phd economics lausanne

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This program page was last updated on 25 October 2023. Some details may have changed since then. Please check the University of Lausanne website or the University of Lausanne page for current opportunities.

PhD positions in economics, HEC, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

25 october 2023, phd programs, funded, see description, christina seld.

The University of Lausanne has a distinguished history of scholarship in economics and aspires to remain a leading center for economic research and learning. The aim of our PhD program in Economics is to attract excellent students with a two-year master’s degree in economics or a related field and help them develop their potential to become independent economists who thrive in the academic, public, and private sector. Many of our PhD students succeed at publishing their research in leading international peer-reviewed journals, and our alumni easily find work at research-oriented organizations in the academic, public, or private sector ( PhD placements ).

We are currently looking for prospective PhD students in all fields of economics to start their PhD at the University Lausanne in the Fall Semester of 2024. We encourage interested students to consult the department website for the research interests of our current faculty . Prospective PhD students with research interests in the following fields, and who would like to collaborate with the below-mentioned colleagues are especially encouraged to apply:

•Prof. Benhima: development and international macroeconomics,

•Prof. Benigno: macro-finance, international macroeconomics, monetary policy,

•Prof. Brülhart: public, regional, international economics,

•Prof. Eyquem: macroeconomics (policy, labor markets, heterogeneous agents, international),

•Prof. Hakimov: behavioral and experimental economics, market design,

•Prof. Houde: environmental and energy economics,

•Prof. Klaus: game theory, market design, matching theory, social choice theory,

•Prof. Lalive: labor economics, public economics, artificial intelligence,

•Prof. Maurer: health economics, economics of aging,

•Prof. Montez: game theory, industrial organization,

•Prof. Nigmatulina: macroeconomic development, urban and spatial economics,

•Prof. Thoenig: quantitative spatial models, political economy of migration,

•Prof. Scheidegger: computational methods applied to macro and climate economic, deep learning,

•Prof. Zanarone: organizational economics, business economics, contract economics

We especially welcome applications of women and minority students. All PhD candidates receive competitive salaries of more than CHF 50,000 per year through appointments as teaching and research assistants. You will find more information about our PhD program here , and about our department here . The application deadline is January 31st, 2024. Applications must include a current CV, a brief statement of purpose, complete Bachelor and Master transcripts of grades, GRE results ( GRE general test ), and a tentative research proposal (max. 4 pages long, on a topic you would be interested in working on). Only applications submitted electronically through the application website will be considered.

Contact: Doctoral school, PhD in Economics, University of Lausanne, HEC Lausanne, Internef 526, CH-1015 Lausanne: [email protected]

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Philippe Bacchetta

Professor HEC Lausanne and Swiss Finance Institute

Philippe Bacchetta is Swiss Finance Institute professor of macroeconomics at the University of Lausanne .

He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from Harvard University and his B.A. and M.S. in economics from the University of Lausanne. From 1998 to 2007, Philippe Bacchetta was director of the Study Center Gerzensee , a foundation of the Swiss National Bank. He has also been an assistant professor at Brandeis University, USA, and at ESADE and the Instituto de Análisis Económico, both in Barcelona. He has been visiting professor at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, the Paris School of Economics, the University of Geneva, the University of Freiburg (Germany), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona, and CEMFI in Madrid. He has been visiting scholar at Harvard University, the IMF and the NBER and an academic consultant at various central banks. He is a fellow of the European Economic Association and has been Program Director of the International Macroeconomics and Finance program of the Centre for Economic Policy Research ( CEPR , London), president of the Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, and a member of the Swiss National Research Council. In 2011 he was awarded an Advanced Researcher Grant by the European Research Council.

His research interests include open economy macroeconomics, international finance, financial crises, and monetary economics.

Discover his publications and contributions in the media .

