Economics

The HTC program in Economics offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of economics in one-on-one relationships with the Department of Economics faculty members. Maximum opportunities will be afforded for the student to progress well beyond the material found in conventional courses. The primary purpose of the tutorial program is to serve as preparation for graduate study.

Program Overview

Students are required to complete 8 tutorials within The College of Arts and Sciences, including 2 devoted to the thesis for 3 credit hours each. In addition to the tutorials, the student must complete the Tier I English requirement, Junior Composition, Economics core courses not covered by tutorials, and an appropriate number of approved electives. Internships and/or study abroad may be included within the program with special permission from the Director of Studies (credit will only be given once). Honors Tutorial students take a minimum of 16 hours per quarter.

Advising and Monitoring

Each student receives initial advice from the Director of Studies regarding selection and sequencing of courses, choice of a thesis advisor, and other procedural matters. A committee is composed of the Director of Studies and the Advisor will monitor the thesis work. A typical tutorial will meet on a weekly basis for a minimum of one hour. The student and the tutor will discuss the current reading and written assignments, discuss problems and solutions, debate and offer critical analysis, and the tutor continuously evaluates the progress of the student. A final grade is made based on many facets of evaluation available to the tutor: written assignments, written exams, oral exams, discussions, presentations by the student, field work, etc.

The Honors Thesis

The Honors Thesis is a reflection of the student's special interests. Its acceptance, dependent upon an appropriate mixture of research and analysis, relies upon the judgment of his or her committee or the Director of Studies. It is expected that this major paper will constitute work of the highest quality in investigating a problem of concern to both scholars and practitioners. Although an intensive study of relevant theoretical and research literatures is the underpinning of the thesis, students are encouraged to augment this scholarly base with field data whenever possible.

Evaluation

Students in the program earn letter grades consistent with the university grading system and are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students who earn less than a B, or who maintain less than a 3.5 GPA will need to confer with the Director of Studies and/or the Dean of the College. In addition to letter grade assessments, tutors complete quarterly course descriptions and evaluations of each student's work. In these assessments both the student's academic standing and academic attitude are evaluated.

Admission

Students are selected by the Director of Studies of the Economics Tutorial Program and the Honors Tutorial College on the basis of superior ability and sustained motivation. An interview with a representative of the College of Arts and Sciences is required for acceptance into our program.

The personalized aspects of the tutorial system occasionally make it possible for us to accept students who have not performed well on standardized measures of ability but who demonstrate exceptional aptitude in other ways.

The deadline for application for admission is November 15th, and admission interviews are held in January.

Director of Studies

Assistant Professor, Dr. Daniel Karney
(740)593-2040
323 Bentley Annex
karney@ohio.edu

Education

Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign