb.org/students/Careers.php

o National Association of Business Economists – https://econjobsnabe.careerwebsite.com/

o UCSD job market guide, cv template, cover letter template, etc –

http://econ.ucsd.edu/~vramey/placement.html

The following are some useful job search sites:

o Job Openings for Economists – http://www.aeaweb.org/joe/ (sponsored by American Economic

Association)

o Board of Governors – http://www.federalreserve.gov/ (You can go to each of the 12 Federal

Reserve Bank homepages to check their job listings.)

o The Chronicle of Higher Education – https://chroniclevitae.com/job_search/new

o Economics Research Network's Job Openings –

http://www.ssrn.com/update/ern/ernjob/ern_job.html

o Federal Government Jobs – https://www.usajobs.gov/ (search for “economist” or

“economics”)

o Job openings at EconJobMarket.org – https://econjobmarket.org/

o Job openings at Econ-Jobs.com – http://www.econ-jobs.com/

English Language Requirements for International Graduate Assistants

Per University of Missouri policy and Missouri law concerning oral English-language assessment and

training for international graduate students, all international teaching assistants, graders, and research

assistants must demonstrate the necessary English language skills for their appointments before they can

be assigned duties in teaching, grading and/or research.

Every student whose first language is not English and who did not receive high school or college

instruction primarily in English must take the MACCS (Mizzou’s Assessment of Classroom

Communication Skills) test before he/she can receive an appointment as a teaching assistant or grader. A

score of 3 or higher on this test qualifies the student to lead a discussion section. A MACCS score of 3P

or lower requires that the student take appropriate English classes (depending on the MACCS score)

offered by MU’s International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP). The MACCS test must be taken after

finishing the ITAP classes. Those students who do not pass the MACCS test must repeat the process of

taking an ITAP class followed by another test until the student receives a score of 3 or higher. It is optional

for students with a MACCS score of 3 to take additional ITAP classes and MACCS tests to move to a

higher score. Students with a MACCS score of 4 qualify to teach independent classes. For further

information, consult ITAP’s web site: https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/itap-program/

Financial Support for Presentations

The Department may provide partial financial support for student presentations at professional meetings.

Students should submit a request for support to the Economics Department as early as possible. This

facilitates planning on the use of a limited budget. Requests for support should be combined with a request

to the Graduate School/GPC for travel support to a professional meeting:

https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/graduate-awards-travel-scholarships/travel-scholarships/

https://gpc.missouri.edu/funding/travel-awards/

Economics Graduate Student Association (EGSA)

EGSA serves the graduate students in the Department of Economics as a professional student organization

at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Its mission includes:

o promoting communication between its members and faculty

o obtaining information about economic fields

o promoting the economics profession

o addressing specific concerns of graduate students in the Economics Department

VII. Appendices

Appendix A: Economics Graduate Courses

ECON 7001 Topics in Economics

ECON 7311 Labor Economics

ECON 7312 Labor Market Analysis

ECON 7315 Public Economics

ECON 7316 State and Local Finance

ECON 7320 History of Economic Thought

ECON 7322 Economics of Regulation and Antitrust

ECON 7325 The International Monetary System

ECON 7326 Economics of International Trade

ECON 7329 The Banking System and the Money Market

ECON 7335 Economics for Decision Making

ECON 7337 Economics of Speculative Markets

ECON 7345 Economics of Education

ECON 7355 Competitive Strategy and Industrial Organization

ECON 7357 Health Economics

ECON 7360 Economic Development

ECON 7361 Comparative Economic Systems

ECON 7362 Welfare Economics

ECON 7367 Law and Economics

ECON 7368 Macroeconomic Forecasting

ECON 7371 Introductory Econometrics

ECON 7384 Structural Change in Economic History

ECON 7775 Dynamic Optimization and Its Applications to the Natural Sciences and Economics