Faculty of Business and Economics, Internef 523, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, +4121 692 34 73, [email protected]

What’s New

• Exchange Rate Determination under Limits to CIP Arbitrage , (August 2024) , Philippe Bacchetta, Scott Davis and Eric van Wincoop , Online Appendix
• Foreign Exchange Intervention with UIP and CIP Deviations: The Case of Small Safe Haven Economies (August 2023) Philippe Bacchetta, Kenza Benhima, and Brendan Berthold
• The International Transmission of Asset Market Shocks in Liquidity Traps , (March 2024) ,  Philippe Bacchetta, Kenza Benhima, Yannick Kalantzis, and Maxime Phillot
• CBDC as Imperfect Substitute to Bank Deposits: A Macroeconomic Perspective (May 2024) Philippe Bacchetta and Elena Perazzi , Online Appendix

Doctoral studies at EPFL

SNSF is increasing the minimum salaries for doctoral students

“In the end, public speaking is a performance”

Published: 23.07.24 — Maria Marcinek, winner of EPFL’s 2024 “My Thesis in 180 seconds” competition talks about why she decided to participate in the competition and shares her passion for the natural sciences.

SAC and EDOC Teams annual outing to EPFL Valais and HES-SO Valais

Why choose EPFL?

• Doctoral Program Presentation
• Student handbook 2024-2025
• PhD placement since 2009

Placement of students from the Ph.D. Program:

