Contact Information

Director of Graduate Studies 
Department of Economics 
Box 1819, Station B 
Nashville, TN 37235 
phone: 615-322-2871 
email: economics@vanderbilt.edu
 
University Location and Description
 
Vanderbilt is a privately supported university which was founded in 1873 and is 
comprised of seven graduate and professional schools and three undergraduate  
schools.  All of the schools are located on a 300-acre campus within the city  
two miles from the state capitol and downtown Nashville.  Approximately 6,000  
undergraduates and 4,000 graduate and professional students attend Vanderbilt,  
and approximately one million people reside in Nashville's metropolitan area.   
The university is routinely ranked among the 25 best national universities by  
U.S. News and World Report. 
 
Advanced Degrees Offered

Ph.D. in Economics; M.A. in Economics; M.A. in Development Economics. 
 
Students

Between eight and twelve students begin the Ph.D. program each year.  Some of
these students subsequently elect to accept an M.A. rather than to continue in
the Ph.D. program. Four to eight Ph.D. degrees are awarded annually.  Our three
most recent graduates who wrote dissertations in economic history have joined
the faculty at the University of Michigan, Davidson College, and Western
Kentucky University.

Economic Historians on the Faculty

Vanderbilt's Department of Economics has one of the strongest collections of
economic historians in the United States.  See the departmental faculty webpage
for descriptions of the research interests and accomplishments of Professors
Jeremy Atack, William J. Collins, and Peter L. Rousseau. In addition there are a
number of faculty in the History Department interested in Economic and Business
History.
 
Required Courses in Economic History

All Ph.D. students take at least one graduate course in economic history or the 
history of economic thought.  Most take the course in Economic History.   
 
Offered Courses in Economic History

In addition to the required graduate course in economic history, the department
offers two other graduate courses in economic history.  One course focuses
on microeconomic topics in economic history.  The other course focuses on
macroeconomic topics.  Students who wish to specialize in economic history take
both graduate courses in economic history and a written "prelim" exam.  All
students complete specializations in at least two fields.  We also offer four
undergraduate courses in economic history.
 
Seminar Series

The department has a very active seminar series which often features economic  
historians.  Graduate students are expected to attend and participate in the  
seminar series.  
 
General Department Information

The department has a distinguished array of faculty in fields complementary to  
Economic History and is very supportive of the field and the economic  
historians.  The University itself, under its new Chancellor Gordon Gee,  
identifies improving graduate education and graduate support as key goals. 
 
Links

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/
 
 

Send comments and questions to admin@eh.net