ECON 8001 Topics in Economics

ECON 8085 Problems in Economics

ECON 8090 Research in Economics

ECON 8340 Game Theory

ECON 8370 Mathematics for Economics

ECON 8413 Research Workshop I

ECON 8418 Economic Education

ECON 8451 Microeconomic Theory

ECON 8453 Macroeconomic Theory

ECON 8472 Econometric Methods I

ECON 8473 Applied Econometrics

ECON 9001 Topics in Economics

ECON 9085 Problems in Economics

ECON 9087 Seminar in Microeconomics

ECON 9090 Research in Economics

ECON 9411 Advanced Labor Economics I

ECON 9412 Advanced Labor Economics II

ECON 9413 Research Workshop II

ECON 9415 Advanced Public Economics I

ECON 9416 Advanced Public Economics II

ECON 9425 International Finance

ECON 9426 International Trade

ECON 9427 Topics in International Economics

ECON 9430 Advanced Money and Banking

ECON 9431 Central Banking Policies

ECON 9446 Advanced Empirical Methods

ECON 9447 Topics in Microeconomic Policy Analysis

ECON 9451 Advanced Microeconomic Theory I

ECON 9452 Advanced Microeconomic Theory II

ECON 9453 Advanced Macroeconomic Theory I

ECON 9454 Advanced Macroeconomic Theory II

ECON 9455 Monopoly and Competition

ECON 9456 Public Utility Regulation

ECON 9460 Development Economics

ECON 9471 Advanced Game Theory

ECON 9472 Econometric Theory I

ECON 9473 Econometric Theory II

ECON 9474 Advanced Topics in Econometrics I

ECON 9475 Applied Microeconometrics

ECON 9476 Advanced Topics in Econometrics II

ECON 9477 Advanced Topics in Econometrics III

ECON 9479 Advanced Quantitative Economics

ECON 9480 Independent Readings for PhD Comprehensive Exam

ECON 9484 Economic History

Appendix B: Academic Honesty Statement

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA

Statement on Academic Honesty

Honesty is essential in the pursuit of knowledge and in the learning environment of a campus. Open and

forthright inquiry is the basis for the development of knowledge, while deception undermines the exchange

and verification of ideas. In a learning environment, each student expects to be given the same opportunities

and to be judged on the same basis as every other student. If one student seizes an advantage through deception

or collusion, all students are not being treated fairly.

The Department seeks to promote a healthy intellectual atmosphere. We state as a principle that:

Cheating or dishonesty in any form is inconsistent with academic inquiry. Any effort to gain

an advantage not freely given to all students is dishonest. This is true whether the effort is

successful or not, whether the action happened "a little bit" or "a lot," or whether the individual

is giving or receiving assistance.

Violations of standards of academic honesty may apply to any academic work, including exams, problem sets,

and course papers, as well as student theses, dissertation proposals or dissertation drafts. Violations carry

severe penalties, ranging from failure in the particular assignment or course to expulsion from the University.

The instructor in each class will provide the students at the beginning of the semester with guidelines in areas

unique to that class. If the student has any doubt about the application of course policies, the student should

obtain clarification from the instructor before any questionable action is taken.

The following are general practices in Economics. When an instructor determines that other policies are

required for a particular class, the guidelines provided by the instructor replace these general rules. The

guidelines below are meant to provide an indication of academically honest actions. Not every circumstance

is covered. The examples below are for clarification and do not change the basic principle that any act which

results in a misrepresentation of fact or the gaining of an unfair advantage is dishonest.

In-Class Examinations

Unless specified otherwise by the instructor, examinations are "closed book," meaning that during the test

referring to any source of information, such as notes or books, is prohibited. Passing information between

students, for example speaking, exchanging or showing examinations, is not permitted.

Class Assignments and Take-Home Examinations

In the case of take-home examinations, communication with any individual (save the instructor) regarding

course material or the exam is prohibited. Even very general discussions about any topic related to the

examination should not occur during the period between receipt of the examination questions and the

submission of all examination papers.

Take-home examinations may be either "closed book" or "open book." In the case of closed book examinations,

the student may not refer to any source of information. An examination is assumed to be closed book unless

indicated otherwise by the instructor. In open book examinations, access to personal written notes and

published material is permitted but other sources of information, such as the notes of another student or

discussions with anyone other than the instructor, may not be used.