• Hippolyte Boucher : Airbus, Marseille
• Tim Ederer : Tepper Business School, Carnegie Mellon University (Economics), preceded by a one-year Post-Doc at the Becker-Friedmann Institute, University of Chicago
• Luise Eisfeld : HEC Lausanne (Finance)
• Hiyu Hou : Renmin University, Beijing
• Dakang Huang : Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFFE), Chengdu, China
• Antoine Jacquet : Post Doc at Science-Po, Paris, France (2 years)
• Max Lesellier : Université de Montréal
• Yaxin Li : Renmin University, Beijing
• Gosia Majewska : ESSEC Business School, Paris (Economics)
• José Munoz : Analysis Group, Brussels
• Peter Neis : Post Doc at CERDI, Clermont Ferrand University (2 years)
• Tuuli Vanhapelto : Adam Smith Business School, Glasgow (Economics)
• Philipp Wangner: Mannheim University, preceded by a one-year Post-Doc at Columbia University
• Li Yu : Liaoning University, Shenyang, China
• Ling Zhou : Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (after a two-years Post-Doc)
• Alae Baha - Oxford University,  Sociology Dep. (Post Doc, 3 years) 
• Paloma Carrillo - International Labor Organization
• Alipio Ferreira - 1 year postdoc at JPAL-LAC (Rio de Janeiro) and then Southern Methodist University (AP)
• Alexandre Gaillard - 1 year post-doc at Princeton and then Brown University (AP)
• Friedrich Lucke - Joint Research Center (JRC), European Commission, Brussels
• Filip Mrowiec  - Cornerstone (New York)
• Celia Ruiz  - Compass Lexecon
• Vatsala Shreeti - Bank of International Settlments
• Fernando Stipanicic - 1 year postdoc at Berkeley and then Oslo (AP)
• Jun Yan  - Xiamen University (AP)
• Yifei Zhang - Peking University, HSBC Business School (AP)
• Hussein Bidawi - International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Nicolas Bonneton - University of Manheim Assistant Professor 
• Jacopo Bregolin - University of Liverpool Assistant Professor
• Christophe Bruneel - KU Leuven Assistant Professor
• Matheus De Souza Bueno - OECD
• Joana Duran-Franch - Postdoc at Columbia 1 year 
• Jacint Enrich Moya - Postdoc at Pompeu Fabra - 3 years 
• Christophe Gaillac - Postdoc Nuffield College – 3 years
• Jérôme Gonnot - Postdoc European University Institute – 2 years
• Kunal Khainar - Bank of England 
• Willy Lefez - Postdoc Berlin School of Economics - 4 years
• Charles Pébereau  - Post doc at Stanford - 3 years
• Stefan Pollinger - Sciences Po Paris Assistant Professor
• Kevin Remmy - Postdoc at University of Mannheim - 5 years 
• Yang Yang  - Nanjing University Assistant Professor 
• Miguel Zerecero - UC Irvine Assistant Professor
• Ling Zhou  - Postdoc University of Padova - 2 years 
• Miren Azkarate-Askasua  - Post-doctorate for one year at European University Institute (EUI), then Assistant Professor (University of Mannheim)
• Hussein Bidawi  -  International Monetary Fund
• Filippo D'Arcangelo  - OECD
• Hugues Dastarac  - Banque de France
• Vessela Daskalova  - Assistant Professor  (UC Dublin)
• Alberto Grillo  - Post doctorate at Aix-Marseille School of Economics
• Elia Lapenta  - Assistant Professor(CREST)
• Emil Palikot  - Post doctorate at Stanford
• Christopher Sandmann  - Post doctorate for one year at Princeton then Assistant Professor (LSE)
• Roberto Sarkisian  - Assistant Professor (University of Rome Tor Vergata)
• Peter Wikman  - Post doctorate at Toulouse School of Economics 
• Yuting Yang  - Assistant Professor (University of New Mexico)
• Jiakun Zheng  - Assistant Professor (Renmin University)
• Konrad Adler -Postdoctoral position with the finance group at Bonn University
• Aleksandra Fridman - Economist program at the International Monetary Fund
• Jakob Hennig - Visiting professor Position at the UC3M
• Jasmin Fliegner - Assistant professor in Economics, University of Manchester
• Claire Galez-Davis - International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
• Dimple Kukreja - Research Officer, Reserve Bank of India
• Xavier Lambin - Assistant professor, Grenoble School of Management
• Giulia Pavan - Compass Lexecon (Madrid office)
• Eva Raiber - Assistant professor, Aix-Marseille School of Economics
• Lei Xu - Economist, Bank of Canada
• Yaohui Dong  - Assistant Professor, School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen
• Simon Fuchs  - Research Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
• Pablo Garcia  - Economist, Banque Centrale du Luxembourg
• Vitalijs Jascisens  - Assistant professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics (Department of Economics and International College of Economics and Finance)
