doing a phd in barcelona

Programmes by area

Architecture, urbanism and construction, civil and environmental engineering, industrial engineering, information and communications technologies engineering.

Architectural Design

Architectural, Building Construction and Urbanism Technology

Architectural, Civil and Urban Heritage and Refurbishment of Existing Buildings

Architecture, Energy and Environment

Theory and History of Architecture

Urban and Architectural Management and Valuation

Civil Engineering

Construction Engineering

Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics

Environmental Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering

Marine Sciences

Nautical and Marine Engineering and Naval Radio-Electronics

Structural Analysis

Sustainability

Automatic Control, Robotics and Vision

Biomedical Engineering

Business Administration and Management

Chemical Process Engineering

Electric Energy Systems

Electrical Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering, Fluids and Aeronautics

Natural Resources and Environment

Nuclear and Ionising Radiation Engineering

Polymers and Biopolmers

Supply Chain and Operations Management

Textile and Paper Engineering

Thermal Engineering

Artificial Intelligence

Bioinformatics

Computer Architecture

Electronic Engineering

Network Engineering

Signal Theory and Communications

Aerospace Science and Technology

Agri-food Technology and Biotechnology

Applied Mathematics

Computational and Applied Physics

Engineering, Science and Technology Education

Optical Engineering

Statistics and Operations Research

Faculties & institutes

• Faculty of Communication Sciences
• Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Education Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Faculty of Dentistry
• School of Architecture
• Bioengineering Institute of Technology
• Institute for Advanced Family Studies
• Research Institute for Evaluation and Public Policies
• University Institute for Patient Care
• Institute for Multilingualism

Doctoral School

• Interdisciplinary Centre for Thought
• Cuides UIC Barcelona
• University Clinic of Dentistry
• SUPPORT Clinic - University Psychology and Psychiatry Clinic

Teaching team

Find out more, faculties, institutes and directory.

• Degrees & Double degrees (Node)
• Masters and Postgraduates (Node)
• Doctorates (Node)
• Continuous education (Node)
• International programmes (Node)
• Languages (Node)
• Experience Campus (Node)
• Degrees brochure (Node)
• Research Groups (Term)
• Institutes (Node)
• Scientific Research and Dissemination Newsletter (Node)
• Scientific production (Node)
• Competitive projects (Node)
• Patents presented (Node)
• Valorisation projects (Node)
• Driving Ideas Forward Competition (Node)
• Business Chairs (Term)
• Sponsored classrooms (Node)
• Congressos (Node)
• Facilities (Node)
• BioSafety Committee (CBioS) (Node)
• Ethical Care Committee (CEA) (Node)
• Drug Research Ethics Committee (CEIm) (Node)
• Research Ethics Committee (CER) (Node)
• HRS4R (Node)
• HR Excellence in Research at UIC Barcelona (Term)
• The HSR4R strategy (Node)
• HRS4R documents (Node)
• Team (Node)
• Philosophy and values (Node)
• Faculties, Schools and Institutes (Node)
• History (Node)
• Learn more about UIC Barcelona (Term)
• Structure and governing bodies (Term)
• Transparency portal (Term)
• Donations (Term)
• Language Policy (Term)
• Teaching Innovation (Term)
• Doctors Honoris Causa (Term)
• Work with us at UIC Barcelona (Term)
• Contact Details (Node)
• Universities network (Node)
• Linguistic services (Node)
• Student Guidance (Node)
• Coaching Service (Node)
• Library (Term)
• Student Services (Node)
• Accommodation (Term)
• Advantages and Discounts (Term)
• Chaplaincy (Term)
• Eduroam (Term)
• Career Opportunities (Term)
• Coffee Shop (Node)
• Reprographics service (Node)
• General Archives (Node)
• Do you know what an e-certificate is? (Node)
• Other services (Node)
• First steps at the university (Term)
• Culture (Term)
• Solidarity (Term)
• Sports (Term)
• Student Representatives (Term)
• Students clubs (Term)
• Alumni (Term)
• Student Academic Conference (SAC) (Term)
• Conferences–colloquia (Node)
• Campus Barcelona (Node)
• Campus Sant Cugat (Node)
• Equality (Node)
• Observatory on Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies (Node)
• Aula Magna (Node)
• Safety and health (Term)
• Sustainability (Term)
• Videos (Node)
• Impars (Node)
• News (Node)
• Agenda (Node)
• Fotografies (Node)
• Press room (Term)
• UIC Barcelona, International University (Node)
• Barcelona Experience (Node)
• International agreements finder (Node)
• International brochures (Node)
• Contact (Term)
• UIC Barcelona Summer Programme (Term)
• Services (Node)
• Why UIC Barcelona? (Node)
• Immigration Procedures (Term)
• International mobility (Term)
• Regular studies (Term)
• Frequently asked questions to study at UIC Barcelona (Node)
• Language learning (Node)
• Discover Barcelona (Node)
• Accommodation (Node)
• Advantages of International Mobility (Node)
• Frequently Asked Questions to study abroad (Node)
• Exchange Programmes (Term)
• Required procedures (Term)
• Mobility for visiting administration staff (IN) (Node)
• Mobility for visiting faculty (IN) (Node)
• Erasmus+ for PDI UIC Barcelona (OUT) (Node)
• Erasmus+ for PAS UIC Barcelona (OUT) (Node)
• International Staff Week 2024 (Node)
• Other types of mobility (Node)
• Admission process for degrees (Term)
• Admission process for master's and postgraduate degrees (Term)
• Information for international students (Term)
• Contacta amb el teu assessor (Term)
• Talk to former students about their experience at UIC Barcelona (Node)
• Future undergraduate students (Term)
• Future Masters and Postgraduate Students (Term)
• 10 reasons to choose UIC Barcelona (Term)
• Would you like to receive more information? (Term)
• Grants offered by UIC Barcelona (Node)
• Grants from other institutions (Node)
• Other grants (Node)
• Financing (Node)
• Payment facilities (Node)

Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

• Quality (SGIC)
• Doctoral School Quality Committee (Node)
• Internal procedures (Node)
• Monitoring reports (Node)
• EDOC Activities
• #HiloTesis Competition (Node)
• PhD Workshop in Business & Management (Node)
• Extraordinary Doctorate Prize (Node)
• "Present your thesis in 4 minutes" Contest (Node)
• Doctoral Programs
• General information of the Doctorate
• Organization and planning
• Doctoral thesis
• Admission process
• Enrolment and financial information
• General regulations
• Links of interest

Opening of the pre-enrolment period academic year 2024-2025: June 12 to September 27, 2024

The Doctoral school was founded as a response to the university’s governing bodies aim to consolidate UIC Barcelona as a benchmark university for educating research staff.

Know the School

At UIC Barcelona, we perform research to advance developments in science and technology and improve standards of living.

Next events

© 2023 Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

PhD Programs

Phd programs in the bse research community.

Both of these PhD programs are organized jointly with the Barcelona School of Economics.

Many students in both PhD programs are alumni of the BSE Master's programs. The BSE PhD Track Master's Program is the first year of the UPF PhD Program.

Job market candidates and placement results

Both the UAB and UPF PhD programs have a well-established track record of placements in Economics departments, central banks, and research institutions around the world.

PhD Job Market Candidates 2023-24

Read about the candidates on BSE Focus

Examples of placements from recent years include:

• Bologna University
• CaixaBank Research
• Central Reserve Bank of Peru
• European Commission
• Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH)
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Morgan Stanley
• Norges Bank
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Princeton University
• United States Federal Reserve Board
• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)
• University College London (UCL)
• Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (China)

Full details of all PhD job market results from all cohorts are available on the websites of both PhD programs:

IDEA-UAB PhD placements by year UPF PhD placements by year

BSE research activities for students in both PhD programs

Phd jamboree.

The BSE PhD Jamboree is an opportunity for students in both PhD programs in the BSE community to show off their research, exchange ideas, and receive feedback on work in progress. The Jamboree is organized and led by the PhD students themselves.

BSE Social Media

Want the latest from bse.

Subscribe to email alerts

• Cookies preferences

© Barcelona Graduate School of Economics. All rights reserved.

• Plan Your Studies
• Study Programs
• Best Law Schools in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Accounting in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Agriculture and Forestry in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Anthropology in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Architecture in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Civil Engineering in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Dentistry in Spain 
• Best Universities to Study Digital Marketing in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Economics in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Environmental Engineering in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Finance in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Graphic Design in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Hospitality Management in Spain
• Best Universities to Study International Business in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Marketing in Spain
• Best Universities to Study MBA in Spain 
• Best Universities to Study Mechanical Engineering in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Nursing in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Pharmacy in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Psychology in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Project Management in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Public Health in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Urban Planning in Spain
• Best Universities to Study Veterinary Medicine in Spain
• Moving to Spain
• Living in Spain

Join 22,141 other students interested in studying in Spain

get regular emails sent to your inbox with helpful articles about studying in Spain, latest news and many scholarship opportunities...

Study PhD in Spain

Being a PhD student in Spain is a wonderful experience with countless opportunities to grow, learn, and advance professionally. There is a wide range of exceptional PhD programs in Spain in any area of research. Studying PhD in Spain will place you in a multicultural environment where the climate is warm, the academic quality is exceptional, and the opportunities to succeed in your professional life are endless.

Here’s everything you need to know about Doctoral/PhD degrees in Spain:

StudiesIn is the #1 digital student consultancy for studies in Spain and provides end-to-end services and counselling for students and parents.

StudiesIn offers guidance to students from the moment they decide to study abroad to local relocation support in Spain to finding a job after graduation, arranging all necessary legal permits along the journey.

PhD Programs in Spain

PhD programs in Spain are plentiful, comprehensive, and efficient when it comes to development and training. Since Spain is a popular destination to pursue studies, many international students choose Spain as their PhD destination. 

