The Berlin School of Economics PhD Program offers four different PhD tracks:
During the application process, applicants are asked to give their preferred track. However, the track choice can be changed upon developing research interests during the qualification phase of the program. Despite the various focuses, all the tracks share a common structure in their curriculum.
The PhD in Economics’ course requirements consist of Core Courses (microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics) and Elective Courses covering all major fields of economics. The course instructors are experienced faculty members of Berlin’s universities and economic research institutes. All courses are designed to prepare for research at the highest level. Student supervision takes place in specialized research areas, making use of the strong field-specific networks in Berlin’s economic community.
A unique feature of our economics track is that the program also offers a strong policy-oriented component, in addition to preparing students for an academic career. We support students in finding and completing optional internships in international institutions. At their home institutions in Berlin, students can also actively participate in policy projects on their way to PhD completion. Our placement activities and professional networks cover both the academic job market and political institutions.
For detailed information contact: Christian Reiter
The accounting track of the Berlin School of Economics PhD Program prepares students for future positions in academic accounting departments that focus on quantitative research. To this end, we offer a rich curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills to conduct rigorous and competitive research. The curriculum comprises Core Courses and Elective Courses. The Core Courses provide fundamental training in microeconomics, econometrics and machine learning. The Elective Courses focus on analytical, empirical and experimental methods in the context of state-of-the-art accounting research. The courses are complemented by regular research seminars that allow internal and external guest speakers to present current projects to the Berlin School of Economics Faculty and Students.
The Berlin School of Economics Faculty includes leading experts in financial and managerial accounting research such as Oliver Binz (ESMT), Joachim Gassen (HU Berlin), Maik Lachmann (TU Berlin) and Per Olsson (ESMT Berlin).
Students are expected to have a keen interest in accounting research that combines detailed institutional knowledge with innovative research methods. We therefore expect applicants to have a Master's degree with a specialization in accounting or other subjects with a quantitative focus (e.g. finance, economics, law and economics, data science).
For detailed information contact: Ulf Brüggemann
The Finance Track introduces students to research questions and methodologies that shape current research in financial economics, and prepares graduates for research careers in universities, central banks, and other research-oriented institutions. We are looking for students who not only have a strong academic affinity, but also an interest in the practical relevance of academic research.
The finance track builds on Core Courses in microeconomics and econometrics. Students take a Core Course in finance, which covers the main fields of financial economics, i.e. asset pricing, corporate finance, and financial intermediation. They are introduced to state-of-the-art research topics in Elective Courses, the finance reading group, and our research seminar series.
The Finance Group nurtures a stimulating environment for research in finance. Our core strengths lie in the areas of corporate finance and financial intermediation, but we are also interested in research at the intersection of finance with other fields in economics (e.g. labor economics, international economics, or development) as well as outside economics (e.g. history, climate change).
The Berlin School of Economics Faculty in finance include Tim Adam, Max Bruche, Lukas Menkhoff, Alex Stomper, and many others. Students mentored by members of the faculty have been placed in universities such as Cass Business School (recently renamed Bayes Business School), Copenhagen Business School, Ghent University, and University of Georgia, in central banks and public sector institutions such as BaFin, Bundesbank, ECB, KfW, and OECD, as well as in the private sector, e.g. Deutsche Asset Management, HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt, or Munich Re.
For detailed information contact: Alex Stomper
The management track is suitable for students who intend to work on research questions from the fields of entrepreneurial and managerial decision making, marketing, operations research, organizational economics, organizational behavior, and personnel economics. Management problems are tackled by using a toolkit of (predominantly) quantitative but also qualitative research methods combined with economic logic, microeconomic theory, and experimental approaches.
The Core Courses of the qualification phase focus on creating a sound basis of the general methodological toolkit applicable to the wide range of research questions relevant to management scholars. The subsequent Elective Courses focus on thematic specialization and equip participants with both the foundations and the current frontier of research relevant to their chosen field of interest.
The faculty involved in the management track comprises active research scholars from a number of management departments of the schools participating in the Berlin School of Economics, most notably from HU Berlin’s School of Business and Economics and the ESMT Berlin. This will give you access to professors covering a broad range of different areas within the broad field of management research.
For detailed information contact: Per Olsson