• Tannous Kass-Hanna  - Economist, International Monetary Fund
• Lan Lan  - Assistant Professor, University of Oslo (Economics Department)
• Julie Lassebie  - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 
• Tsz Kin Leung  - Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Cambridge (INET Institute)
• Ying Liang  - Lecturer, Monash University (Monash Business School)
• George Lukyanov  - Assistant Professor, École Polytechnique
• Lucas Mahieux  - Assistant Professor, Tilburg University
• Serge Nyawa  - Assistant Professor, Toulouse Business School (Department of Information, Operations and Management Sciences)
• Anastasiia Parakhonyak  - Assistant Professor in Economics and Finance, Durham University (Business School)
• Arnaud Philippe  - Lecturer in economics, Department of economics (School of Economics, Finance and Management), Bristol University
• Oleg Polivin  - Junior Data Scientist, Altran
• Andrés Salamanca  - Postdoctoral position, University of Southern Denmark (Department of Business and Economics)
• Jules Tinang  - Assistant Professor, University of Groningen
• Ying Lei Toh - Payments Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
• Shuichi Tsugawa  - Assistant Professor Department of Engineering, Kyushu University, Japan
• Shuguang Zhu  - Assistant Professor, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (School of Economics)
• Nordine Abidi  - Economist, European Central Bank
• Arthur Alik  - Staff economist, Worldbank, office of chief economist Africa region
• Andrii Babii - Assistant professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Constance De Soyres - Economist, International Monetary Fund
• François De Soyres - Economist, World Bank
• MiaoMiao Dongdon - Assistant professor, Bocconi University (Decision Science Department)
• Xintong Han  - Assistant professor, Concordia University
• Maxime Liegey  - Assistant professor, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogota)
• Christian Nguenang  - Consultant, Bewell Consulting-Harwell Management
• Christiern Daniel  Rose  - Lecturer, University of Queensland
• Nassima Selmane    - Assistant Professor, University of Groningen
• Tomar Shekhar  - Research Officer, Reserve bank of India
• Tuba Tuncel  -  Assistant Professor, HEC Montreal
• André Veiga  - Assistant professor, Imperial College Business School in London
• Chunan Wang  -    Assistant Professor of Economics, Beihang University (Beijing)
• Suxiu Yu  -  Assistant Professor, Renmin University of China, Hanqing Advanced Institute of Economics and Finance
• Fanny Camara  - Assistant Professor, University of Southern California
• Maddalena Ferrana  - Postdoctoral research associate in Values and Public Policy, Woodrow Wilson School and University Center for Human Values, Princeton University
• Markus Gebauer  - Assistant Professor, Higher School of Economics/ICEF
• Dong-Hee Joe  - Associate Research Fellow, Korea Energy Economics Institute
• Yves Le Yaouanq  - Assistant Professor, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
• Kun Li  - Lecturer, Australia National University, Research School of Finance, Acturial Studies & Statistics
• César Mantilla  - Assistant Professor, Universidad del Rosario
• Rodrigo Montes  - Senior Economist, Compass Lexecon
• Alban Moura  - Economist, Banque centrale du Luxembourg, Research Department
• Guillem Roig  - Assistant Professor, Universidad del Rosario
• Johanna Schauer  - Economist, IMF
• Ananya Sen  - Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT (Sloan)
• Gang Wang  - Assistant Professor, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
• Timothy Yeung  - Postdoctoral position of PSL Research University, hosted by University of Paris-Dauphine
• Luc Bridet - Lecturer, University of St Andrews
• Ho Cheung Cheng  - Assistant Professor, National Central University, Taiwan
• Jorge Florez  - Assistant Professor, Universidad del Rosario
• Mattia Girotti  - Banque de France
• Sinem Hidir  - Assistant Professor, University of Warwick
• Laura Lasio  - Assistant Professor, McGill University
• Margaret Leighton  - Lecturer, University of St Andrews
• Julien Sauvagnat  - Assistant Professor, Università Boconi
• Yonglei Wang  - Assistant Professor, Huazhong University of Science & Technology
• Qizhou (Leo) Xiong  - Postdoctoral researcher, University of Magdeburg and Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH)