Spanish universities feature extensive PhD programs, and they are esteemed for their teaching, innovation, and research. Spanish universities’ doctoral colleges or research institutes offer PhD programs for interested PhD candidates. Whether you are interested in the sciences, arts and humanities, health sciences, social sciences and law, or technological sciences, you will find anything of your preference in Spain. 

Universities in Spain for PhD

Here are the top universities in Spain offering PhD programs include: 

• Autonomous University of Barcelona (65 PhD degree programs)
• Pompeu Fabra University (9 PhD degree programs)
• University of Barcelona (50 PhD degree programs)
• Complutense University of Madrid (55 PhD degree programs)
• University of Navarra (23 PhD degree programs)
• Autonomous University of Madrid (42 PhD degree programs)
• University of Valencia (61 PhD degree programs)
• University of Deusto (8 PhD degree programs)
• University of Salamanca (40 PhD degree programs)
• University Carlos III of Madrid (21 PhD degree programs)
• University of Granada (28 PhD degree programs)
• University of Zaragoza (47 PhD degree programs)

Can I Get an Online PhD Degree in Spain?

Although PhD candidates are usually more in favor of undertaking their doctoral studies on campus, some universities offer online PhD in Spain. Usually, online PhD degrees in Spain are offered by private or international higher education institutions. Public universities in Spain generally only offer in-person doctoral degrees. It will be easier for you to find an in-person accredited PhD program in Spain than an online PhD program. 

How Much Does a PhD Program Cost in Spain?

Tuition fees in Spain are set on a pay-per-credit basis, which means the number of ECTS credits a program has is multiplied by the cost of one credit. The cost per credit for PhD programs can go up to €55 (or lower). 

PhD programs in Spain are divided into two stages, and it is only during the first phase (first year) that students have to undertake credit courses (60 ECTS). The second phase (the subsequent years of the PhD program) focuses on research and writing the thesis. 

This means the cost of PhD in Spain, for the first year only, can go up to €3,300 (or lower). The other academic years students spend researching and writing their thesis are way cheaper because you only have to pay for supervision, continual assessment, and additional administrative costs. The Autonomous University of Barcelona, for example, only charges around €550 per year for supervision, assessment, administrative fees, and other specific services.

Generally, the cost of PhD in Spain depends on factors like university, research discipline, and the student’s country of residence. Usually, non-EU/EEA students pay higher fees compared to national or EU/EEA students. 

PhD Scholarships in Spain for International Students

It is possible to undertake a funded PhD in Spain. Many prospective PhD candidates apply for PhD scholarships in Spain, and there are even options for international students. PhD scholarships in Spain are offered by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Professional Training. Individual Spanish universities also offer grants and financial aid for doctoral programs. Universities usually list the funding options on their websites. 

Can I Get a PhD in Spain in English?

Obtaining an English PhD in Spain is possible but not as common as Spanish-taught PhD programs. Although there are universities that offer English-taught PhD programs in Spain, the majority of them are in Spanish, which means finding the perfect English PhD program in Spain will not be easy, but not impossible either. 

Some universities offer programs that are bilingual or even multilingual. For example, the PhD programs in Communication, Law, and History (to name a few) at Pompeu Fabra University use Catalan, Spanish, and English as the medium of instruction during training activities. On the other hand, the PhD program in Information and Communication Technologies at the same university is taught entirely in English. 

How Long is a PhD Program in Spain?

The duration of a PhD program in Spain is approximately three years of full-time study. Some may extend their PhD studies in Spain for two more years if initially approved by the Academic Commission of the university. Part-time PhD programs usually take around five years to complete. 

PhD Structure in Spain

A PhD program in Spain is divided into the first cycle, which comprises training courses, and the second cycle, which focuses on research and writing towards a dissertation. During a PhD program, candidates must attend training sessions, seminars, and a wide range of other academic activities. 

Supervision 

PhD candidates have two mentors that help them throughout the doctoral program: 

• Mentor: A PhD holder responsible for monitoring the interaction between the candidate and the Academic Commission. 
• Thesis Director: A PhD holder (may or may not be the same person as the mentor) who must have accredited research experience. The thesis director is responsible for planning training activities for the candidate and overseeing thesis matters.
• Thesis Co-Director (When Applicable) : When the thesis has a multidisciplinary nature. 

Admission Requirements

In order to gain admission in PhD programs in Spain, prospective students must have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree relevant to the PhD field of research (300 ECTS credits in total). Universities also accept students with equivalent degrees for as long as they correspond to a total of 300 ECTS credits. Individual universities have the right to add additional selection/admission criteria for specific doctoral programs in Spain. 

How to Apply 

The application for PhD in Spain should be made directly to the university, doctoral college, or university institute of your choice. Prospective PhD candidates in Spain must usually submit a research proposal, CV, reference, etc. As part of the admission process, students must also attend an interview.

You may have to submit the following documents. 

• Certified copy of your valid passport. 
• Passport-sized recent photographs.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Attested photocopies of academic degree certificates.
• Attested photocopies of academic records, such as subjects and qualifications.
• Proof of language proficiency (depending on the medium of instruction).