Class assignments differ from take-home examinations. Students may consult with one another regarding

course content; however, the completed assignment must be the student's own intellectual product. Unless the

instructor explicitly permits groups of students to work together, team or group efforts are not allowed.

In class assignments where students respond to questions based on assigned readings, it is not necessary to

provide a citation for the material - since the source is known by the instructor. (Note, this is in marked contrast

to term paper or research papers, where citations always must be provided. See below.) However, under no

circumstance may a student copy or closely paraphrase any source materials in producing answers. It is also

strictly prohibited to copy, paraphrase, or use in any manner the answer of another student.

Academic Papers

Any student paper submitted in the course of academic studies must be the student's own work. Students may,

however, solicit and incorporate the suggestions by others, both in matters of content and style. Where the

help of particular individuals is significant, it is appropriate to include in the paper a written acknowledgement

identifying them by name. This includes the case where the student obtains the services of an editor to help

improve the paper's prose. Where an important substantive point made in the paper is based on a suggestion,

the individual who made the suggestion is often identified in a footnote. The exception is that the contributions

of the student's instructor or advisor need not be cited in this way. Whatever help the student receives, the

basic content must be that of the student; the extent of contributions by others must be clear to the instructor

or advisor.

The use of written materials with insufficient attribution, normally without the approval of the author, is called

plagiarism. The issue of plagiarism is most problematic in a research paper or assignment that requires a

student to describe the work of others, or in work that describes a student's own research that builds on

published work. The central rule to be followed is that the student should write the text so that the reader of

the paper will be able to determine which ideas or arguments are the student's own, and which are due to others.

In addition, the prose must be original to the student, except for direct quotations where it is clearly indicated

that the text is copied directly. Such indication is provided by using quotation marks or indenting the quoted

passage.

The standards for academic papers (assigned research papers, literature reviews, research proposals) are very

strict. Any idea or argument that is not credited to some source is assumed to be the original work of the

student. Hence, it is important that the reader be told explicitly when any idea or argument is taken from the

work of others.

There are several ways of providing the reader with information on sources. In the simplest approach, the text

provides the reader with an explicit discussion of how the student has used the literature. (E.g., "As Solow

(1989) argues..."; "We can see from this model (adapted from Becker (1982, p. 20)...") Alternatively, footnotes

can be used (e.g., a footnote could read "The theory presented in the following section comes from Marshall

(1927), as cited in Jones (1990).") Any equation or model based on another's work that is presented in a student

paper should cite the source. Even if the student has modified an equation or model, the reader must be given

the source of the original. (E.g., a footnote following an equation might say, "This model is similar to that of

Andrews (1984, p. 22), although I have omitted prices and included a productivity shifter.") In the case of the

equation, a figure, graph, table, or direct quotation taken from another source, it is desirable to indicate in the

citation the page number, as well as the article or book. In the examples above, a reference list must be provided

at the end of the student's paper showing full bibliographic detail on each reference cited. Alternatively, such

information can be provided in a footnote, or, in some cases, in the text. Whatever approach is used, there

should never be any question in the reader's mind where the ideas presented come from.

It is not acceptable to paraphrase a source, even changing words, if the original sentence is maintained.

Consider the following example:

It is acceptable to write:

In a recent paper, Brock noted, "In the decade of the 1980's the banking systems of a number

of economies--including those of Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Norway, Texas, and

Venezuela--collapsed in the face of external shocks. However, the collapses did not occur

immediately following the external shocks. In general, macroeconomic stability efforts were

followed by investment booms before the collapses." (Brock, 1992, p. 168).

It is normally not "good style" to quote a source at great length unless there is a particular reason to do so;

however, extended quotations, if properly attributed, do not constitute academic dishonesty.

The following is also acceptable:

Brock has recently noted that in those cases over the last ten years where banking systems

have collapsed due to external events, an investment boom has immediately preceded the

collapse. Such investment booms appear to have resulted from government guarantees on

foreign loans established to stabilize the economies (Brock, 1992, p. 168).