2023-2024 PhD candidates

Placement Officer: Ulrich HEGE  -  Coordinator: Anouch MISSIRIAN  - Placement secretary: Louise STRACHAN

Post-Docs at TSE

Our ambition is to keep attracting the best students in the world. Therefore, we offer financial help for our future PhD students.

Some scholarships and grants are available at the Master 2 level: https://www.tse-fr.eu/admissions

Once the students graduate from the Master 2 ETE and continue in the PhD program, the doctoral school makes sure that they receive funding. Some positions of teaching assistant and research assistant are also available.

It usually takes 5 years for students to complete their thesis.

A world-class international doctoral program, training the brightest minds.

The "Doctoral track" ( Master 2 ETE ) allows students to acquire a thorough and advanced general training in economic theory (micro, macro and econometrics) before choosing a specific area of research. During this first year, students are also given training in research techniques and work one-on-one with a faculty advisor to complete a master’s thesis that will be assessed by a board of professors.

Second year

At the end of the first year, students are admitted in the second year Advanced Research degree in Economics (MRes in Economics) on the basis of their results (courses and research work) and embark on a final year of advanced, specialized courses. Students should select 7 course topics among a list of advanced specialized courses and attend an annual research workshop (members meet on a regular basis during the year). This intensive training should provide PhD students with a strong foundation for the writing of their thesis and for their future research career. An advisor and another faculty member assist students in the design of their plan of studies. During the second year, students choose their field(s) of specialization : 

• Behavioral and Experimental Economics
• Econometrics and Empirical Economics
• Economics Theory
• Industrial Organization
• Macroeconomics
• Public Policy and Applied Economics

At the end of this second year, students must present some original research work (a preliminary paper) to a jury of faculty members.

Thesis years

The two or three following years are devoted to full-time research and to writing the dissertation. Students are given the opportunity to mature and develop their economist’s intuition and techniques. PhD students participate in the life of academic groups , including seminars . They also present their research work in junior seminars and international conferences and are encouraged to participate in specialized summer schools.

Our PhD program is designed to prepare our candidates for the International Job Market. 

To find out about application deadlines please see our Admissions section .

Applications must be made online on the TSE platform eCandidatures. Any application submitted outside of the dates of the recruitment campaigns will not be reviewed.

Students testimonies

Some videos are available on the platform  youtube.

Christopher Sandmann, PhD student

Basile Dubois, PhD student  

"TSE is an amazing place for students who want to devote themselves into research. The professors here are very productive and nice. Their love to economics is so contagious. There are so many conferences, seminars, and workshops in diversified areas that could feed your interests and tastes. The quality and quantity of those meetings are fabulous. Overall, our PhD program in terms of its research environment is comparable to the top-ten programs in the US. The life at Toulouse is also very rewarding. You would meet many interesting persons here. International students' background are diversified and they come from five continents. I love here so much and miss the people I met here. You would never regret if you choose to come to TSE."

Nina Yin , Assistant Professor (China Center for Human Capital and Labor Market Research, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China)

"Learning how to become a researcher is not an easy task and TSE's structure in thematic groups played an important part in helping me develop research skills. Every week, we had a macro seminar with external speakers, a macro workshop for PhD students to present their work and a macro reading group where we discussed recently published papers ! When you present your work, comments from professors and fellow students can be tough to hear, but that's how make progress and learn how not to cut corners. Overall, the environment at TSE showed me a passion for intellectual challenges that was contagious. I felt encouraged to play my part and contribute, as an economic researcher, to a better understanding of the forces driving our economic system."

François de Soyres , Economist (World Bank)

"TSE gave me an outstanding training in econometrics which was crucial for the beginning of my career. I believe that the scientific environment at TSE is comparable to the best economics departments in the world. Just look at the amount and quality of seminars, workshops, and conferences hosted at TSE each year and compare it to any other top economics department. There are more events than you can digest!"

Andrii Babii , Assistant professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"TSE is a very good environment for research. Besides the faculty helping students, much administrative hassle is kept away from students to be able to better focus. In any given week there are more research seminars than one can even attend, so one is exposed to many different ideas. Throughout my time at TSE I enjoyed substantial financial support, both for my living expenses as well as for accessing data"

Markus Gebauer, Assistant Professor of Economics (International College of Economics and Finance, National Research University - Higher School of Economics Moscow, Russia)

"I enjoyed the diversity and academic environment here. Students and researchers are coming from all over the world and doing research in various fields, each contributing in a unique way to the diverse culture here. The research environment is of first grand; each year, top researchers around the world visit and give talks at Toulouse, giving us plenty of opportunities to be exposed to the research frontier. The researchers/advisors are really great economists and patient teachers; discussions on our work are usually deep and focusing on the big picture and economic applications, which I find are the most important part of economics research. Of course, the city is truly beautiful!

Some deals are too good to be true but TSE defies this adage. One gets to live in a great city and have access to one of the best economics departments. TSE has a big PHD program with roughly 20 incoming students each year, which makes you feel like a part of the community. I was part of the Macro group and learned a lot through interactions with the faculty members and other students. And this interaction was not just limited to internal members as the PhD students interact a lot with the visiting seminar speakers (and there are a lot of them at TSE!!).  

