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Department of Economics | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Simon Fraser University Calendar | Spring 2025

Economics

Doctor of Philosophy

The Department of Economics offers a doctor of philosophy (PhD) program that prepares students for a research career. The program combines coursework in the core fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics, elective coursework in a variety of fields, and substantive original research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the University admission requirements as stated in Graduate General Regulations 1.3 in the SFU Calendar. Also required is a master of arts (MA) degree, with graduate work in core areas that are equivalent to ECON 802, 807, 835 and 836. Any core area deficiency must be filled by completing the appropriate course(s) in addition to the course work normally required. In certain cases, students may be transferred into the doctor of philosophy (PhD) program from the MA program after meeting MA core and unit requirements (16 courses beyond the BA honours is required for such a PhD program).

Program Requirements

This program consists of required courses, elective courses, comprehensive exam, and a thesis for a minimum of 62 units. Normally a student must complete at least five courses of regularly scheduled course work within this department; exceptions to this rule must be approved by the student's supervisory committee and the graduate program committee.

Students must complete all of

ECON 803 - Microeconomic Theory I (4)

Covers: (i) individual decision-making (including choice theory, consumer choice, producer choice, and choice under uncertainty); (ii) competitive markets (including Pareto optimality and welfare analysis); (iii) general equilibrium (including equilibrium under uncertainty and equilibrium and time). Prerequisite: ECON 802 or equivalent.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Arthur Robson
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 12:30–3:20 p.m.
Burnaby
ECON 804 - Microeconomic Theory II (4)

Covers: (i) non-cooperative game theory (including static games, sequential games, repeated games, and Bayesian games) and applications; (ii) contracts and information (including moral hazard and adverse selection) and related topics (such as auctions, mechanism design, and incomplete contracts). Prerequisite: ECON 803.

ECON 808 - Macroeconomic Theory I (4)

Covers modern macroeconomic theory, with a focus on mathematical and computational foundations. Topics may include: long-run growth, dynamic general equilibrium models, and business cycle analysis, as well as abstract spaces, measure theory, dynamic optimization, notions of equilibrium and welfare theorems with infinitely many goods. Prerequisite: ECON 807 or equivalent.

ECON 809 - Macroeconomic Theory II (4)

Covers advanced macroeconomic theory topics and emphasis is placed on current research techniques. Topics may include: theories of long-run growth and development, New-Keynesian and Neo-Classical business cycle models, heterogenous agents models, models of fiat money, asset pricing models, firm dynamics, adaptive behaviour, and computational methods in macroeconomics. Prerequisite: ECON 808.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Minjie Deng
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
ECON 831 - Mathematical Economics (4)

Introduction to mathematics required for PhD level coursework and research in economics. Topics may include real analysis, analysis on metric spaces, differential calculus, convexity, and optimization. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: ECON 331.

ECON 837 - Econometric Theory I (4)

Covers probability theory and statistical inference. Topics may include an introduction to measure and probability theory, integration and mathematical expectations, stochastic limit theory, asymptotic theory, mathematical statistics, and an introduction to GMM and maximum likelihood estimation and the concept of identification. Prerequisite: ECON 835 or equivalent.

ECON 838 - Econometric Theory II (4)

Covers the core tools of theoretical and applied econometrics including time series, cross sectional, and panel data methods. Topics may include multiple linear regression, instrumental variables, GMM, limited dependent variable models, ARMA models, unit roots/cointegration, fixed/random effects, hypothesis testing, program evaluation, nonlinear regression, semi/non-parametric methods, big data and ML methods. Prerequisite: ECON 837.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Dongwoo Kim
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 12:30–3:20 p.m.
Burnaby

and two of

ECON 984 - Comprehensive Examination in Econometrics (0)

Written comprehensive examination in econometrics. Normally taken in the Summer term of the first year of the PhD program. Students have two attempts to pass the exam. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: ECON 838.

ECON 985 - Comprehensive Examination in Microeconomic Theory (0)

Written comprehensive examination in microeconomic theory. Normally taken in the summer term of the first year of the PhD program. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: ECON 803, ECON 804.

ECON 986 - Comprehensive Examination in Macroeconomic Theory (0)

Written comprehensive examination in macroeconomic theory. Normally taken in the summer term of the first year of the PhD program. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: ECON 808, ECON 809.

and four graduate elective ECON courses

and a field paper

ECON 900 - PhD Field Paper (0)

In the summer term following the completion of a PhD student's theory comprehensive exams, the student will enrol in this course. In consultations between the student, the graduate chair, and faculty, the student will be assigned a supervisor for the course. During the term, the student will write a research paper in their field of interest. A satisfactory completion of the course is through the presentation of the paper as an economics department thesis proposal seminar. Graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby

and a comprehensive field exam

ECON 987 - Field Comprehensive Examination (0)

Written comprehensive examination in the student's primary field of specialization. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G200 TBD
G300 TBD
G400 TBD
G500 TBD

and a thesis

ECON 990 - PhD Thesis (18)

Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 TBD

Program Length

Students are expected to complete the program requirements in 15 terms.

Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations

All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.