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The teaching activity, separate for each curriculum, is scheduled during the first year.

All students attend in the first two quarters compulsory advanced courses on basic subjects such as Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Microeconometrics, Game Theory in the Economics curriculum and Research Methods, Econometrics, Corporate Governance, Organization Theories, Financial Accounting, and Strategic Management in the Management curriculum, while in the third quarter optional courses are offered on specific topics and research tools. Methodological workshops as well as meetings with PhDs working in non-academic research institutions (international organizations, central banks) are also offered. In the following years, students exclusively conduct research activities with at least one term of visiting at a foreign institution.

Research areas

CURRICULUM IN ECONOMICS

During their first year, PhD students in the Economics-track are exposed to a set of core modules during the first term (i.e., Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Game Theory and Econometrics). During the two remaining terms, students have the chance to choose among a range of elective courses that suit best their research interests (see the course description below as an indication). Towards the end of the first year, our students identify their supervisors (typically two) working on topics of interest, and benefit from a close supervision to write a “summer” paper. This piece of work is presented and evaluated in September, and is the student’s first milestone to progress in the following three years focusing exclusively on research. 

Overall, the program offers a solid theoretical and empirical training while the elective courses cover research areas of interest to many researchers within the Department. Our faculty works on cutting edge research in these fields – for example: applied microeconomics (e.g., health, labor economics, economics of education and aging, public economics, development economics and economic history, urban economics, energy and environmental economics, international trade, political economy), economic theory (e.g., industrial organization, social choice and mechanism design), econometric theory, experimental economics, monetary economics and banking. 

Throughout the programme, students are an active part of our research community. Students interact regularly with colleagues in the department, participate and present their work in seminars and events hosted in our department, meet with our guest speakers and obtain feedback on their work. They are also encouraged (and financially supported) to present their work in external events. This academic path helps students mature as economists, and with our support during the job market period fulfil their ambitions when obtaining their first academic job placement.

CURRICULUM IN MANAGEMENT

PhD students in the Management-track are exposed to a series of foundational courses covering a broad array of research areas of interest to many researchers within the Department. Faculty offer cutting edge scholarly works in these domains – for example: corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, financial accounting in banking industry, digital innovation and strategy, economics of criminal organizations; environmental and social innovation, networks and clusters, operational excellence and competitiveness, non-financial disclosure and corporate finance.

The program is designed to offer sound theoretical and empirical training, and relies on a wide variety of research methods and epistemological approaches. 

The first two terms (October – November; November – December) provide PhD students a strong base of qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools. At the same time, students have the opportunity to broaden their theoretical knowledge in the fields of organizational theories, financial accounting and strategic management.

At the end of the second term students are required to choose among two sub-curricula: 1. Strategy, Innovation and Organization Theory, or 2. Accounting & Finance. According to their choice, during the third term (February-March), students will be introduced to specialized courses on frontier research areas, such as knowledge management and network analysis or advanced topics in accounting and finance.

Since 2018, the Department offers a series of Short Courses on Research Methods co-organized with the Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA), a leading international group of scholars running the Research Methods Division at the Academy of Management.

Professional profile

The Economics curriculum aims to train economists capable of conducting research in the economic field within academic institutions, private research centers, international organizations, and central banks.

The Management curriculum aims to train business economists who can contribute to advancing knowledge and pushing the frontiers of research at the international level in managerial disciplines. The program provides a robust foundation in qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools, as well as solid theoretical grounding in organizational theories, financial accounting, and strategic management.

Many of our PhD graduates have secured their first positions at international institutions such as the University of Chicago, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Lund, South Wales University in Sydney, the University of Innsbruck, and the School of Business at the University of Exeter, as well as at the Bank of Italy and international organizations including the International Monetary Fund and the OECD. Others have joined major private institutions in the financial sector, such as Moody’s Investor Service, demonstrating the high quality of our students and the strength of their academic preparation.

  Curriculum

• Economics
• Management

  Other information

• Calls and Admissions
• Administrative information
• The International PhD guide