In terms of the timeline, one spends the first two years on coursework. The core courses are interesting and give a good foundation for research, both in terms of material covered as well as to develop research agenda. I got good support from my advisor as well as other faculty members to keep my work on track throughout the PhD. For the job market, TSE has a professional team of people, comprising of staff members and faculty, who help you throughout the job market season. The hard work that TSE puts in to prepare its students is amply reflected in the placements!!"

Shekhar Tomar , Research Officer, Reserve bank of India

"I did my Ph.D. at TSE from 2011 until 2016 (plus a strong M1 a year prior). Coming from Peru to Europe for the first time, a lot was new, exciting, and different. Language-wise, for instance, classes were in English, while daily life was in French. To make this harder, coursework at TSE is tough and exams are intense. However, I can say with the benefit of hindsight, that such level of rigor makes TSE alumni well equipped to face the challenges of a dynamic world. At TSE, I learned to always stay curious, and to study seriously and committed to the subject at hand. After the Ph.D. I came to the U.S. to work in consulting. My adviser and other faculty members were always supportive of my choice and were instrumental for me finding a job in Washington, D.C. There, I have confirmed that TSE enjoys an outstanding reputation in economics, especially in IO. All in all, my years in Toulouse were some of the best in my life, I am deeply thankful to the school, the administrative staff, the faculty, and my friends!"

Rodrigo Montes , Senior Economist, Compass Lexecon

The TSE Doctoral School is a member of a European network of doctoral schools, ENTER  (European Network for Training in Economic Research), which includes the following universities:   - Universitat Autonoma Barcelona - Free University of Brussels - University of Mannheim - University of Stockholm - Tilburg University - Toulouse School of Economics - University College London - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Doctoral students who enrol in the ENTER programme spend between three months to a year in one or two of the network institutions where they benefit from exactly the same status as the other doctoral students. Depending on their situation, they may either attend classes or seminars, or work on their thesis under the supervision of one of the university’s professors. They are thus in contact with a wider teaching body and a more diverse range of research themes. They can also develop productive professional relationships with other students and thus become truly European economists. The network schedules a conference which rotates every year to a different member university and encourages doctoral students to visit and stay at one (or several) of the universities in the network

For more information, go to www.enter-network.org

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• Graduate Programme in Economics and Finance (GPEF) PhD Programme in Management (PMA) Graduate Programme in Economics and Finance (GPEF) Computer Science (DCS) Law (DLS) Organization Studies and Cultural Theory (DOK) International Affairs and Political Economy (DIA) Early Career Programme

The Graduate Programme in Economics and Finance (GPEF) rquipts students to excel academically in Economics, Econometrics, and Finance with a specific emphasis on policy relevant theoretical and empirical research.

GPEF graduates frequently secure prestigious positions both in academia and beyond. The GPEF Ph.D. programme provides a strong foundation for launching an international academic career. Recent academic placements include Erasmus University in Rotterdam, King's College in London, Northeastern University in Boston, Drake University, Goethe University in Frankfurt, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Lausanne, Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University, and University of Zurich.

The GPEF offers a structured PhD programme tailored towards a high-quality and internationally oriented education in economics, econometrics and financial research. Graduates frequently secure very prestigious academic and non-academic positions. The University of St.Gallen is one of the most renowned universities in the fields of finance, economics, and business in Europe.

"After spending a few years in management consulting, I wanted to deepen my understanding of banking, asset pricing, and corporate finance. The PhD programme in finance gave me an opportunity to delve into research interests in these subjects. Ultimately, the programme prepared me for competing with top graduates from around the world. It gave me the theoretical and empirical foundations to apply my knowledge to important academic and policy questions."

"I joined the GPEF after working in the financial sector. My motivation was to build expertise in macroeconomics and to get closer to policy institutions. The  programme provided me with rigorous foundations in economics during the course phase. As a doctoral student, I could also benefit from the accessiblity of the faculty members. The programme entails various interactions with faculty and distinguished speakers. I had sufficient time for my research and could also engage in teaching activities. I am still in contact with the faculty and continue to value what the programme gave me."

