Application deadline: 31 January 2017 ( 24:00 – CET)
The Application Form for the 2017-2018 academic year (starting 1 September 2017) will be activated on 2 November 2016.
Why Choose the EUI Doctoral Programme?
- Join our culturally diverse academic community – study alongside more than 900 scholars from over 60 countries
- Develop your intellectual curiosity – well-structured Ph.D. programmes that enable original research in four disciplines
- A dynamic multi-lingual environment – work predominantly in English, while enjoying our view on the beautiful city of Florence
- Fully-funded four-year Ph.D. programmes – approximately 150 scholarships offered annually
Be part of an international professional network – our alumni hold positions in academia (69%), international organisations - (12%), national institutions (6%) and the private sector (4%)*
*Alumni Destination Survey (2014).
Doctoral Programme in Economics
Our Department of Economics provides research training in all the main fields within economics, with Ph.D. opportunities across theoretical and applied topics.
As a research-strong department, we offer focused supervision on your Ph.D., providing the support to explore your ideas and develop your intellectual autonomy. Our researchers work together, and with faculty, generating strong networks and connections that last throughout their time at the EUI and into their future career.
Yet our academic community is bigger than our faculty and our researchers – we welcome a huge number of world famous scholars to our Department each year. These visitors present and discuss their work, allowing you to build your knowledge and develop your ideas further. You can interact with these experts on an unprecedented level.
Grant Information - Eligibility
To qualify for a national PhD grant , you must meet the specific requirements set by the national grant authorities. These may include conditions with regard to your nationality, residence, degree and its time of award.
The application for admission to the EUI doctoral programme is automatically an application for a national grant, with the following exceptions: Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom. If you apply for a grant from one of these countries, your application to the EUI can ONLY be accepted if you separately apply also for the national grant by the deadline specified by the relevant grant authority.
EUI Contracting States
Grants and tuition fees for Ph.D. candidates are covered by the national grant-awarding authority for Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg , The Netherlands, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
Associate Member States
Candidates from Norway and Switzerland may be admitted to the EUI under the Association Agreements.
Grants and tuition fees for doctoral candidates are covered by the national grant-awarding authority.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation "North Africa" Programme
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation awards grants to candidates from the following states: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
Candidates from these countries do not pay the programme’s tuition fees
Other EU Member States not adhering to the EUI Convention
EU Member States Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia have not yet signed the EUI Convention. Consequently, there are currently no national grants available for PhD candidates from these countries.
Candidates from these countries may therefore be admitted under the EUI special doctoral fellowships programme, or on condition they are able to secure external sponsorship.
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation "Grants for Foreigners" Programme
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation awards grants to candidates from the following states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkey.
Candidates from these countries do not pay the programme’s tuition fees.
Other Countries
Candidates from countries that do not fit in with any of the above-mentioned grant programmes may be admitted under the EUI special doctoral fellowships programme, or on condition they are able to secure external sponsorship.
Degree Requirements
You must meet the minimum degree requirements set by the relevant grant authority:
- Austria: Completion of university studies (Magister/Master’s degree)
- Belgium: Master degree
- Cyprus: Ptychion or equivalent degree
- Denmark: Kandidateksamen
- Finland: Ylempi korkeakoulututkinto/högre högskoleexamen, equivalent foreign degree
- France: DEA (or Master) or equivalent to bac + 5
- Germany: Completion of university studies and the qualifications required to study for a doctorate
- Greece: Higher education degree (ISCED 6), and master’s degree or equivalent (ISCED 7)
- Italy: Laurea (vecchio ordinamento); laurea specialistica /Masters (nuovo ordinamento)
- Latvia: Magistra grads vai magistra grada limenim pielidzinata izglitiba (Master's degree or education equal to a Master's degree)
- Netherlands: Doctoraal examen or Master's degree
- Norway: Master’s degree or equivalent degree
- Poland: Master’s degree (magister or an equivalent degree)
- Portugal: Licenciatura and qualifications required to study for a doctorate in Portugal
- Romania: Candidates should have an undergraduate degree + a master degree (usually 3 + 2 years) or an equivalent qualification needed to study for a doctorate
- Spain: Estudios de grado o licenciado y un master al menos de 60 créditos
- Sweden: General entry requirements (According to the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance). A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she: 1. has been awarded a second-cycle qualification. 2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or 3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.The higher education institution may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds. Ordinance (2010:1064)
- Switzerland: Master’s degree or equivalent degree
- UK & Ireland: Good honours degree (min. Upper Second); preference to those with a Master's degree
- EUI Special Doctoral Fellowships: Master or equivalent degree in an academic discipline relevant to the doctoral programme of the selected EUI Department and to the research proposal
- Other countries: Diploma equivalent to the minimum qualification needed to study for a doctorate in a given country
Language Requirements
English
The expected level of English proficiency is level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Applicants are required to submit an English international language certificate to demonstrate their level. Candidates who are English native speakers, or have a degree from a university programme entirely taught in English and who have written a thesis in English in such a programme, are exempt from submitting a certificate of English proficiency.
