Junior Year: Preparing for the Thesis
Students following the optimal sequence of courses will have completed the core courses in micro and macro theory as sophomores, opening up the entire range of economics electives for them as juniors. You are encouraged to use the junior year to explore broad topics of interest by taking two or three economics electives. The junior year is also the time to complete your methodological foundation by taking an econometrics course (if you have not done so earlier).
Junior Qualifying Examination
The junior qualifying exam is normally taken in April of the junior year. Information about the qual will be announced on the department's email list for majors. Students writing a spring-fall thesis, those studying abroad, and others with unusual circumstances may take the exam in November or August.
The exam has two parts. One part of the junior qual is a set of three one-page thesis-topic summaries. These need not be full-blown proposals, but should be specific ideas that you think might be interesting to work on for a thesis.
The second part of the qual consists of written answers to questions on micro and macro theory. The faculty will prepare a set of eight questions in each subject in March of each year and distribute these to all students registered for the qual. On the date of the qual, students will be asked to write answers to three of the eight questions (selected by the faculty).
A student may pass, fail, or receive a conditional pass. Students who perform satisfactorily on all parts of the qual will be advanced to senior standing. Those who show promise of eventually passing, but are deficient on one or more parts of the qual, are often given a “conditional pass.” Students receiving a conditional pass will be notified of the conditions that must be met before they can advance to senior standing. Students who fail the qual are eligible to take the qual the next time it is offered. Failing the qual a second time bars a student from progressing as a degree candidate in the department, but it does not restrict a student from taking the qual in another department or program.