Candidates for the doctoral degree will be expected to:
1. Complete an approved program of at least eighteen courses, no more of four which are research workshops. At least two years of full-time study, or the equivalent of sixty semester hours, must be in residence at Rice.
2. At the end of May of the first year, students sit for a qualifying exam, which comes in two parts: economic theory and econometrics. All exams must be taken by the end of the first week in June.
3. Each student must complete a research paper and present it in a seminar environment prior to the end of the last day of the Spring semester classes of their third year in residence.
4. On May 1st of a student’s 4th and each subsequent year, any student intending to remain in good standing for the next academic year must submit a dissertation progress report.
5. Complete and defend orally a doctoral dissertation setting forth in publishable form the results of original research.
For the complete and official rules please refer to the applicable Graduate Student Handbook or contact the department coordinator.