PhD in Economics, Accounting, Finance or Management at Berlin School of Economics

PhD in Economics, Accounting, Finance or Management at Berlin School of Economics

The Berlin School of Economics offers career development programs in economics, accounting, finance, and management at the PhD and Postdoc levels in a single and unique structure. Eight major institutions active in economics research in the Berlin-Brandenburg area cooperate within the Berlin School of Economics: Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, University of Potsdam, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), ESMT Berlin, Hertie School, and WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Together they are pooling their efforts in the education of young researchers in economics.

The Berlin School of Economics is welcoming applications for the new cohort of its PhD Program starting in October 2025.

General structure of the curriculum

The Berlin School of Economics PhD Program provides outstanding doctoral students with a vibrant, intensively networked research community. The program develops the students’ talents in a unique combination of a high-level, academic research environment together with applied, policy-oriented research opportunities. Students receive state-of-the-art coursework training and can select from a wide array of specializations for their doctoral research.

The Berlin School of Economics PhD Program offers four different PhD tracks: PhD in Economics, PhD in Accounting, PhD in Finance, and PhD in Management. All tracks share the same structure and general curriculum and allow for numerous specializations.

The curriculum is divided into a qualification and a dissertation phase. During the qualification phase of the program (about three semesters), students acquire methodological and research-oriented training in mandatory and elective courses in economic theory, applied economics, business studies (accounting, finance, management), econometrics, and economic policy. Students define their research area and find supervisory support from two supervisors. They write research proposals that are discussed with faculty members individually and in seminars to provide early feedback on the scientific potential of research ideas. This is a central part of the Berlin School of Economics PhD Program, in which the students have full flexibility in the choice of their research topics and of the supervisors. During this phase, students are funded through stipends that allow for this flexibility. A minimum of 90 ECTS credits have to be obtained in order to finish the qualification phase of the program.

During the subsequent dissertation phase of the program (about three to four years), students write their doctoral thesis while having the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the professional research environment that is provided at the research institutions participating in the Berlin School of Economics. During this phase, students are typically employed at the research institution their supervisor is affiliated with. The PhD will be awarded by the Berlin School of Economics institution one of the student’s supervisors is affiliated with.

Graduates of the Berlin School of Economics PhD Program are excellently prepared for positions in academia as well as for policy-related institutions and organizations, which has been documented by a list of outstanding placements.

Application Requirements

Applicants should have a Master’s degree in economics or business studies. Applicants from related fields (such as industrial engineering, statistics, or quantitative social sciences) may also fulfill the admission requirements if they have a sufficient background in economics or business studies.

Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply for the program if they also apply for a Master’s program offering a fast track option.

Applicants whose native language is not English are asked to demonstrate their English language proficiency unless they hold a degree from a university in an English-speaking country or can document at least one year of studies at an English-speaking university. Sufficient evidence of a good command of English can be demonstrated with a high score in the “Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL) or the “International English Language Testing System” (IELTS). Providing TOEFL or IELTS scores is highly recommended but not mandatory.

All applicants are asked to provide GRE General Test scores with their application. Providing GRE General Test scores is highly recommended but not mandatory.

How to Apply:

Applications for an intake into the Berlin School of Economics PhD Program in October 2025 will be accepted until January 15, 2025, and can only be submitted via the Berlin School of Economics Application Portal.

All information on the application for the Berlin School of Economics PhD Program can be found on the official website.