About the Program

The predoctoral program at the Department of Economics targets individuals with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, mathematics, statistics, or a related field. Applicants have a strong quantitative background, are considering pursuing a PhD in economics, and an interest in learning cutting-edge research methods.

Through the Econ predoc program young researchers acquire important research skills while working under the supervision of experienced researchers. The program can also fill gaps in fellows’ applications that may otherwise make them less competitive for graduate programs.

 The faculty mentors of the Department of Economics coach young talents to do cutting-edge research in economics and invest significant time in providing on-the-job learning possibilities and supporting predoctoral fellows. There are regular mentoring sessions for learning-on-the-job and there is access to best practice examples.

The predoctoral positions typically last for one to two years. They help strengthening the predocs' PhD applications thanks to the experience acquired in the process and to the mentors’ support in the application process. Predoctoral fellows work together with one or more senior mentors (faculty members or postdocs) and are expected to fully engage in the intellectual life at the Department of Economics. The predoctoral position combines research work with learning activities and is ideal for a recent graduate who is interested in going on to do a PhD in Economics.

The predoctoral fellow receives financial support in the form of a predoctoral salary, which is competitive with similar programs at other universities. Internationally successful professors and senior researchers support on-the-job learning and provide advice.