PhD in Economics and Econometrics

PhD in Economicsis a western-style program designed for outstanding students interested in economic research and who desire a rigorous graduate education in Economics at a prestigious international institution.

Educational background requirements

Preparatory Semester (April – June)

A selected group of PhD applicants is invited by the Admission Committee to attend online preparatory courses that provide intensive training in intermediate Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Mathematics.

The courses consist of lectures and exercise sessions and involve weekly homework, midterm and final exams. All Preparatory semester students attend the same courses; there are no electives. A full-time commitment for all courses and exercise sessions is required.

Applicants who have been offered direct admission may attend the Preparatory Semester as their option, but their performance in these classes will not affect their eligibility for the program.

First Year of the PhD in Economics

The first year is divided into three semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Continuous study involvement is required from students including regular class attendance, homework, midterm exams, and final exams at the end of each semester. The program cannot be studied online.

First-year students follow a common curriculum designed to provide strong theoretical and empirical foundations in economic theory and its applications. All students take compulsory core courses including Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Statistics and Econometrics, and Academic Writing. There are no electives in the first year. Such a curriculum is standard for the US-type PhD study in Economics.

In addition to their study, students attend CERGE-EI Research Seminar Series and from the Spring Semester onwards they also fulfil assistantship duties (research, teaching, or administrative).

At the end of the first year, all students must pass Core General Exams in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Statistics/Econometrics.

Second Year of the PhD in Economics

The second year provides students with opportunities to investigate more specific fields of interest. Several two-semester sequences of field courses (Fall and Spring) are offered each year. Students must enroll in at least three field courses each semester, in addition to compulsory courses run by the Academic Skills Center: Academic Writing and Combined Skills.

Depending on students´ interest and faculty availability, courses in the following fields may be offered: Advanced Macroeconomics, Advanced Microeconomics, Game Theory, Advanced Econometrics, Empirical Methods, Time Series Econometrics, Industrial Organization, Labor Economics, Financial Markets, Experimental Economics, Energy Economics, Political Economy, Public Finance, Quantitative Economic History, and Development Economics.

In addition to their study, students attend CERGE-EI Research Seminar Series, fulfil their assistantship duties, and are expected to begin formulating their dissertation research proposals with the help of the research methodology seminar.

At the end of the second year, students must take at least two Field General Exams from specific sub-fields of economics of their choice. Passing two Field General Exams with a grade not lower than C- is required to continue in the PhD program.

Research phase (Dissertation Research and Defense)

In the Fall Semester of the third year, students are required to submit a written Dissertation Proposal, which is then presented to and evaluated by a faculty committee during the Dissertation Proposal Workshop week. While preparing the proposal, each student also chooses a Dissertation Chair (a faculty member that fits their research orientation). Following a successful proposal defense, students select at least two additional members for his or her Dissertation Committee. Under the guidance of this committee, the student works on his or her dissertation.

In the fourth year, students present their dissertation research-in-progress at the Dissertation Workshop and work further toward Dissertation Defense. The student’s Dissertation Committee recommends when the completed dissertation is ready for defense. The study is concluded by the public defense of the doctoral dissertation.

Throughout their specialized study, students continue working as Research assistants, typically as Junior Researchers. Under close faculty supervision, they acquire practical research experience and develop their professional skills. In cooperation with faculty members and researchers, students have opportunities to participate in international research grants and projects and to publish in leading international journals and in the CERGE-EI Working Papers series.

Working as a Teaching assistant at CERGE-EI to gain practical teaching skills is one of the requirements of the PhD in Economics program. Moreover, our students have opportunities to teach abroad under the Teaching Fellowship program.

A unique feature of the PhD in Economics program is its support for mobility (research stays), which allows many students to conduct part of their dissertation research working with experts in their fields at leading universities in Western Europe and North America, such as Princeton University, New York University, MIT, UC Berkeley and many more.

CERGE-EI (Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute) is a joint workplace of Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Global Impact and Reputation

CERGE-EI IS ranked in the top 5% research institutions worldwide by the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) and Research Papers in Economics (RePEc). It is the Central and East European Regional Network representative for the Global Development Network (GDN) – a leading worldwide network of policy and research institutes in the area of development economics.

CERGE-EI graduates pursue academic careers in prestigious university departments around the world, such as Max Planck Institute, Tilburg University or New York University, hold high-level positions in international organizations, including the World Bank, IMF, government ministries, central banks, think tanks, and private sector organizations. Many find jobs in international business sectors, including major banks and consulting firms such as Moody’s Analytics, EY, or Erste Group.

CERGE-EI operates under Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe, ranked among the top 150 universities in Economics and Econometrics by the 2022 QS World University Ranking by Subjects, the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022 (Shanghai Ranking), and World University Rankings 2022 by Subject (Times Higher Education Ranking). The overall ranking of Charles University according to the QS World Rankings 2023 is #288.

Western-style Graduate Economics Education

CERGE-EI has an absolute charter issued by the New York State Board of Regents in the United States, and is fully accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports of the Czech Republic.

Graduates find employment in academia, as well as in the public and private sectors in the Czech Republic and abroad. These job positions include (but are not limited to) scientists and lecturers, government advisors and experts, economists at central banks, and senior economists of other financial institutions.