With over 20 faculty members, 10 post-doctoral fellows and approximately 40 graduate students, the Department of Economics offers a thriving intellectual environment with numerous seminars, PhD student workshops, and international events such as the Pareto-Walras Lecture Series. More information about the seminars and department events can be found here.
The PhD program is fully funded for 5 years. The program aims to compete with the best European programs and attract outstanding PhD students. The first of the five years is delivered by Study Center Gerzensee by leading international academics from top US universities such as MIT, Princeton, or Columbia. It offers excellent placement opportunities in academia, industry, and public and international organizations.
Year 1: Coursework in Macroeconomics, Microeconomic and Econometrics
The course component of the program is delivered at the Study Center Gerzensee by leading international academics in Econometrics (Anna Mikusheva, MIT; Bo Honoré, Princeton), Macroeconomics (Fernando Alvarez, Chicago; Ricardo Reis, LSE; Jordi Galí, UPF; Cristina Arellano, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis) and Microeconomics (Klaus Schmidt, LMU; Piero Gottardi, Essex; Johannes Hörner, Yale; John Moore, LSE). The program covers the material of a US-style first-year PhD program, with the added benefit of an exceptional environment. Students stay in a hotel in the heart of Switzerland, allowing them to interact frequently with professors and other PhD students from various Swiss universities, fostering future collaborations and friendships. More information about the first year can be found here.
During this first year, it is not uncommon for some PhD students to start collaborating with professors, particularly in the spring, to begin working on projects and find a supervisor.
Year 2-5: Research and PhD dissertation
Students conduct research under the guidance of the department faculty. They can also choose to have a co-supervisor outside the department. Students must also validate up to 6 ECTS by taking classes at the department and other Swiss universities, Advanced Courses at the Study Center Gerzensee, or summer schools.
The department provides generous funding for conference attendance and research stays. Many of our graduate students visit top economics departments in Europe or the USA. Previous visits include MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, LSE etc.
Once per year, PhD students are invited to present their research to faculty and post-doctoral fellows over several days. This serves as a platform for PhD students to receive feedback on their research and prepare for the job market.
Admission process
More information about the PhD program, the alumni, and the admission process can be found here.