GPEF PhD Day

GPEF Curriculum

Gpef job market candidates, discover more.

GPEF Students and Alumni

Sfi the university of st.gallen has become part of the sfi and the pif programme is now part of the sfi ph.d. campus.

GPEF Regulations

The phd programme in finance, pif, is now part of sfi.

Matthias Weber

Chair of the Steering Committee

Beatrix Eugster

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Tereza Tykvová

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Mirela Keuschnigg

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Peter Kress

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Marcel Freyschmidt

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Formazione continua e aggiornamento per giuristi 2024 - Diritto del lavoro

REFLEX: Registry of Firms' Life and Exit

Science serving wellbeing and mental health

Annual congress of the European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring

How Homo sapiens replaced Neanderthals in Europe - A public lecture by Prof. Jean-Jacques Hublin

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IFin Seminar, Victoria Vanasco - Barcelona School of Economics

• Course schedules

Doctoral programme in Economics

PhD Positions

The PhD programme in Economics at USI Lugano is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced study and conducting original research in Economics.

The application deadline for the PhD program is typically January 15 and special announcements will be posted on IONOMICS and related platforms around November. Please check these websites regularly. (From time to time, special doctoral job openings will also be posted on these websites as they become available.)

Programme Description

The PhD Programme in Economics consists of two stages, i) course work with a combined credit value of 30 ECTS and ii) the completion of a dissertation.

Year 1 is devoted to developing a strong foundation in the basic tools of economics, including full-year courses in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and econometrics (core courses). Successful candidates are required to apply to the Swiss Program for Beginning Doctoral Students in Economics at the Study Center Gerzensee of the Swiss National Bank (SNB). Candidates must submit their application, including GRE test scores, around March or April. In the 1st year, successful candidates will devote most of their work time to this programme and the remaining time to teaching and research activities at the Institute of Economics (IdEP). (The PhD Programme Director and the Graduate Studies Committee may approve different study plans submitted by PhD candidates or their main advisor.)

Year 2 is devoted to field courses (deepening courses) to bring successful candidates to the research frontier of their field(s) of interest. Students are free to choose these courses offered either at USI or at other academic institutions after coordinating with the PhD Programme Director. During this time, students are strongly encouraged to start developing their dissertation topic. Starting from year 2, in addition to the course work, successful candidates will provide part-time assistance in the Institute’s research projects and/or teaching activities.

Years 3 to 5 are devoted to completing the dissertation, which consists of at least three original research papers. Successful candidates will present their research progress regularly to their supervisor(s) and in informal seminars to the rest of the faculty and doctoral students, who will provide constructive feedback that will improve the research. Courses and research are in English. The completion of the PhD Programme requires a final defense of the PhD thesis.

The typical student receives funding for five years (currently around 50'000 Swiss Francs per year), but students who graduate in four years are not unusual. Students aiming for an academic career might consider adding a sixth year to prepare for the academic job market. Opportunities for funding a sixth year will be discussed with the thesis supervisor(s) and the PhD Programme Director. 

For further information please contact us at [email protected]