Since starting dates and application deadlines vary depending on the university, all information regarding application deadlines and university-specific application documents can be found on the respective university’s website. 

The go-to student portal for international students interested in studying in Spain.

• Universities in Spain

Studying-in-Spain.com. All rights reserved - Copyright © 2024 - Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

More From Forbes

Fc barcelona legend rivaldo criticizes underperforming raphinha.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

In comments carried by SPORT, FC Barcelona legend Rivaldo criticized compatriot Raphinha and ... [+] highlighted which areas of the pitch the Catalans need to make reinforcements to return to winning ways.

In comments carried by SPORT , FC Barcelona legend Rivaldo criticized compatriot Raphinha and highlighted which areas of the pitch the Catalans need to make reinforcements in to return to winning ways.

Bought from Leeds United for a $70 million (£55 million) fee according to Sky Sports , Raphinha has achieved double figures in goals and assists in his maiden two seasons yet many remain unconvinced by his displays while he could also be sold this summer as Barca attempts to balance the books.

"We expected more from Raphinha at Barcelona," Rivaldo noted.

"Everyone knows he's a great player of great quality. He's got a lot of [good] football. As for his departure, it's a complicated moment. It's all up to him. If you stay at Barca, it's to be a starter.

"Because if you don't manage to get a lot of games together, people doubt your ability and then all this starts: rumours about your possible departure," the former Ballon d'Or winner added.

Providing that Raphinha isn't offloaded, however, Rivaldo backs the winger to "establish himself with good games".

"With [Hansi] Flick, who thinks differently than Xavi, things could go better for him. He's a new boss with a new job to do."

Though finances are an issue, Rivaldo believes that Barca must sign two defenders and a striker to become "strong" again.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

"I believe that with the signing of three renowned and quality players, the team will be able to find its place on the pitch for next season. I know that the club's situation today is not the best, but president [Joan] Laporta, Deco and Flick will manage the situation well to be responsible with the club's finances," the World Cup winner predicted.

"It's not just about having a coach with a tactical system that is already well established. To be able to fight for titles such as the Champions League, La Liga and even the Cup, Barça need reinforcements."

Despite saying that Barca needs a new striker, Rivaldo tips Vitor Roque for great things if, like Raphinha, he is allowed to play.

"Vitor Roque has everything a player needs to show his football in Europe. These types of coaching changes can give the player extra motivation. Now is the time for Vitor Roque to stay at Barca and have a good season with the team," Rivaldo said.

"Whenever the coach changes, new opportunities appear. Now Flick's arrival must be positive for him, because sometimes that new coach likes a certain profile more than another and that makes him bet more on you. And that's where absolutely everything can change," Rivaldo concluded.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

Follow Barca Blaugranes online:

• Follow Barca Blaugranes on Twitter
• Follow Barca Blaugranes on Facebook

Site search

• Barça: UEFA Champions League
• Barça: La Liga
• FC Barcelona: Transfer Rumours & News
• Barça: Copa Del Rey
• Full Archive
• Segunda Division
• Like Barca Blaugranes on Facebook
• All Links Barça
• Culés & Friends
• DraftKings Nation
• Community Guidelines

Filed under:

• Barça Atlètic
• Barcelona: Transfer Rumors & News
• Barcelona Team News

Marc Casado tipped to replace Sergi Roberto in Barcelona squad

The Barca Atletic captain could replace the first-team skipper

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Marc Casado tipped to replace Sergi Roberto in Barcelona squad

Marc Casado is being tipped to replace Sergi Roberto in the Barcelona squad for the 2024-25 season.

Roberto’s future is in doubt with his contract set to expire at the end of the month. An extension had been planned but financial issues, and the arrival of Hansi Flick, have slowed things down.

Roberto is now said to be “very pessimistic” about staying on for another season and may well be out the door this summer.

Mundo Deportivo are reporting that his place could be taken by Barcelona Atletic captain Casado who is set to sign a new deal.

The report claims Barca feel Casado will provide “extra physical vigor, youth and ambition” than Roberto and all for less money.

Casado is expected to sign a new deal until 2027 , with Laporta admitting in yesterday’s interview that Barca are thinking of the youngster being a first-team player for next season.

More From Barca Blaugranes

• Merino on Barca’s radar ahead of summer transfer window
• ‘I didn’t like it physically or mentally’ - Romeu details tough Barça season
• Hansi Flick’s plan to prevent injuries at Barça revealed
• LA Galaxy targeting move for Lewandowski in 2025
• FC Barcelona News: 6 June 2024
• Can Lewandowski rise to Mbappe challenge under Flick at Barca?

Loading comments...

Sign up for the newsletter sign up for the barca blaugranes daily roundup newsletter, thanks for signing up.

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

At the New York Fed, our mission is to make the U.S. economy stronger and the financial system more stable for all segments of society. We do this by executing monetary policy, providing financial services, supervising banks and conducting research and providing expertise on issues that impact the nation and communities we serve.

