The selection of students is based on the assessment of the students' background, research potential and an interview.

Applicants are required to have completed a M.Sc. in Economics and/or Finance with a strong quantitative orientation, preferably entirely English-taught (or to complete it by 31 October 2019). Also candidates with a M.Sc. in Mathematics, Physics or Engineering may apply.

The preliminary application for the admission to the NPDE program, together with its supporting material, should be submitted by 15 May 2019.

Full details on the application requirements and procedure can be found at the following link: NPDE Admission requirements and procedure

Organization of the PhD program

The PhD in Economics is a three-year program. All PhD courses are taught in English. The final dissertation can be written in English or Italian. By the end of each year, students must report on their activities (courses, research) and present their work during a public seminar. On the basis of this report, the Faculty admits the student to the second and third years and, in the third year, to the final examination. During the three years, all students must take courses for credit, and pass the corresponding exams according to the general schedule presented below. The total number of credits is 180 over the three years.

Please consult the section  Courses for details on courses offered.

First year (60 Credits): in the first year students are required to:

• take CORE COURSES (50 ECTS)
• participate in the seminars and workshop organized by DISES and CSEF (3ECTS);
• prepare a brief outline of a PhD proposal (7 ECTS).

By the end of the first year, students define their research plan for the final dissertation and choose a research supervisor with the help of the PhD Director. From here on, they work in close contact with their supervisor on the PhD proposal.

Second year (60 ECTS): in the second year students are required to:

• take further CORE COURSES  (15 ECTS);
• choose ELECTIVE COURSES in two fields (18 ECTS);
• participate in the seminars and workshops organized by DISES and CSEF (3 ECTS);
• prepare a detailed PhD proposal (24 ECTS).

Students may spend all or part of the second year abroad, attending elective courses relevant to their research. By the end of the second year, students must present their research proposal in a seminar, open to students and Faculty members. A good seminar and a positive evaluation of the research progress is a necessary condition for admission to the third year.

Third year (60 ECTS): during the third year students are required to:

• actively participate in the seminars and workshops organized by DISES and CSEF (8 ECTS);
• complete their dissertation (52 ECTS).

Admission to the final Thesis Defense is conditional on a positive assessment of the entire dissertation by the supervisor and the PhD Faculty.

Final examination: the final examination involves a Committee of internal and external professors, proposed by the Faculty and appointed by the Rector of the University, according to the criteria required by the Doctor Europaeus certificate. The final dissertation consists of at least two essays, formatted as scientific papers of sufficient quality and originality for potential publication in reputable international refereed journals. It may also contain suitable material for a research monograph of sufficient quality and originality for potential international diffusion.

International experience and teaching duties

During the PhD program, every student must have at least one direct international experience, including visits for research purposes in non-Italian research institutions (at least three months are required to obtain the Doctor Europaeus certificate), attending an international school or an international conference, and presenting research results in international seminars and conferences. During the program, students are expected to collaborate with the Faculty working as teaching assistants for a maximum of 40 hours. The PhD director discusses with the student and with the Faculty committee whether his/her teaching activities are compatible with the doctoral program.

In the first two years of the PhD Program, students are required to take Core and Elective Courses.

Core Courses (36/42 hours),:

• courses in Microeconomics, Mathematical Economics, Macroeconomics, Financial Economics, Econometrics offered to PhD students as well as to Master students;
• courses specifically offered for the PhD program (and attended only by PhD students).

Elective courses (10/18 hours),:

• "topic courses" attended by PhD students as well as Master students, offering a structured view of the literature and its development in a specific field;
• "advanced topic courses" offered only to PhD students, in order to help them during the path that leads to the frontier of research in specific fields of economics. .

A non-exhaustive list of fields in which elective courses are offered is: Banking and Finance, Economic History, Economic Theory, Labour Economics.

Students with postgraduate qualifications equivalent to a Master's degree (in particular students holding the  Master in Economics and Finance)   may be admitted directly to the advanced course program, subject to approval by the PhD Director.

• Core and Elective Courses offered in 2014/2015
• Core and Elective Courses offered in 2015/2016
• Core and Elective Courses offered in 2016/2017
• Core and Elective Courses offered in 2017/2018
• Brochure

PhD Program Director:

• Prof. Marco Pagano
• tel: 081-675306

PhD Secretary:

• Ms Micol Sorrentino
• tel: 081- tel 081-675309
• Email: phd.dises@unina.it

International Office at the University of Naples Federico II

• http://www.international.unina.it/

PhD committee: 

Achille  Basile, Alberto Zazzaro, Alessandra Bulgarelli, Antonio Acconcia, Andrew Ellul, Emilia Di Lorenzo,  Giovanni Walter Puopolo, Giovanni Immordino, Lina Mallozzi, Maria Gabriella Graziano, Maria Carmela Schisani, Marco Pagano (PhD Director), Marco Pagnozzi,  Marialaura Pesce, MassimoAria,Saverio Simonelli, Sergio Beraldo,  Tullio Jappelli, Vincenzo Scalzo