Levan Elbakidze, Graduate Program Coordinator
e-mail: Levan.Elbakidze@mail.wvu.edu
Degree Offered
- Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Resource Economics
Nature of the Program
The Ph.D. degree is the most advanced degree offered and prepares candidates for work at the highest level of the profession as a faculty member, staff in a research organization or governmental and non-governmental agencies, or as a consultant.
Admissions for 2027-2028
A regular graduate student is a degree-seeking student who meets all the criteria for regular admission to a program of their choice and be under no requirements to make up deficiencies.
For regular admission, a student must:
- Possess a baccalaureate degree from a college or university and have at least a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (or an average of 3.0 or higher for the last sixty credit hours).
- Provide three letters of reference from persons acquainted with the applicant’s professional work, experience, or academic background.
- Submit a written statement of 500 words or more indicating the applicant’s goals and objectives relative to receiving a graduate degree, and identify a potential faculty advisor.
- Have an adequate academic aptitude at the graduate level as measured by the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the New Medical College Admissions Test (New MCAT).
* International students must meet WVU’s minimum score requirements for English language proficiency
Major Code: 1733
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ARE 621 | Quantitative Methods in Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECON 701 | Advanced Micro-Economic Theory 1 | 4 |
| ECON 711 | Advanced Micro-Economic Theory 2 | 4 |
| ECON 721 | Mathematical Economics | 3 |
| ECON 725 | Econometrics 1 | 3 |
| ARE 703 | Advanced Natural Resource Economic Theory | 3 |
| ARE 710 | Advanced Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ECON 726 | Econometrics 2 | 3 |
| ECON 727 | Econometrics 3 | 3 |
| or ARE 729 | Spatial Econometrics | |
| Required Field (select one of the following): | 6 | |
| Economic Development and Regional Economics | ||
| Rural and Regional Development | ||
| International Agricultural Economic Development | ||
| International Trade | ||
ECON 754 | ||
| Advanced Regional Economics | ||
| Advanced Urban Economics | ||
| Spatial Economic Analysis | ||
| Spatial Econometrics | ||
| Econometrics 3 | ||
| Advanced Regional Economics | ||
| Spatial Analysis for Resource Management | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Advanced Macro-Economic Theory 1 | ||
| Advanced Macro-Economic Theory 2 | ||
| Seminar | 1 | |
| Graduate Seminar | ||
| Research | 1 | |
| Research | ||
| Teaching Practicum | 1 | |
| Teaching Practicum | ||
| Qualifying Exam | ||
| Mentored Research Paper | ||
| Dissertation Proposal Defense | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 38 | |
Degree Progress
The School of Community and Economic Development requires the following milestones for all students. According to the graduate catalog, students will receive a yearly evaluation. Students who are either not making adequate degree progress or who are failing to uphold professional standards may receive notice of probation, suspension or dismissal. Students may be notified of academic consequences outside of routine evaluation processes if an issue must be addressed immediately.
Each year, no later than the first day of classes of the Fall semester, the department will distribute an updated version of the graduate handbook.
Benchmarks
- Year One: Completion of Plan of Study and research proposal
- Year Two: Successful completion of written and oral comprehensive examination
- Year Four: Satisfactory progress toward completion of dissertation
- Year Five: Completion and defense of dissertation
Satisfactory Progress
- Satisfactory progress toward completion of dissertation includes literature review, data collection, and analysis.