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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

The Program in Policy Economics, offered by the Department of Economics, is a specially designed, intensive program of study leading to a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of Illinois. It is intended for promising young administrators in government and private institutions, in both developing countries and advanced industrial countries, who need additional training in the areas of economic analysis and quantitative techniques. It is also for young scholars interested in a terminal master’s degree.

A complementary mission of the program is to help interested students acquire the necessary background to pursue a doctorate in economics. While earning the master’s degree, they learn if the pursuit of a Ph.D. degree is within their reach and suits their purposes.

The program offers more than forty courses in twelve different areas of specialization. These courses are taught by a faculty of more than 30 members.

Students with an excellent background in economics and quantitative methods and a high level of proficiency in English can complete the program in one year. Students with low proficiency in English, limited training in economics, or who completed their university course work several years ago are generally required to take an additional one or two semesters to complete the master’s degree. Students who wish to take advantage of the extensive course offerings at the University and study in additional areas or fields may remain up to two years to complete their program of study.

Students select one field from advanced econometrics (this field requires special prerequisites), development economics, economic policy, environment and natural resources, health economics, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, law and economics, monetary economics, public economics, and urban and regional economics.

Program enrichment offers special training on computers; internationally known guest speakers; field trips to business, financial, and government institutions; and tutorial help for students encountering difficulty in courses.

Research Facilities

The University library has the largest collection of any public university in the world and ranks third among U.S. academic libraries.

Financial Aid

No financial aid is available for students or their spouses.

Cost of Study

Tuition and fees for the first year were $32,900 in 2008–09. Tuition and fees are subject to change for the second year. Books and supplies cost approximately $2407 per year.

Living and Housing Costs

Students can reside in University graduate student dormitories, University married student housing, or private apartments or rooms. The estimated living allowance is $1450 per month, or $17,400 per year. The current estimated cost for accompanying dependents is as follows: for one dependent, $6200 per year; for two, $9980 per year; and, for each additional dependent, $1920 per year. The current annual rate for health insurance is $3096 for a spouse and $1542 for children (subject to change).

Student Group

Program alumni come from ninety-five different countries. The 86 students who are currently enrolled are from sixteen countries: Afghanistan, Belgium, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Korea, Peru, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. All students are registered full-time, and 39 percent are women.

Student Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, participants usually return to their previous positions or similar ones with enlarged opportunities. Some continue to work on their Ph.D. degrees (at the University of Illinois and elsewhere). Jobs that graduates return to include university instructor and researcher, commercial bank manager, chief executive officer, economic journalist and senior economist at a research institute, central bank economist and manager, securities analyst, chief expert at the Ministry of Trade, associate director at the Ministry of Construction, and manager at the Ministry of Finance. Over the years, some have risen in rank to hold such positions as president, governor, and deputy governor in central banks and top government cabinet positions, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Minister of Rural Development.

Location

Urbana-Champaign, with its mixture of rural and urban influences, education and culture, and high technology and research, offers the feeling and sophistication of a big city while retaining its Midwestern warmth.

Available athletic facilities include two golf courses, several tennis courts, jogging tracks, basketball courts, soccer fields, handball/racquetball courts, squash courts, five swimming pools, and weightlifting rooms.

The University

Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has steadily gained in stature and is recognized as one of the leading universities in the world. The University is known primarily for its achievements in research and graduate studies.

Another prime indicator of the campus’s excellence is the success of its alumni. Eleven alumni have won Nobel Prizes for the United States and another 18 have won the Pulitzer Prize.

