PhD in Economics

Welcome to the University of Lausanne and thank you for your interest in our PhD program in Economics. As the academic home of some of the most eminent economists of the last two centuries such as Léon Walras and Vilfredo Pareto, the University of Lausanne has a distinguished history of scholarship in economics and aspires to remain a leading center for economic research and learning.

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.

The PhD program is fully funded for 5 years. Occasionally, PhD students found funding opportunity for a sixth-year extension (among subject to approval by the CPhD committee and the Doctoral Council). 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.

Our PhD students obtain positions at prestigious universities worldwide, as well as positions in industry, national governments, and international organizations. Many of our graduates choose to work in Switzerland due to the high salaries and excellent quality of life. They find positions in Swiss industry (BKW, Deloitte, Mondelez International, etc.), government agencies (Swiss Competition Commission, Swiss Federal Department of Finance, Swiss Federal Tax Administration etc.) and banking (UBS, Crédit Suisse, Swiss National Bank). Our academic placement record is comparable to top European institutions such as Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm University, the European University Institute, and Warwick University. Our graduates obtain post-doctoral and assistant professorships at leading institutions (Princeton University, University College London, University of Zurich etc.), international organizations (World Trade Organization, United Nations etc.), and central banks (European Central Bank, Bank of France, Bank of Italy etc.).

Important information for future applicants:

• The only deadline for application is January 31st of each year. Only applications submitted electronically through the application platform will be considered for admission. Note also that we cannot provide any information on the prospects of admission or admission guarantees in the interim. Admission conditions & application procedure.
• Only admitted PhD students will receive supervision from our faculty. We do not offer supervision guarantees to prospective applicants for scholarship purposes (e.g. for Swiss Confederation Bursaries applications). 
• Enrolled PhD candidates will receive funding  through appointments as teaching and research assistants. Although we do not offer stipends, funding conditions via teaching and research assistantships are very generous in international comparison. More information.

Please feel free to contact us for further information.