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Graduate Program & Overview


The UH-Manoa Economics Department offers one of the world’s leading graduate programs, providing theoretical, empirical, and historical foundations for the study of economic policies across the globe. Our program offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees and admits students to both programs. According to the Research Papers in Economics (RePec) rankings, our department ranks among the top 20 percent of economics departments in US universities. (https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.usecondept.html)

The Department’s graduate program enrolls about fifteen new students each year. Doctoral students take required courses in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, econometrics, and complete two fields of specialization. Field options include Economic Development, International Economics, Public Economics, Resource and Environmental Economics, and Human Resources.

Graduate students in our department work closely with faculty to hone their skills as researchers. Students regularly present their ongoing research in the Department’s weekly lunchtime workshops. The workshop series provide valuable feedback from fellow students and other faculty in a relaxed collegial environment. In addition, we have an active seminar series for faculty and graduate students, which regularly features rising young stars and globally-recognized scholars in economics.

Graduates of the program teach in universities in the United States and across the globe. They work for federal and state agencies, international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank, and in the private banking and consulting sectors.

The department has a close working relationship with the East-West Center, a federal research and educational institution that specializes in the Asia-Pacific region and is located on campus. Our location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, our proximity to the East-West Center, and our multicultural graduate student body provide us with a natural comparative advantage in studying behavior and public policies in Asia-Pacific economies.

We are currently accepting applications for graduate study in Economics.
  • Graduate applications for East-West Center scholarships are due November 1
  • All other applications for the Fall semester are due January 15
  • How to apply for admission