Introducing the New York Innovation Center: Delivering a central bank innovation execution

Do you have a request for information and records? Learn how to submit it.

Learn about the history of the New York Fed and central banking in the United States through articles, speeches, photos and video.

Markets & Policy Implementation

• Effective Federal Funds Rate
• Overnight Bank Funding Rate
• Secured Overnight Financing Rate
• SOFR Averages & Index
• Broad General Collateral Rate
• Tri-Party General Collateral Rate
• Treasury Securities
• Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities
• Repos & Reverse Repos
• Securities Lending
• Central Bank Liquidity Swaps
• System Open Market Account Holdings
• Primary Dealer Statistics
• Historical Transaction Data
• Agency Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
• Agency Debt Securities
• Discount Window
• Treasury Debt Auctions & Buybacks as Fiscal Agent
• Foreign Exchange
• Foreign Reserves Management
• Central Bank Swap Arrangements
• ACROSS MARKETS
• Statements & Operating Policies
• Survey of Primary Dealers
• Survey of Market Participants
• Annual Reports
• Primary Dealers
• Standing Repo Facility Counterparties
• Reverse Repo Counterparties
• Foreign Exchange Counterparties
• Foreign Reserves Management Counterparties
• Operational Readiness
• Central Bank & International Account Services
• Programs Archive

As part of our core mission, we supervise and regulate financial institutions in the Second District. Our primary objective is to maintain a safe and competitive U.S. and global banking system.

The Governance & Culture Reform hub is designed to foster discussion about corporate governance and the reform of culture and behavior in the financial services industry.

Need to file a report with the New York Fed? Here are all of the forms, instructions and other information related to regulatory and statistical reporting in one spot.

The New York Fed works to protect consumers as well as provides information and resources on how to avoid and report specific scams.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York works to promote sound and well-functioning financial systems and markets through its provision of industry and payment services, advancement of infrastructure reform in key markets and training and educational support to international institutions.

The New York Fed provides a wide range of payment services for financial institutions and the U.S. government.

The New York Fed offers several specialized courses designed for central bankers and financial supervisors.

The New York Fed has been working with tri-party repo market participants to make changes to improve the resiliency of the market to financial stress.

• High School Fed Challenge
• College Fed Challenge
• Teacher Professional Development
• Classroom Visits
• Museum & Learning Center Visits
• Educational Comic Books
• Lesson Plans and Resources
• Economic Education Calendar

We are connecting emerging solutions with funding in three areas—health, household financial stability, and climate—to improve life for underserved communities. Learn more by reading our strategy.

The Economic Inequality & Equitable Growth hub is a collection of research, analysis and convenings to help better understand economic inequality.

This Economist Spotlight Series is created for middle school and high school students to spark curiosity and interest in economics as an area of study and a future career.

« Taking Stock: Dollar Assets, Gold, and Official Foreign Exchange Reserves | Main | Can Discount Window Stigma Be Cured?  »

Thinking of Pursuing a PhD in Economics? Info on Graduate School and Beyond

Kasey Chatterji-Len and Anna Kovner

Becoming a PhD economist can provide a fulfilling and financially secure career path. However, getting started in the field can be daunting if you don’t know much about the preparation you’ll need and the available job opportunities. If you’re wondering what it means to be an economics researcher or how to become one, please read on. We’ll review how to prepare for a career in economics research, what an economics PhD program entails, and what types of opportunities it might bring. Economic education is a core component of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s mission to serve the community. To empower would-be economists, this post provides information for students who seek a career in economics research. We hope this information will be helpful to students interested in economics, regardless of their background and economic situation.  This information is most applicable to students applying to programs in the United States.  

The Breadth of Economics Research  

Academic disciplines conduct research in different ways, so it’s important to have a basic understanding of the types of questions economists ask and how they approach answering them. There are many definitions of economics, but a broadly useful one is the study of how people, organizations, and governments make decisions under different constraints, and how those decisions may affect their outcomes. 

When answering these questions, economists seek to ground their analyses in models and to be quantitatively precise about the effects they assign to any given cause. The range of topics economists can study is wide, but the accepted approaches to answering questions are stricter. Some examples of what economists might ask: 

• How do different public housing programs affect the children who live there? 
• Does a certain type of law encourage businesses to innovate? 
• How will a change in the interest rate affect inflation and unemployment rates? 
• How much does affordable health insurance improve people’s health? 
• How can poor countries eradicate poverty? 

There are many different subfields within economics, including, but not limited to behavioral, econometrics, energy/environmental, development, financial, international, monetary, public, and urban economics. You can familiarize yourself with the latest work in economics by subscribing to working paper series, such as NBER’s New This Week or the New York Fed’s Staff Reports . To get an idea of the breadth of questions economists can answer, you could listen to Stephen Dubner’s “ Freakonomics Radio ” podcast. You may also want to explore the Journal of Economic Perspectives , the New York Fed’s Liberty Street Economics blog, VoxDev , or VoxEU .  

