PhD Overview

PhD Overview

The course aims to provide advanced, excellent training in economics and management sciences.
The Economics curriculum enables students to specialise in economic research by providing them with the advanced training, knowledge and skills required to work in academia, research centres, international organisations, central banks, and public bodies that control and direct economic activity, such as market regulators, ministries, and regions.
The Management Sciences curriculum is designed to educate scholars in business disciplines who can contribute to scientific progress and the advancement of management disciplines internationally. This is achieved through ad hoc courses on qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools, including International Summer Schools.
Methodological meetings are also offered during the first year to teach students how to write a research project and successfully navigate the process of publishing a scientific article (submission, review, etc.).

The Economics curriculum aims to train economists who can conduct research in economics at academic institutions, private research centres, international organisations and central banks.
The Management curriculum aims to train business economists who can contribute to advancing knowledge and research frontiers in managerial disciplines at an international level. The course provides students with a solid foundation in qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools, as well as a strong theoretical grounding in organisational theory, financial accounting, and strategic management.

We offer a full-time, four-year advanced doctoral programme for outstanding students who want to achieve an ambitious training in one of our two curricula: Economics or Management. For each curriculum, the PhD training varies and takes place during the first year. Most classes take place in Padova, while some courses are organised jointly with the University of Verona. By the end of the first year all students have identified a supervisor, the topic of their thesis, and present their first “summer” paper.

During the second, and third year, students work exclusively on their thesis under the close supervision of two faculty members and enjoy a vibrating research environment .

During the fourth year, students are expected to conclude their thesis and go to the academic job market. The department supports students actively in this endeavor. Over the years, our graduates have achieved placements in prestigious universities such as the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, University of Warwick, University of Exeter Business School, University of Concordia, Tuck School of Business, EUI, IESE, ESADE, Trinity College, University of Copenhagen, University of New South Wales, University of Groningen, and several Italian Universities. Other have joined important institutions such as the Bank of Italy, the OECD, and the World Bank.

At least 3 months of the PhD is spent in a research institution abroad. Over the years, our PhD students visited outstanding universities such as, for example, Columbia University, London School of Economics, New York Stern School of Business (US), Penn University, University of Chicago, University of Toulouse and University of Georgia. Others have taken advantage of the exchange agreements of our institution with international partners like Boston University and the University of Michigan.

The presentation of our programme is available here.