Ph.D. in
Economics
apply TODAY
CONSIDERING A GRADUATE DEGREE IN ECONOMICS? Consider UCI!
Ranked #24 among all public economics programs in the country (U.S. News & World Report), the UCI graduate program in economics offers students five years of guaranteed funding. Scholars in the department have a proven track record of earning competitive research funding from national agencies, including the National Science Foundation, Army Office of Research, and U.S. Department of Agriculture; from private foundations including the Russell Sage Foundation and Arnold Foundation; and from campus-level fellowships, such as the Public Impact, Fletcher Jones and Chancellor’s Club fellowships.
The department has achieved national stature by attracting well-known senior scholars
to its faculty and through the advancement of a host of young economists who have
achieved national prominence.
QUICK FACTS
LOCATION
Campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach.
FUNDING
Admitted students receive 5 years of guaranteed funding.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Special programs in transportation economics and public choice are available to interested
students.
DEGREE
Ph.D.; a master's degree is earned while in pursuit of the Ph.D.
ENROLLMENT
Full-time, on-campus with housing.
JOINT PROGRAM
Joint M.S. in statistics and Ph.D. in economics.
RANKINGS
24
best public economics program in the U.S.
- U.S. News & World Report
07
articles published per faculty
-Academic Analytics
08
articles published per department
-Academic Analytics
11
scholarly output
- Academic Analytics
RECENT PLACEMENTS
- Amazon
- IBM
- Activision
- Institute for Defense Analysis
- California Edison
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Columbia University
- Purdue University
- Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research
- Baylor University
- Stockholm University
- University of Intl. Business and Economics Beijing
RESEARCH SPECIALITIES
- Economic history
- Industrial organization
- International economics
- Labor economics
- Macroeconomics
- Public choice
- Public finance
- Transportation economics
- Urban economics
According to Academic Analytics data, UCI economics ranks 7th among all economics departments in articles published per faculty. The department ranks 8th in total number of articles published, and UCI economists produce 1.8% of all articles in the discipline, ranking 11th among institutions, with only 1% of the discipline’s faculty.
And graduate students have incredible opportunities to publish alongside these world-renowned faculty.
And if that wasn’t enough, the UCI campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach, is the #1 university doing the most for the American dream (New York Times College Access Index), and the #1 ranked best college in the nation (Money Magazine).
WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM UNIQUE?
The department has 31 permanent faculty members with research and teaching interests that span a broad range of fields. In addition to strengths in micro theory, macroeconomics and econometrics (Bayesian and classical), the department has expertise in many applied fields.
UCI economists pursue research with real-world policy impacts in areas including:- Minimum wage debate
- California policy toward enterprise zones
- Regulation of airline alliances
- California high-speed rail demand forecasts
- Public health
Students have an opportunity to earn a master’s degree while in pursuit of their Ph.D.
Graduate students from UCI’s economics program have gone on to work in high-tech startups,
research consultancy companies, government offices, and in professorial posts around
the world.
"Life as a UCI Ph.D. student is really fun...
we find time to work and play here"
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - Why UCI Economics?
When Nikki Tavasoli was thinking about where she wanted to pursue her graduate degree in economics, UC Irvine was at the top of her list.
"UCI has so many professors who are so esteemed and high ranking in their fields - I wanted to come here and absorb their knowledge and expertise," she says. "I also chose to come to UCI because of the great funding they provide."
"UCI excels in economics because of the way it provides students with so many great research opportunities - both within the department and across campus through interdisciplinary work," Nikki says.
For her, that means getting access to real consumer data for her research on health economics - specifically how nutritional characteristics and pricing schemes impact consumer dietary choices. And she also gets to work with faculty in medicine as well as economics to better understand her field.
"These are unique opportunities that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere," she says.
For graduate students, there's also a healthy work-life balance when grad life gets stressful. "Life as a UCI Ph.D. student is really fun. We go to the beach, hang out with friends, hit any one of the number of different restaurants around town...we find time to work and play here," Nikki says.
Scholars in the department - like Nikki - have a proven track record of earning competitive research funding from national agencies, including the National Science Foundation, Army Office of Research, and U.S. Department of Agriculture; from private foundations including the Russell Sage Foundation and Arnold Foundation; and from campus-level fellowships, such as the Public Impact, Fletcher Jones and Chancellor's Club fellowships.
FURTHER PROGRAM INFORMATION
If full funding, opportunities to publish, and a proven track record of excellence in the field are what you’re looking for in a graduate program, contact us today to learn more about UCI economics.
DEPARTMENT WEBSITE
www.economics.uci.edu
FACULTY
meet our exciting faculty
DEPARTMENT CHAIR
William Branch
wbranch@uci.edu
949.824.4221
GRADUATE DIRECTOR
Fabio Milani
fmilani@uci.edu
949.824.4519
GRADUATE ADVISOR
Jennifer Gerson
jennifer.gerson@uci.edu
949.824.4074