Applicants who submit a certificate with a test score below the threshold indicated hereunder may be conditionally admitted but will have to take English language courses during their first year. Sufficient progress in English language skills will be a criterion for admission to the second year.
The following international certificates of English proficiency are recognised by the EUI:
| Type of certificate | Expected test score, considered equivalent to level C1 of the CEFR |
|---|---|
| IELTS | From 7.5 |
| TOEFL (IBT) - EUI code 9408 | From 110 |
| Cambridge Proficiency | A/B/C |
| Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) | A/B |
The certificate of English proficiency must be attached to the candidate’s application form and submitted by 31 January. Unofficial copies of the above mentioned English proficiency certificates are also accepted.
Candidates who are unable to provide a certificate by 31 January must attach a personal declaration to the application form stating the reason for this. Exemption from the requirement to submit an English international language certificate may be granted in the case of extenuating circumstances. Where the certificate of English proficiency is missing and the applicant is still invited for interview, he or she must take an equivalent English Language Assessment test at the EUI in addition to the interview.
Other EUI Working Languages
Applicants who need to be proficient for their specific research project in another working language(s) of the EUI (French, German, Italian and Spanish) which is not their native language, will be asked to take a spoken and written test when invited for interview.
Research Proposal
The Research Statement is a short document (at most 1500 words), which is written in English and structured in three parts.
It should start with a short motivation of the candidate for pursuing a PhD in Economics at the EUI.
It should describe the relevant background information including short abstracts of ongoing and completed research (e.g. Master thesis) and intended areas of graduate research.
Finally, it should provide a summary of relevant advanced level economics and mathematics courses the candidate has taken so far, with a brief description of textbooks and topics.
The policy of the EUI is not to offer individual guidance and advice on dissertation proposals. You should not contact potential supervisors and ask them to support your application or to provide you with advice. You should instead read the information on research themes supervised by the department and by individual professors.
Please also note that you will be required to write a Short Abstract of your research statement (max 1000 characters) directly on the online application form.
Required Documents
Before starting your online submission, prepare the required documents:
- a one or two page CV
- the research statement of 1500 words (See above)
- a degree transcript, issued by your university listing the exams/courses taken at university, grades/marks awarded and (if applicable) the final degree result (electronic size max 1 MB). Submit your transcript as a scanned file to the on-line application. If pertinent, you may attach more than one transcript from previous degree/s. Do not attach or send supplementary documents that are not strictly requested, such as the copy of your official diploma, traineeships diplomas etc.
- International English language certificate (See above).
- GRE (EUI code 7395 - departmental code 1801). The online or unofficial version of your GRE - Examinee Score Report - is acceptable. Candidates must directly upload mandatory GRE scores to the online application form.
Note that attachments must be PDF using standard international fonts (max size 1MB)
Do NOT use macros, special characters, password-protected attachments, electronic signatures or logos.
Reference Letters
Information about References
References must be submitted by the deadline 31 January.
Note for Candidates
Your referees will be contacted and will be allowed to submit the reference only after you have completed and registered the first step of the online application form including the names and contact details of referees. In order to receive the references in time by the deadline 31 January, you should register the referee details as soon as possible. This is possible any time and you do not yet need to submit the final version of your application at that time.
When you register your referees' contact details in the online application form, an email requesting a reference on your behalf is automatically sent to the referees you have nominated. Nevertheless, it is your responsibility to contact referees directly to inform them of your request, to verify that they have received the email request and to ensure that they submit the reference by the deadline of 31 January.
