Ph.D. Studies in Economics

Ph.D. Studies in Economics Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education Charles University Economics Institute Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic CERGE-EI The Center for Economic Czech Republic, an institution Research and Graduate dedicated to basic research. Education and the Economics Thus, CERGE-EI’s mission Institute (CERGE-EI), a joint is, in part, to undertake workplace of Charles economic research of the University and the Academy highest quality possible and to of Sciences of the Czech widely disseminate the results Republic, offers a doctoral of this research to aid in the studies program in theoretical economic transition. and applied economics. The program is fully accredited to CERGE-EI is located in offer the Ph.D. degree by both Prague, the Golden City the Ministry of Education of and capital of the Czech the Czech Republic and the Republic. In the years since New York State Board of students took to the streets Regents in the U.S. to help bring down the of Prague’s central location 40-year-old communist to attract economists for Founded in early 1991, regime, Prague has enjoyed seminars, workshops, and CERGE-EI has become the an unparalleled cultural lectures. leading center for economic renaissance. Amid Prague’s research and graduate cobblestone streets and CERGE-EI is housed in an education in Central and gold-tipped spires new historic nineteenth-century Eastern Europe. Both the galleries, cafes and restaurants palace, the House of the European Commission’s continue to open and thrive. Angel, in the center of PHARE ACE Program and Prague. Originally built as USAID have recognized a private residence for an CERGE-EI as a Center of Italian noble, this building Excellence in Economics. has long been a center of economic life. It served as CERGE-EI is an independent home to the Austro-Hungarian unit of Charles University, Bank prior to the First World founded in 1348, the oldest War. After the founding of an institution of higher learning independent Czechoslovak in Central Europe. Through state in 1918, the State Bank its international faculty and of Czechoslovakia occupied student body, CERGE-EI In addition to regaining its the premises. continues Charles University’s status as a European cultural tradition as a center of capital, Prague, with its The building is open twenty- learning in Central Europe. vitality and mystique, has four hours a day, 365 days again become a mecca for a year. The corridors and CERGE-EI is also an intellectuals and students lounges are alive with independent institute of the from throughout the world. intellectual activity late into Academy of Sciences of the CERGE-EI takes advantage the evening and on weekends. CERGE-EI 1 THE GRADUATE PROGRAM Studies at CERGE-EI are to the doctoral program Second Year conducted entirely in English. depends on the candidate’s In the second year of the The program has the same performance and examination doctoral program, students structure as U.S. Ph.D. results in the preparatory take specialized courses programs, putting CERGE-EI semester. designed to give them a at the forefront of doctoral mastery of several sub-fields programs in Europe. The First Year of modern economics. course of study is divided All students in the first year into several distinct stages: of study follow a common Each student must complete curriculum designed to two-semester sequences in provide a strong foundation three different specializations. in modern economic theory The specializations offered in and techniques. Starting in any given year vary according September, students take three to student interests and the semesters of Microeconomic faculty in residence. Typically, Theory, Macroeconomic most or all of the following Theory and Econometrics. fields are offered: At the end of the first year, I Development and students must pass general Transition Economics (comprehensive) examinations I Econometrics in these three fields. In rare I Financial Economics instances, students with I Industrial Organization an exceptionally strong I International Economics Preparatory Semester background in economics I Labor Economics Applicants who can document may be allowed to sit for the I Mathematical Economics adequate preparation for first-year general exams I Public Economics doctoral study in economics immediately upon arrival at I Urban and Regional are admitted directly into the CERGE-EI and, if successful Economics first year of study. Other strong in passing these exams, enter I Economics of European applicants who do not have the second year of study Integration an extensive background in directly. I Advanced Macroeconomics. modern economics or who do not meet prerequisite requirements in Mathematics and English are given the chance to improve their academic skills during a two-month summer preparatory semester. During the summer session, students take courses in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Mathematics, and English. Final admission 2 CERGE-EI When students are interested in studying a specific field that is not being offered in a particular year, faculty may design specialized reading courses in that field. In May of the second year, students must show their mastery of at least two specialized fields by passing general (comprehensive) exams in their chosen areas of concentration. Students who successfully complete all general exams are awarded The dissertation stage lasts CERGE-EI’s existence, an M.A. degree in economics two to four years. advanced students have visited under authority of the New such top universities as: York State Board of Regents. Student Mobility I Boston University In addition to study at I Cambridge University Dissertation Stage CERGE-EI, students whose I Harvard University In the summer following academic careers would I New York University their second-year general benefit from a period of study I Princeton University examinations, students at another institution are I Rochester University participate in a directed offered the opportunity to visit I Stanford University research seminar. There, an appropriate university in I Tinbergen Institute, under the guidance of the United States or Western Amsterdam the institute’s academic Europe for up to one academic I University of California, researchers, they formulate year. In the first decade of Berkeley a thesis proposal outlining I University of California, a major independent piece San Diego of research to which they I University College London will devote the final part of I University of Essex their graduate study. I University of Michigan I University of Paris I, Each student’s doctoral Sorbonne dissertation is directed by a I University of Pittsburgh. committee of at least three distinguished researchers In return, students from drawn both from within these and other universities CERGE-EI and from leading often spend time at universities in the United CERGE-EI while writing States and Western Europe. their dissertations. CERGE-EI 3 ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT Faculty dissertations. Additional Permanent CERGE-EI visiting faculty members come faculty members are hired to CERGE-EI on full-time from the top Ph.D. programs appointments of up to a year. throughout the world. Recent These are usually prominent additions to the faculty senior economists whose received graduate degrees research would benefit from from such universities as a period of time spent in Princeton University, Central Europe. University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, In addition to economists, the University of Minnesota CERGE-EI faculty contains and New York University. trained instructors of English As befitting our diverse as a Second Language. These opportunity for active and student body, the faculty faculty members offer formal productive research. Faculty hails from Croatia, the Czech courses in written English and members publish in Republic, Germany, Korea, presentation skills and they international journals and Russia, Slovakia, the United are available to assist students regularly receive major States and Venezuela. with the editing of their research grants from the written work. European Union, the U.S. National Science Foundation, A list of the current faculty at the World Bank, the Global CERGE-EI, including their Development Network, the areas of specialization, is avail- Open Society Institute and able on the CERGE-EI web other international and site at http://www.cerge-ei.cz. local organizations. Research CERGE-EI students often Along with educating the join in faculty research future generation of projects not just as assistants economists, CERGE-EI’s but as full partners. They main task is to stimulate and are also encouraged to support advanced economic publish their research work research. Carrying out this in addition to their task requires the existence of dissertations. CERGE-EI also arranges for a significant research program several distinguished senior that generates high-quality CERGE-EI maintains an economists from the U.S. theoretical and empirical active research seminar and Western Europe to visit studies. The CERGE-EI program. There are usually CERGE-EI for extended faculty members do not have two seminars each week in periods on a regular basis to teaching obligations other which economists from participate in instruction and than their graduate courses. Europe and North America as work with students on their Thus, they have ample well as CERGE-EI faculty 4 CERGE-EI present their current work. The Faculties of I The University of Seminar presenters have Charles University

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