The HHU Graduate School in Economics and its doctoral program are an initiative of the university’s economics group within the Faculty of Business and Economics. In our program, outstanding students holding a Master’s degree get intensive training in analytical methods and quantitative analysis which prepares them for successful research.
There are two major fields of research, industrial economics and competition policy or international economics and monetary economics. The duration of the program is three years with a possible extension for the completion of the dissertation. All teaching is in English.
Degree
Successful doctoral students will be awarded the doctoral degree of Heinrich Heine-University.
Tuition fees and stipends
There are no tuition fees. We offer up to six scholarships / research positions for the new intake in 2011.
City
Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. It is an important international business and financial centre and it is also known for its fashion and trade fairs. It enjoys a vibrant cultural and academic life. Düsseldorf is known for its academy of fine arts and the city has developed a reputation for being liberal and tolerant.
Admission
Admission requires a master degree, preferably in economics, business administration, mathematics, statistics, physics or engineering. There are no fixed rules on who will be admitted but the admission is highly competitive. Evidence of creativity and commitment to research will be taken into consideration.
There is only one intake per year, in October. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2012.
Research
A major area in the economics department is industrial economics and competition policy. The professors at the newly founded Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE) actively pursue research in competition economics, using different methods (theory, empirical, experimental). Key issues are areas of traditional competition policy (anti-cartel policy, analysis of abusive behavior, vertical restraints and mergers), regulatory policy (network industries including telecom and energy), health economics, media economics and two-sided markets, and the long-run analysis of relevant institutions (e.g., cartel law, patents and property rights). The second central research area is applied international and monetary economics. Main issues in this research area are European Integration, monetary policy (especially in the Euro area), financial crises, stability and regulation of financial markets and financial intermediation.
Program
The first year of the program comprises the rigorous study of the principles of economics and quantitative methods. Students have to take three core courses which constitute the basis for successful research. The Core fields are Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics. Students have to pass the three core fields with a minimum number of credits during the first year.Students can choose between two tracks: one consisting of industrial economics and competition policy, the other consisting of international and monetary economics. We expect students to pass the core courses with an average of “good” or better in order to promote success during the research stage. In rare situations, we allow for the approval of external courses as substitutes for our core courses.
In the second year, students will be allocated to their supervisors and begin to work on their first research paper. Also, they take elective courses to broaden and deepen their knowledge in specific areas of interest. Elective courses typically focus on selected research topics. In these topics courses, students become familiar with advanced techniques as well as current research trends. The courses will enable the PhD students to develop own research projects or apply insights from other fields to their own work. Some courses are delivered as short compact courses.
Students have to take at least three of these courses. These courses may be chosen in any combination, depending on the student’s personal research interests or in order to specialize in one of the following major areas:
- Competition Policy
- Industrial and Regulatory Economics
- Experimental Economics
- Monetary Economics
- International Economics
We expect the course work to be finished at the end of the second year. The doctoral thesis should be finished after about three years.
Research Phase
During the research phase, students primarily do their own research and write research papers. These papers eventually constitute the PhD dissertation. They participate in research seminars (the economics research seminar, and the brown bag seminar). In the research seminar, external speakers get students in touch with the forefront of research. The brown bag seminar provides a framework for the discussion of students’ own research. The table summarizes the structure of the program.
Scholarships
The programme offers scholarships up to three years, conditional on academic excellence and study performance and with an option for extensions. The financial assistance is up to 1250 Euro depending on whether your highest previous degree is a bachelor or master and on the family situation.
For the intake in 2012 we are able to offer up to six scholarships.
The following information is required for an application:
Application Form (please download and fill out the online-form)
. This entails your personal data, a short curiculum vitae, as well as short statements explaining your current goals, career plans, reasons for being interested in the PhD program in Economics, as well as discuss your study plans and your fields of interest. Your statements should be in English and not exceed the provided space.
Certificates and transcripts of grades
A transcript from each college or university is required. The degree certificate is not sufficient. The transcript should show courses, grades and degrees received, mentioning rank or distinction if applicable. A translation is required for any transcript in a language other than English or German. At this stage of the application process it is not necessary to notarize or apostil the translations. If you are accepted we need notarized translations. An apostille is not necessary. If you have not yet finished your current degree, please attach a preliminary grade report (again in English or German).
Letters of recommendation (please download and fill out the online-form)
Two letters of recommendation are required from faculty who are able to assess your academic ability and potential.
Please send your application files to: dgse@uni-duesseldorf.de
Contact:
General inquiries:
dgse@uni-duesseldorf.de
DICE
Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Oeconomicum
Gebäude 24.31
Universitätsstr. 1
40225 Düsseldorf
Program co-ordinator:
Professor Dr. Hans-Theo Normann
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