What Is a PhD Program Like?    

Economics PhD programs typically last five to seven years. Unlike masters programs, they are often fully funded with a stipend, though most require students to complete teaching assistant and/or research assistant (RA) work as part of their funding package. In the first two years, students take classes, many of which are mathematically demanding. The rest of the program can include additional classes but is primarily devoted to original research with the aim of producing publishable papers that will constitute the dissertation.  

Faculty advisors are a central part of PhD programs, as students look to them for guidance during the research process. Economics PhD programs are offered within university economics departments, but there are similar programs in public policy and business schools. You can look at their websites to understand any differences in coursework and subsequent job placements. 

What Can You Do with an Economics PhD?  

Upon graduation, students can obtain jobs in a variety of industries. Many PhD students hope to become university professors. Governments and public policy-related institutions such as the Federal Reserve System, the U.S. federal government, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also hire economists to work on policy, lead programs, and conduct research. Finally, economics PhD graduates can also find employment at a variety of private sector companies, including banks, economic consulting firms, and big tech companies. The pay for these different positions can vary. According to the American Economics Association (AEA), the average starting salary for economics assistant professors in 2022-23 was approximately $140,000 at PhD granting institutions and $98,000 at BA granting institutions. 

Programs often publish the placements of their PhD graduates, so you can look online to see specific employment outcomes. See, for example, the University of Maryland’s placements . Ultimately, economists are highly regarded as authorities on a variety of topics. Governments, nonprofits, philanthropic foundations, financial institutions, and non-financial businesses all look to economists to answer important questions about how to best achieve their goals. Thus, earning an economics Ph.D. can potentially help you to influence issues that are important to you. 

Preparing for an Economics PhD Program  

There are several components to an economics PhD program application: college transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. Please download the Appendix linked below to learn more about transcripts and letters of recommendation. The Appendix details ways in which you can select coursework, obtain research experience, and develop relationships to position yourself for success as a PhD applicant.  

If you feel that you are too far along in your academic career to take enough of the classes described in the Appendix, this does not necessarily preclude you from pursuing an economics PhD. For example, it’s possible to take some of these classes through a master’s program, or through a pre-doctoral RA job. Some pre-doctoral RA jobs, such as the one here at the New York Fed , may enable you to take classes in preparation for graduate school. If you are concerned about your transcript, reach out to an economist at your university for advice; program standards for coursework and grades vary, and it’s a good idea to get more personalized advice. 

Research Experience   

If you’re interested in becoming an economics researcher and applying to PhD programs, it’s best to get research experience as soon as possible. Working as an RA is a great way to learn how to conduct research and get a better idea of whether it’s the right career path for you. Additionally, it can help you obtain a letter of recommendation for graduate school applications and improve your qualifications.  

All types of academic research can be enriching, but it’s beneficial to gain experience working directly with an economist. To find a position, you can reach out to professors whose work you find interesting or find an RA program at your school. Typical RA tasks may involve data collection and cleaning, as well as running analyses and creating charts to represent results. This is where coding skills become crucial; having taken math, statistics, and econometrics courses will also enable you to take on more responsibilities. 

You may also have the opportunity to conduct your own research, possibly under the supervision of a professor at your university. This research could be self-initiated or part of a course such as a thesis workshop. Self-directed research is a great opportunity to learn about all stages of the research process. It’s also an excellent opportunity to create a writing sample for graduate school applications. Ultimately, though, your motivation for conducting your own research project should be that you want to answer a question.  One thing economists have in common is a love of answering questions using data and theory. 

Research experience is also often obtained after completing an undergraduate or master’s degree. Taking on a full-time RA position before applying to PhD programs is very common and can make you a more competitive applicant. You may either get an RA job working for a professor or participate in a pre-doctoral RA program.  

Research assistant programs are more structured than positions with individual professors or projects, which could be helpful. Universities, parts of the government, think tanks, research organizations, and the Federal Reserve System are all good places to look for research assistant programs. To help you decide which opportunities are most desirable, you may want to ask potential employers : Where do people in this program tend to go afterward? Will I be working directly with an economist? How much of my time will be spent on academic research work? Will I be able to take classes as part of this program? Considering whether an economist will be able to evaluate your performance is an important factor for recommendation letters. The ability to take classes, either through tuition reimbursement or waivers, can also be an important benefit. 

The Research Analyst program here at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one example of these programs and you should check it out here . The Federal Reserve Board of Governors also has a large program, and many other regional Federal Reserve Banks have similar programs. In addition, the PREDOC website and the  NBER post listings of RA opportunities. J-PAL and IPA also tend to recruit RAs for economic development projects. Another source of RA opportunities is the @econ_ra account on X. 

Who Should Get a PhD in Economics?  

A PhD may not be for everyone, but it is for anyone—people of all genders, religions, ethnicities, races, and national origins have PhDs in economics. Many economists majored in economics, but others majored in math, physics, or chemistry. Because economics is such an integral part of policymaking, it is important that economists come from a wide range of backgrounds so policy can be stronger and more effective. The inclusion of differing perspectives helps ensure that the contribution of economists to work in public policy, academia, and beyond effectively serves the broadest range of society. 

