Applied Economics, PhD
Combining the faculties of the departments of Real Estate and Business Economics & Public Policy, Wharton’s Applied Economics program leverages the breadth and depth of its faculty to prepare students for careers doing frontier theoretical and empirical research. Students can focus on a variety of areas including Behavioral Economics, Development Economics, Energy and Environmental Economics, Industrial Organization, Market Design, Public Economics, Risk Management, and Urban Economics and Real Estate. Students may also develop an inter-disciplinary focus by taking courses and working with faculty in some of the other departments at Wharton such as Finance, Health Care Management, Management, and Marketing.
For more information: https://doctoral.wharton.upenn.edu/programs-of-study/applied-economics/
Required Courses
The course of study for the Ph.D. in Applied Economics requires the completion of 15 graduate course units. The common core consists of 3 theory courses and 3 statistics/econometrics courses. Students are also expected to master two field areas by passing two courses in each (total of 4 courses units). The remaining course units necessary to achieve 15 are split between the mandatory graduate student research seminars and other electives.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Microeconomic Theory I | ||
| Microeconomic Theory II | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Macroeconomic Theory I | ||
| Macroeconomic Theory II | ||
| Intertemporal Macroeconomics and Finance | ||
| Econometrics/Statistics | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| Empirical Public Policy | ||
| Numerical Methods in Economics | ||
| Econometrics I: Fundamentals | ||
| Econometrics III: Advanced Techniques of Cross-Section Econometrics | ||
or ECON 7310 | Econometrics II: Methods & Models | |
| Economics of Labor I | ||
| Empirical Methods in Corporate Finance | ||
| Applied Econometrics I | ||
| Applied Econometrics II | ||
| Observational Studies | ||
| Field Requirements | ||
| Select four courses | ||
Development Economics | ||
| Development Economics | ||
Industrial Economics and Business Regulation | ||
| Industrial Organization and Competition Policy | ||
| Special Topics in Health Economics: The Industrial Organization of Health Care | ||
| Empirical Methods for Industrial Organization | ||
Market Design | ||
| Market Design | ||
Public Economics and Political Economy | ||
| Public Economics: Social Insurance and Government Expenditures | ||
| Economics of Health Care and Policy | ||
| Public Economics | ||
| Public Economics II | ||
Urban Economics and Real Estate | ||
| Quantitative Spatial Models for Urban Economics | ||
| Urban Real Estate Economics | ||
| Advanced Topics in Urban Economics | ||
| Advanced Real Estate and Urban Economics | ||
| Household Real Estate Decision-Making | ||
| Cities in Developing Countries | ||
Behavioral Economics | ||
| Experimental Economics | ||
| Foundations of Decision Processes | ||
| Experimental Economics | ||
| Workshops 1 | ||
| Research Seminar | ||
| Applied Economics Seminar | ||
| Electives | ||
Select three additional electives at the 7000 level or above | ||
- 1
Taken in the Spring and Fall of years 2 and 3 for 0.5 cu each
University PhD Benchmarks
In addition to Program requirements, the following milestones must be completed:
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying Evaluation | ||
| Candidacy Examination | ||
| Dissertation Defense/Oral Exam | ||
| Dissertation Deposit | ||
For more information view the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.