Graduate Program

Student Testimonials

Testimonials from Recent Graduates

"The amount of time and resources the department invests in students translates into an absolutely wonderful time here. From the expertise of leading economists in their respective fields to an extremely collegial environment and from thought-provoking seminars to memorable picnics, everything made it an unparalleled experience." 

Shaffat Khan, ’20 PhD, World Bank – Development Research Group

"The economics department at the University of Rochester has a very active research environment and a friendly culture. The faculty members are world-class, very approachable and willing to help. I also enjoyed numerous helpful discussions with other graduate students. I am very grateful for doing my PhD at Rochester." 

Minjie Deng, ’20 PhD, Simon Fraser University

"At Rochester, I have received incredibly generous support, especially in terms of time and advice, from my advisors as well as the entire department. They sincerely cared for Ph.D. students. The Ph.D. program is designed to encourage students to work on their own agenda from early on. The atmosphere of the department, combined with the related programs of political science and mathematics, helped me pursue the balance between economic theory and practice and keep pushing myself. I have exponentially grown during the program, and I am very grateful.”

Emma Ko, ‘19 PhD, Rochester Institute of Technology

"My time at Rochester has given me the tools I need to be a effective researcher. The faculty is invested in student success which they show through a commitment to listen to and be available for students frequently.”

Carter Mix, ’19 PhD, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

"My time in Rochester was fantastic! The faculty is world class with leading economists in every field and the department provides an incredible environment for research and learning. Theorists like myself are especially lucky to be here. I am very happy I chose Rochester for my PhD.”

Lucas Pahl, '19 PhD, University of New South Wales

"I am very happy to be part of the Economics PhD program at Rochester. In addition to providing intense and high quality training, the program offers a nice range of fields with excellent professors. I am more than pleased with my experience pursuing Applied Microeconomics here. The faculty is friendly and available to interact with students. They help us achieve our best in terms of learning and research.”

Viviane Sanfelice, ’19 PhD, Temple University

"Doing my PhD at the University of Rochester was definitely a unique experience. Close and unparalleled support from the faculty helps students to push their research and abilities, way beyond what they would have expected from themselves.  Even these days, I remember the endless and eye-opening discussions I had with my advisors.”

Doruk Cetemen, '18 PhD, Collegio Carlo Alberto

"The economics PhD program at the University of Rochester provided me with a solid and diverse economics education and a friendly community. The congenial and supportive climate among the graduate students and faculty members makes my PhD years an unforgettable experience.“

Hao Teng, '18 PhD, San Diego State University

"I am very grateful to have had the chance to do my PhD at the University of Rochester. Starting with the amazing faculty and continuing with the students and the very active alumni network, the Department of Economics at the University of Rochester has all it takes to produce good economists. I only have one regret about my time in Rochester: that it ended too soon, because I was not done learning.”

Corina Boar, '17 PhD, New York University

"I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about a wide range of cutting-edge research in the PhD program and to eventually develop expertise in my specific field of research. The department offers excellent academic trainings which have proved to be very rewarding after I graduated."

"Rochester is a wonderful place for students who love economics. The department culture is special—simultaneously rigorous and playful—and there are very few departments where students and faculty are so close. I found the faculty to be hugely supportive and, like so many other Rochester alumni, I continue to feel a deep connection with the department after graduating.”

David Slichter, '16 PhD, Binghamton University

"Courses, seminars, and reading groups offered by the department foster an intellectually stimulating environment. The rigorous training at Rochester laid a solid foundation for my career.”

Xu Tian, '16 PhD, University of Toronto

"Our department is perhaps small relative to many other places, but it feels more like a family where we have got comprehensive training and numerous inspirations from the faculty members, and we have received plenty of support and suggestions from peers, and, last but not the least, we have inherited the legacy—pursuing rigorous and relevant research—from the founders of our department.”

Heng Liu, '15 PhD, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

"The program is quite rigorous and demanding, but in an environment that is very supportive and collegial. The faculty are extremely generous with their time and advice, and I loved my time there!"

Sulagna Mookerjee, '15 PhD, Georgetown University at Qatar