►  Graduate School Policies and Procedures  apply to this program

Program Director: Brian Duncan, Ph.D., Department of Economics

Program co-Director: Richard Lindrooth, Ph.D., Health Systems, Management & Policy

Graduate Advisor: Daniel Rees, Ph.D., Department of Economics

The Ph.D. in Health Economics is designed to train scientists to engage in modern economic research related to questions pertinent to the health care sector and to personal and public health. Students take courses both from the Economics Department, which is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and from the Health Systems, Management & Policy (HSMP) Department, which is housed in the Colorado School of Public Health. The ECON coursework grounds students in rigorous economic theory and modern statistical methods, whereas the HSMP coursework connects students to institutional details of the health care sector, administrative data methods, grant writing, and the development of interdisciplinary health care research.

Admission Requirements

· Meet all general admission requirements of the Graduate School (including a 3.0 undergraduate grade-point average).

· Submit three letters of recommendation (at least two letters should come from individuals who are familiar with your scholarly record. The third can be an additional academic reference or professional reference from someone who knows you well and can comment on your potential as a graduate student).

· Submit official transcripts from all colleges attended.

· Have completed 15 credit hours of undergraduate economics, including intermediate microeconomic theory and econometrics (upper division courses).

· Have completed courses in calculus and statistics (preferably a year of calculus. A course in linear algebra and/or differential equations is recommended).

· Submit GRE scores. All applicants, international and domestic, must submit GRE scores regardless of prior degrees, course work, or work experience. The institution code for CU Denver is 4875. GRE scores are used in conjunction with other indicators of academic success at the PhD level. Applicants must show strong evidence of quantitative ability either through high grades in math, statistics, and economics courses, a high quant score on the GRE, or preferably both.

· International students must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic scores. The institution code for CU Denver is 4875. The minimum required score is 203 (computer-based TOEFL), 75 (IBT-based TOEFL), 537 (paper-based TOEFL), 6.5 (IELTS), or 51 (PTE). Minimum subscores also apply. More information about TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE waiver requirements can be found on the International Admission’s website. Please contact the International Admissions office if you have questions about this requirement.

Application Deadlines: June 1

Students are encouraged to apply by February 1 for full consideration of financial aid. The final application deadline is June 1.