FAQ - Phd applications

• In order to receive funding, do I have to apply to some scholarship or to some specific program or are all doctoral students regularly receive funding? Each PhD position is fully funded for 5 years. Admitted students are offered the opportunity to be employed full-time by the university in return for providing teaching or research assistance to the institute. These employment contracts include full tuition waivers. PhD students who do not want to be employed full-time by the university are considered 'external' and are subject to tuition.
• Can I submit my application even if on the day of the deadline (January 15) I will not have graduated from the master program yet? You do not need to have your Master diploma by January 15, but you will need it before you start your PhD (August 1) or shortly afterward. For example, if you obtain your diploma only in November, then you should apply in one year, not now.
• Is there a scholarship? There's no scholarship other than the tuition waiver. PhD students are employees of the university and earn a salary with teaching and research assistance.
• I do not have an international certificate in English. Can I apply for a PhD in an economic program? Yes, you can.
• Is the process the same if I would be funded by an external sponsor? Yes, the admission process is the same.
• I wish to apply for the Economics PhD in Economics Programme at USI and I completed my GRE exam having with a quantitative score of less than 160. Am I eligible to apply? Yes, you can apply. However, you should consider retaking the GRE to obtain a better quantitative score.
• Is the GRE is optional when applying? Yes. It is optional, but applicants with a completed GRE will be given a strong preference. Moreover, to be admitted to the Study Center Gerzensee, you will need the GRE.
• I am a student with a Master degree from University X. I wonder if my academic background meets the specific prerequisites for this doctoral program. Ideal candidates have, or are upon completion of, a master's degree in economics, econometrics, or a related field such as computer science or mathematics. Candidates with a general interest in quantitative empirical research and who have already completed the GRE will be given a strong preference.
• I would like to inquire about the minimum required score for the IELTS and the latest acceptable test date Regarding the IELTS, it is also optional. However, for your reference, below are the English proficiency requirements from other universities in Switzerland: A recognized language diploma at level C1 (CEFR), such as an IELTS Academic Score of 7.0 or a Cambridge Advanced Certificate. TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) with a minimum score of 100 points.
• Are there any specific requirements regarding the residence of PhD candidates? Because in my case, currently my residence is in Italy. Once the contract commences, all PhD candidates must reside in Lugano. Prior to the contract start date, their place of residence doesn't affect their candidacy.
• PhD in Econometrics and Statistics
• PhD in Finance
• PhD in Management
• PhD at the Faculty of Economics: overview
• How to get to the Faculty

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Master in Economics

Degree awarded.

Master of Science (MSc) in Economics & Subject area (if chosen): Behaviour, Economics & Evolution (BEE)

Professor Luís Santos Pinto, Director of the Master in Economics (MScE)

The Master of Science in Economics at the University of Lausanne is Switzerland’s longest established graduate program in economics. It began in 1982, as the MSE, before being expanded to the current MSc in 2004. Our program boasts international recognition, built on the caliber of its faculty and the success of its previous graduates. We aim to provide necessary skills for a successful career as a professional economist. The MScE is also an excellent preparation for Ph.D programs in economics, both in Switzerland and abroad. Our main objective is to provide you with a thorough approach to economics. We believe that acquiring analytical and quantitative skills early on is essential for any professional economist. Whereas a Bachelor’s degree provides basic knowledge and intuition, our program offers courses on the foundations of economics analysis and applications. These foundations are  key towards making real analytical and managerial contributions in both public and private sector positions, or in the world of academic research. We ensure that you have the best resources available for your studies. Our classes are typically small which allows us to engage in a real dialogue with you. The primary objectives of the various modules of the MScE are to introduce, to analyze and to apply state-of-the-art methods in economic and econometric research. We offer foundation courses in macroeconomics, microeconomics and econometrics, and courses that study a range of economic applications: economic growth, health economics, international trade, financial crises, industrial organization and macroeconomic policy ( see study plan ). The MScE program is aimed at students with a Bachelor's degree in economics, or possibly a business or management degree (with a strong economics component). Other degrees, such as natural sciences and mathematics may also be considered. Our program offers two tracks for you to acquire a profile. We offer seven overlapping modules  and you can enroll in up to two of them. Doing so allows you to sharpen your professional profile. We also offer a specialization in Behaviour, Economics, and Evolution (BEE). This specialization is joint with the school of Biology at UNIL and offers you the unique opportunity to study which role evolution plays in key economic questions. This specialization lets you acquire an inter-disciplinary mind-set, often needed to tackle today’s global challenges.

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