Environmental Economics (PhD)

Program Educational Goals:

The objective of the degree is to train research-oriented scholars focused on the intersection of economics, policy, and the environment.  This requires:

• A foundation in microeconomic theory and econometrics
• An understanding of public policy, the policy process, and policy analysis
• An understanding of the environment issues in the context of policy analysis 
• Identify or define a research question
• Understand and synthesize literature material
• Design and execute a research study or experiment
• Data analysis
• Critically evaluate and interpret the outcome
• Write for peer-reviewed publications
• Present in professional and public forums
• Perform in collaborative workgroups  

These learning objectives are manifest in the requirements for the PhD. They are measured directly in the courses through assignments and oral presentations, project reports and final examinations. They are also assessed in the qualifying exam, proposal presentation and dissertation defense using the evaluation tools available to the dissertation committee. In addition to these direct measures of the program, every year graduating students complete an exit survey that asks them to rate their attainment of the desired goals as well as various aspects of the program. The results of this survey, class evaluations, performance in qualifying exams, and committee evaluations of dissertations are used to modify the program.