• Coursework Appendix

Kasey Chatterji-Len is a research analyst in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group.

Anna Kovner  is the director of Financial Stability Policy Research in the Bank’s Research and Statistics Group.

How to cite this post: Kasey Chatterji-Len and Anna Kovner, “Thinking of Pursuing a PhD in Economics? Info on Graduate School and Beyond,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York Liberty Street Economics , May 31, 2024, https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/05/thinking-of-pursuing-a-phd-in-economics-info-on-graduate-school-and-beyond/.

You may also be interested in: AEA: Resources for Students

PREDOC: Guidance for Undergraduates

RA Positions-Not at the NBER

Disclaimer The views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the author(s).

Share this:

Post a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Liberty Street Economics features insight and analysis from New York Fed economists working at the intersection of research and policy. Launched in 2011, the blog takes its name from the Bank’s headquarters at 33 Liberty Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.

The editors are Michael Fleming, Andrew Haughwout, Thomas Klitgaard, and Asani Sarkar, all economists in the Bank’s Research Group.

Liberty Street Economics does not publish new posts during the blackout periods surrounding Federal Open Market Committee meetings.

The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the New York Fed or the Federal Reserve System.

Economic Inequality

Most Read this Year

• Credit Card Delinquencies Continue to Rise—Who Is Missing Payments?
• The Post-Pandemic r*
• Spending Down Pandemic Savings Is an “Only-in-the-U.S.” Phenomenon
• The Evolution of Short-Run r* after the Pandemic
• Auto Loan Delinquency Revs Up as Car Prices Stress Budgets
• Economic Indicators Calendar
• FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
• Economic Roundtable
• OECD Insights
• World Bank/All about Finance

We encourage your comments and queries on our posts and will publish them (below the post) subject to the following guidelines:

Please be brief : Comments are limited to 1,500 characters.

Please be aware: Comments submitted shortly before or during the FOMC blackout may not be published until after the blackout.

Please be relevant: Comments are moderated and will not appear until they have been reviewed to ensure that they are substantive and clearly related to the topic of the post.

Please be respectful: We reserve the right not to post any comment, and will not post comments that are abusive, harassing, obscene, or commercial in nature. No notice will be given regarding whether a submission will or will not be posted.‎

Comments with links: Please do not include any links in your comment, even if you feel the links will contribute to the discussion. Comments with links will not be posted.

Send Us Feedback

The LSE editors ask authors submitting a post to the blog to confirm that they have no conflicts of interest as defined by the American Economic Association in its Disclosure Policy. If an author has sources of financial support or other interests that could be perceived as influencing the research presented in the post, we disclose that fact in a statement prepared by the author and appended to the author information at the end of the post. If the author has no such interests to disclose, no statement is provided. Note, however, that we do indicate in all cases if a data vendor or other party has a right to review a post.

• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• August 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• December 2017
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• August 2016
• February 2016
• January 2016
• December 2015
• November 2015
• October 2015
• September 2015
• August 2015
• February 2015
• January 2015
• December 2014
• November 2014
• October 2014
• September 2014
• August 2014
• February 2014
• January 2014
• December 2013
• November 2013
• October 2013
• September 2013
• August 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
• August 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• Request a Speaker
• International, Seminars & Training
• Governance & Culture Reform
• Data Visualization
• Economic Research Tracker
• Markets Data APIs
• Terms of Use

Ph.D. Student Wins Best Paper at Robotics Conference

Ask a person to find a frying pan, and they will most likely go to the kitchen. Ask a robot to do the same, and you may get numerous responses, depending on how the robot is trained.

Since humans often associate objects in a home with the room they are in, Naoki Yokoyama thinks robots that navigate human environments to perform assistive tasks should mimic that reasoning.

Roboticists have employed natural language models to help robots mimic human reasoning over the past few years. However, Yokoyama, a Ph.D. student in robotics, said these models create a “bottleneck” that prevents agents from picking up on visual cues such as room type, size, décor, and lighting. 

Yokoyama presented a new framework for semantic reasoning at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) last month in Yokohama, Japan. ICRA is the world’s largest robotics conference.

Yokoyama earned a best paper award in the Cognitive Robotics category with his Vision-Language Frontier Maps (VLFM) proposal .

Assistant Professor Sehoon Ha and Associate Professor Dhruv Batra from the School of Interactive Computing advised Yokoyama on the paper. Yokoyama authored the paper while interning at the Boston Dynamics’ AI Institute .

“I think the cognitive robotic category represents a significant portion of submissions to ICRA nowadays,” said Yokoyama, whose family is from Japan. “I’m grateful that our work is being recognized among the best in this field.”

Instead of natural language models, Yokoyama used a renowned vision-language model called BLIP-2 and tested it on a Boston Dynamics “Spot” robot in home and office environments.

