Message from the Director of Graduate Studies
Is Minnesota
for Me?
Department of Economics
Graduate Program
| Is Minnesota for Me? | Program Description | Continuing in the Program |
|---|---|---|
| The Workshop System | Recent PhDs | MA in Economics |
| The Graduate Student Handbook | ||
Every economics Ph.D. program has its own signature. At Minnesota, our approach is distinguished by a thorough grounding in economic analysis and the insistence upon balance between theory and applications. The emphasis upon rigorous theoretical underpinnings for applications ensures that assumptions are clearly specified, allowing others to judge their appropriateness and that results clearly follow from assumptions rather than relying on "intuition." This emphasis on analysis and theory make the program inappropriate for students who want a terminal M.A.
Our focus on analysis from the start of the program demands that entering students have extensive mathematical skills. At a minimum the program requires a thorough understanding of multivariate calculus and linear algebra, which includes the ability to use the concepts of these fields independently as well as the ability to follow the reasoning of others using those concepts. A student will not be admitted to the program unless it is clear from the application materials that he or she has this understanding.
Students who want to focus on pressing social problems may become frustrated with a focus on theory that appears to be unrelated to the problem at hand. Such students should not choose Minnesota. Students who take pleasure applying mathematical and statistical tools to social issues will find that this training opens up exciting avenues for productive theoretical and applied research.
Two current Minnesota graduate students have written a paper that examines the choice to go to graduate school and all that it entails. You may find a link to it here.