Applying

Required materials are an application and fee, official transcript (translated if not in English) from all universities and colleges attended, three letters of recommendation, and, for students from non-English-speaking countries, scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Since admission is granted on a continuing basis, students should submit their completed application materials as soon as possible. Although there is no deadline date for applications, the program is usually full by April 1.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Professors
• Werner Baer, Ph.D., Harvard, 1958. Development, international economics.
• Anil K. Bera, Ph.D., Australian National, 1982. Econometrics.
• Daniel M. Bernhardt, Ph.D., Carnegie-Mellon, 1986. Economic theory, industrial organization, banking.
• In-Koo Cho, Ph.D., Princeton, 1986. Microeconomics, macroeconomics.
• *Lawrence DeBrock, Ph.D., Cornell, 1979. Industrial organization, microeconomics.
• Hadi S. Esfahani, Ph.D., Berkeley, 1984. Economic development, international trade.
• Firouz Gahvari: Ph.D., UCLA, 1981. Public economics.
• *J. Fred Giertz, Ph.D., Northwestern, 1970. Public finance and public choice.
• Fred M. Gottheil, Ph.D., Duke, 1959. Comparative economic systems, Middle East economics, history of economic thought.
• *Geoffrey J. D. Hewings, Ph.D., Washington, 1969. Macroeconomics, urban and regional planning.
• *Charles M. Kahn, Ph.D., Harvard, 1981. Economics of information and uncertainty, game theory.
• Roger W. Koenker, Ph.D., Michigan, 1974. Econometric theory and applications, industrial organization.
• Stefan Krasa, Ph.D., Vienna, 1987. Microeconomics.
• *Crain Olson, Ph.D., Wisconsin, 1979. Labor economics.
• Salim Rashid, Ph.D., Yale, 1976. Microeconomic theory, history of economic thought, mathematical economics.
• Bart Taub, Ph.D., Chicago, 1981. Macroeconomics.
• *Thomas S. Ulen, Ph.D., Stanford, 1978. Law and economics.
• Anne P. Villamil, Ph.D., Minnesota, 1988. Monetary economics.
• Steven R. Williams, Head of Department; Ph.D., Northwestern, 1982. Microeconomic theory, mathematical economics.
• Nicholas C. Yannelis, Ph.D., Rochester, 1983. Mathematical economics, game theory.
• Associate Professors
• George Deltas, Ph.D., Yale, 1995. Microeconomics, industrial organization.
• Stephen Parente, Ph.D., Minnesota, 1990. Macroeconomics, development and growth.
• *Elizabeth Powers, Ph.D., Pennsylvania, 1994. Labor economics.
• Assistant Professors
• Richard Akresh, Ph.D., Yale, 2004. Economic development.
• Luciano de Castro, Ph.D., Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (Brazil), 2004. Mathematical economics, auction theory.
• Todd Elder, Ph.D., Northwestern, 2001. Labor.
• Seung-Hyun Hong, Ph.D. candidate, Stanford. Industrial organization.
• *Darren Lubotsky, Ph.D., Berkeley, 2000. Labor economics.
• Makoto Nakajima, Ph.D., Pennsylvania, 2004. Macroeconomics.
• Mattias Polborn, Ph.D., Munich, 1998. Public economics.
• Daniela Puzzello, Ph.D., Purdue, 2005. Economic and monetary theory.
• Leonardo Rezende, Ph.D., Stanford, 2003. Industrial organization.
• Juha Seppala, Ph.D., Chicago, 2000. Macroeconomics.
• Rui Zhao, Ph.D., Chicago, 2000. Macroeconomics, transition.
• Lecturers
• Kristine Brown, Ph.D., Berkeley, 2007. Labor economics.
• Jose Jazquez, Ph.D., Rensselaer, 2001. Environmental economics.
• Joseph Petry, Ph.D., Illinois, 1991. Statistics.
• Colleen Schultz, Ph.D., Illinois, 1998. Industrial organization, health, law and economics.
• Ali Toossi, Ph.D., Illinois, 2002. Industrial organization, political economy.
• *Joint appointment with other departments or institutes in the University.

Correspondence and Information

M.S. Program
Director, Master’s Program
313 David Kinley Hall
1407 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, Illinois 61801
Telephone: 217-333-7651
Fax: 217-244-7368
Email: mspe@illinois.edu


Ph.D. Program:
Graduate Coordinator
410 David Kinley Hall
1407 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, Illinois 61801
Telephone: 217-333-0120
Fax: 217-244-6678
Email: econ@illinois.edu