However, the following would be plagiarism, even though the reference is given:

In the last decade, banking systems in Argentina, Chile, Malaysia and several other economies

collapsed as the result of external shocks. Yet these collapses did not occur immediately.

Macroeconomic stability efforts were followed by investment booms, which preceded the

collapses (Brock, 1992, p. 168).

This is to be viewed as plagiarism because the sentence structure and paragraph cadence are borrowed from

Brock. The citation tells the reader only that the information is taken from Brock, or that the Brock paper

provides support for the assertion made in the paragraph. Since quotes are not used, the presentation is assumed

to be that of the writer.

A student's claim that he or she did not intend to plagiarize is not an acceptable defense. It is the responsibility

of the student to avoid inadvertent plagiarism by using necessary care in research methods as well as citation

style.

A useful discussion of plagiarism, especially as it relates to paraphrasing, is found in J. Gibaldi and W. S.

Achtert, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Modern Language Association, 1984), pp. 19-23.

See also, MU School of Law, 1992 Student Handbook, pp. 50-51.

Appendix C: Required Forms for PhD Program

Each form is completed at the Departmental level, routed for required signatures, and forwarded to the

Graduate School. The forms shown in the following are samples only. They are updated from time to time by

the Graduate School. The department’s graduate secretary will inform you when it is time for you to file the

relevant form.

Doctoral Degree Program Forms

All PhD students have to file the forms D-1 – D-4.

D-1 Form: Qualifying Examination Results and Doctoral Committee Approval Form: This form is used to report

results of the PhD Qualifying Exam. It also serves as an official record of the members of a student's

doctoral committee and insures that the configuration of the committee meets stated requirements.

https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/d1.pdf

D-2 Form: Plan of Study for the Doctoral Degree Form: The purpose of this form is to plan the program of

study which the student will follow and certify that all committee members approve the program, including

the recommended hours of transfer credit.

https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/d2.pdf

D-3 Form: Doctoral Comprehensive Examination Results Form: The purpose of this form is to record the

official result of the doctoral comprehensive examination.

https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/d3.pdf

D-4 Form: Report of the Doctoral Dissertation Defense Form: The purpose of this form is to record the official

results of the dissertation defense.

https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/d4.pdf

Department of Economics

PhD Program of Study

To Accompany Graduate School Form D-2

Name ____________________________________________ Student No. ____________

1. Core Requirements (21) Semester Grade

taken received

Econ 8370: Mathematics for Economics _______ _______

Econ 9451: Advanced Microeconomic Theory I _______ _______

Econ 9452: Advanced Microeconomic Theory II _______ _______

Econ 9453: Advanced Macroeconomic Theory I _______ _______

Econ 9454: Advanced Macroeconomic Theory II _______ _______

Econ 9472: Econometric Theory I _______ _______

Econ 9473: Econometric Theory II _______ _______

2. Research Workshops (12)

Econ 9413: Research Workshop II _______ _______

3. Field in Economics (6) _______________________________________________

Econ _______ ________________________________ _______ _______

4. Economic Field Electives (12)

Econ _______ _______________________________ _______ _______

If Economics 9085 or any other course other than a regularly offered 9000-level economics elective

is used to satisfy requirements in #3 or #4, a copy of the course reading list must be attached.

6. Other Electives (9)

___________ _______________________________ _______ _______

Other electives may include 7000-level economics courses (excluding 7351 and 7353), 8000 or 9000-

level economic electives, and approved courses taken outside economics.

7. Dissertation Research (12)

Econ 9090: Research in Economics

Approved by ____________________________________________________

(Adviser)

____________________________________________________

(Director of Graduate Studies)

Date ____________________________________________________

Appendix D: Dates and Deadlines

Exam Dates

PhD qualifying exam will be offered during the last week in May and late July.

Deadlines for Forms

Deadline for completing forms D-1 and D-2 is the end of the second year in the program.

Deadline for Graduation Application

All PhD students must submit a completed graduation application form to the Graduate School in order

to graduate. The deadline for submission is normally immediately prior to the semester in which the

student graduates. Check the Graduate School’s web site (https://gradstudies.missouri.edu/) for this

information prior to the semester in which you plan to graduate.