“We rely on models that have been trained on vast amounts of data collected from the web,” Yokoyama said. “That allows us to use models with common sense reasoning and world knowledge. It’s not limited to a typical robot learning environment.”

What is Blip-2?

BLIP-2 matches images to text by assigning a score that evaluates how well the user input text describes the content of an image. The model removes the need for the robot to use object detectors and language models. 

Instead, the robot uses BLIP-2 to extract semantic values from RGB images with a text prompt that includes the target object. 

BLIP-2 then teaches the robot to recognize the room type, distinguishing the living room from the bathroom and the kitchen. The robot learns to associate certain objects with specific rooms where it will likely find them.

From here, the robot creates a value map to determine the most likely locations for a target object, Yokoyama said.

Yokoyama said this is a step forward for intelligent home assistive robots, enabling users to find objects — like missing keys — in their homes without knowing an item’s location. 

“If you’re looking for a pair of scissors, the robot can automatically figure out it should head to the kitchen or the office,” he said. “Even if the scissors are in an unusual place, it uses semantic reasoning to work through each room from most probable location to least likely.”

He added that the benefit of using a VLM instead of an object detector is that the robot will include visual cues in its reasoning.

“You can look at a room in an apartment, and there are so many things an object detector wouldn’t tell you about that room that would be informative,” he said. “You don’t want to limit yourself to a textual description or a list of object classes because you’re missing many semantic visual cues.”

While other VLMs exist, Yokoyama chose BLIP-2 because the model:

• Accepts any text length and isn’t limited to a small set of objects or categories.
• Allows the robot to be pre-trained on vast amounts of data collected from the internet.
• Has proven results that enable accurate image-to-text matching.

Home, Office, and Beyond

Yokoyama also tested the Spot robot to navigate a more challenging office environment. Office spaces tend to be more homogenous and harder to distinguish from one another than rooms in a home. 

“We showed a few cases in which the robot will still work,” Yokoyama said. “We tell it to find a microwave, and it searches for the kitchen. We tell it to find a potted plant, and it moves toward an area with windows because, based on what it knows from BLIP-2, that’s the most likely place to find the plant.”

Yokoyama said as VLM models continue to improve, so will robot navigation. The increase in the number of VLM models has caused robot navigation to steer away from traditional physical simulations.

“It shows how important it is to keep an eye on the work being done in computer vision and natural language processing for getting robots to perform tasks more efficiently,” he said. “The current research direction in robot learning is moving toward more intelligent and higher-level reasoning. These foundation models are going to play a key role in that.”

Top photo by Kevin Beasley/College of Computing.

Nathan Deen

Communications Officer

School of Interactive Computing

Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott says early previews of newer AI models surpass OpenAI GPT-4's reasoning capabilities and can even pass a PhD qualifying exam

What you need to know.

• AI models now feature better memory and reasoning capabilities.
• Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott says forthcoming AI models will have the capability to pass PhD qualifying exams.
• The CTO states that the technology has unlocked productivity, allowing users to get work done faster and more efficiently. 

With the emergence of sophisticated and cutting-edge LLMs like OpenAI's 'magical' GPT-4o model , we continue to scale greater heights in terms of how far we can push these systems and what we can use them to achieve. For instance, despite OpenAI CEO Sam Altman saying GPT-4 "kind of sucks" and is mildly embarrassing at best . the model was recently spotted outperforming professional financial analysts at forecasting future earnings trends without access to qualitative data.

Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott seemingly shares similar sentiments. While speaking to Reid Hoffman during a Berggruen Salon in Los Angeles, Scott discussed barriers slowing down AI innovation, the future of AI tools, and more. Right off the bat, the CTO discussed the persistent memory in AI models, which is already in its early stages in some systems.

Scott refers to the persistent memory as "episodic," indicating AI models can now follow through the flow of communication while interacting with users. The CTO says this makes AI models much more useful than before, potentially to the early ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) launch days where the models were riddled with hallucination episodes , prompting the need for character limits.

He also touched on the fragility of reasoning consistent among AI models but has now gotten better via new updates and quality-of-life improvements. The models now spot "durable" memory, thus making it easier for users to get them to solve complex problems that would've been an uphill task in the past.

Kevin Scott painted a scenario where if GPT-4 performs as well as a high school student on AP exams, then some of the newer models will be able to perform better and pass PhD qualifying exams.

What people are doing with AI tools matters most

Scott says while memory and reasoning capabilities in AI models improve, allowing them to handle more sophisticated and complex tasks like PhD exams, the real test is what we inevitably choose to do with the technology. 

RELATED: Just how are people using Microsoft Copilot

He further stated that machine learning required a grad school level of mathematical sophistication and thorough technical research. And despite the efforts, he'd still need an additional 6 months to code. But with the emergence and ready availability of AI tools, a high school student could achieve the same task on a Saturday morning. 

As AI's reasoning gets better, there's a rising concern that it will eventually become smarter than people . Billionaire Elon Musk predicts AI will take over all our jobs , provide goods and services sufficiently, and turn work into a hobby.