Thanks Otto.
Our newest faculty member has her PhD from a coursework-intensive US department. She's already made comments about the lack of coursework here... but maybe that's just bias towards the type of system she came from.

Importantly though, she got an MPhil for completing her first year coursework. We get nothing like that in our "integrated" system.

For example: if I apply for an academic job in the morning, I can be binned at the shortlist stage because I don't hold a Masters qualification. That's despite being within 6/12 months of submitting a PhD draft. It's a bit unjust

I am curious to know what people think about my "fast-track" integrated Masters/PhD route?

In my case there was nothing fast about it... just because I had so much to learn (theory and tools) before I could even start.

I think the biggest drawback is never obtaining a recognised Masters qualification prior to finishing the PhD (my uni doesn't award MPhils during the PhD process). It's all or nothing.

Ok, I'm starting to feel more positive already since reading all your posts, so... thank you
RE coursework: a "good" economics PhD is seen as one with graduate level coursework at least in the first year. I'm not making this up, honestly! For some reason, the world has decided that economics PhDs need a thorough indoctrination before being unleashed to wreck the world
RE did I not know it was a weak dept when I joined: honestly at 21 I didn't realise there was such a difference between departments. A good teaching department doesn't automatically make a good research dept. And here, emphasis has always been on the former. But just try getting a job in 2007 with a teaching-only CV!

I'm enrolled in a very weak Economics PhD programme at a relatively new department; with no taught masters programmes and no formal graduate coursework.

I've been able to teach myself Stata/LaTeX/WinEdt, but can't make up for the coursework.

I also did my undergrad here :-(
I won a prestigious research scholarship and qualified for a "fast-track" integrated masters/PhD.
Now I don't even have a Masters degree to fall back on.

I have little hope of getting a decent research job since my PhD programme has no coursework and no recognition to speak of.

My supervisor is a data-mining empiricist. He cares little about the integrity of my research proposal, is rushing me into using bad data, and devotes no time to discussing methodological issues.

On the flip side, I have accumulated a lot of research experience and skills in the six years-- much of it from quant colleagues outside of my dept-- but all to the detriment of progressing my PhD.

Should I stay put, get a crap PhD which will be impossible to publish, and teach principles of micro for the rest of my life? Or run away, join a proper M.Sc/PhD programme, get into a proper research job?