Give the names of two referees on your application form. If you are applying to the Economics Department, specify three referees.
References must be submitted by academic referees (ie: Professors, Lectures etc.) who are in a position to give an academic evaluation of your research, intellectual qualities, ability and potential.
Letters of reference from current full-time or part-time EUI professors are not accepted except:
- where the application is from a researcher already registered for an EUI degree (i.e. transfer from LL.M. to Ph.D.)
- where the professor is a member of a different EUI department to the one where the candidate is applying, and who is able to comment on the academic qualities of the candidate
Note for Referees
At the moment when the candidate has registered the referee details, you as the referee will receive an automated e-mail with access details for submitting your reference letter online. You should give your opinion of the candidate's intellectual ability, knowledge in his/her field, motivation for research, capacity to work in a group, oral and written expression.
- Referees may use their own reference format.
- References should be submitted as PDF files. Please use standard international fonts, do not use macros, special characters, password-protection, electronic signatures or logos.
- Do not send a hard copy
- You may write in a language other than English, but English will guarantee the widest possible reading.
- If in doubt contact ReferenceRes@eui.eu
References are accepted until 31 January. Kindly note that the EUI encourages candidates to apply and register their referees as early as possible: the EUI post-graduate application process is open from early November to 31 January.
How to Apply
You must submit your application and all required documents via the interactive online application form.
The deadline for completing the application form and for the submission of references and all required documents is: 31 January. 2017. Applications may be submitted until midnight (24:00 - CET) on that day.
There are two distinct phases in the application process:
1. Register as early as possible
You are encouraged to register, insert your personal and referee details as soon as possible. This is important to allow sufficient time for your referees to submit the reference letters before the deadline. Reference letters will not be accepted after the deadline 31 January 2017 (24:00 - CET).
2. Complete and submit your application by the deadline 31 January 2017 (24:00 - CET)
Once you have registered you may continue to work on you application (including required documents) until the deadline. Submit the application only when you have filled in all the information correctly and have successfully uploaded the final version of the required documents.
By registering/submitting application, you give your consent for processing the data as specified in the Privacy Statement for Application and Selection Procedures for EUI Post-Graduate Programmes and in accordance with the EUI’s Data Protection Policy outlined in the President’s Decision No. 40 of 27 August 2013 regarding Data Protection at the EUI
Selection process and schedule
- 2 November: Application procedure opens.
- 31 January: Deadline for applications and references. Applications are screened for completeness by Academic Service. Professors of the Department check the application files and identify the most promising ones.
- Early March: National pre-selection committees composed of grant authorities, EUI faculty and representatives of PhD students shortlist candidates for interviews for specific countries or groups of countries.
- Mid March: Invitations for interviews for shortlisted candidates are sent by e-mail. Candidates who are not shortlisted are also informed by e-mail.
- 27-30 March: Shortlisted candidates are interviewed in Florence by Departmental panels.
- Mid April: EUI’s ‘Entrance Board’ decides which applicants will be offered admission on the basis of the Departments’ proposals. Candidates are informed of the admission results by e-mail.
- May to July: Formal admission letters are sent by e-mail. Practical information for selected candidates is posted on the Academic Service's web pages. Reserve candidates may be contacted during this period if selected candidates withdraw.
- End of August: Registration of new researchers.
- 1 September: Academic Year begins.
Selection criteria
Academic record
National pre-selection committees have the expertise to interpret academic grades, degrees and rankings of departments and universities and make sure that comparable standards are used for assessing all applicants.
Candidates are expected to have sufficient background in theory and research methodology relevant to their discipline and research project.
Quality of the research proposal
The originality and feasibility of a PhD proposal play a crucial role both in the initial pre-selection by the EUI Professors and in the interviews in the Departments of History, Law and Political and Social Sciences. Applicants for the Economics Department provide a short research statement rather than a full research proposal.
Potential supervision
The department carefully examines whether it can provide suitable supervision for the candidate, taking into account the profile of the department and distribution of supervision among its academic staff for the whole of the period concerned.
Language abilities
All candidates must have a good knowledge of English. The expected minimum level of English language proficiency is C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
GRE
Candidates for the Economics Department must submit a GRE test score. Candidates for all other Departments are recommended to do so.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.eui.eu/ServicesAndAdmin/AcademicService/DoctoralProgramme/Index.aspx