RICHARDSON, Texas (July 29, 2003) – Beginning
with the fall semester, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will offer a Ph.D. in economics aimed
at students who are pursuing research careers in academia, government and industry, at both the local
and national levels.

The 90-credit-hour program, which was formally approved
last month by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will require a dissertation and will
be administered by UTD’s School of Social Sciences, whose economics faculty has expertise in human
resources economics, public policy analysis, development economics, industrial organization and behavioral
economics.

The new offering will include a strong foundation in
economic theory and econometric methods, but also will offer a limited number of courses in specialty
fields within economics. In addition, the program will integrate research opportunities at UTD’s
Cecil and Ida Green Center for the Study of Science and Society and the Bruton Center, which conducts
basic and applied research on the trends, forces and public policies that pertain to urban and regional
development.

“This new curriculum is a logical extension to
our portfolio, building on our successful interdisciplinary Ph.D. in political economy, and it is
another indicator of research capabilities that are mounting at UTD,” said Dr. Wim Vijverberg,
economics program director for the School of Social Sciences.

The new offering brings the total number of doctoral
programs at the university to 23 and all degree programs to 105. As announced in May, the School
of Social Sciences also is adding a Ph.D. in political science in the fall semester.

For more information on UTD’s new Ph.D. in economics
program, please contact Vijverberg at vijver@utdallas.edu or
(972) 883-2042.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart
of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor,
enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront
of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment
of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please
visit the university’s Web site at http://www.utdallas.edu.