OVERVIEW

PHD IN ECONOMICS - 41° CYCLE - a.a. 2025/26
 
The Naples Ph.D. in Economics is a 4-year program offered by the Department of Economics and Statistics (DISES) of the University of Naples Federico II that aims to produce high quality researchers with strong analytical skills and international exposure.
  • Admission requirements. 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 compete it before the inception of Ph.D. courses). Candidates holding a M.Sc. in Mathematics, Physics or Engineering may also apply.
  • Program structure. The first 2 years are devoted to course work, and the last 2 to dissertation work. Second-year Ph.D. students have to choose at least one reading group per semester: satisfying the requirements of each reading group is a necessary condition for admission to the next year of the program. The program is structured as follows:

Year-1 is devoted to developing a strong foundation in quantitative methods and in economics, via advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics. The course schedule from October to April is divided in 5 terms of 5 weeks each, followed by exams. Courses are followed by exams, and satisfactory performance in exams is a pre-requisite for admission to the subsequent year. In June, students will produce a term paper and attend the courses of the Naples Summer School.

Year 2 offers four reading groups, two per semester, to enable students build up their research skills, identify their field(s) of interest and their potential advisors. Students will enrol in at least one reading group per semester: successful participation in these reading group is a requirement for admission to year 3 of the program. In each reading group, students will prepare research proposals that will be the basis of a first paper of the Ph.D. thesis. 
 
Year 3 comprises at least a semester of study in a non-Italian host university. Host universities include Indiana, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Montreal, Stanford and Yale in America, Essex and UCL in Great Britain, and Amsterdam, Bielefeld, EHESS, Essex, Nova, Leuven, Mannheim, Paris 1, and UPF in Europe. The allocation of students across these universities will depend on their performance in the first 2 years of the program and on their research interests, as well as on approval by the host university. 
 
Year 3 and 4 are devoted to thesis writing under the supervision of faculty members, possibly in collaboration with an external advisor. By the beginning of year 3, each student will submit a "thesis proposal", which should include a first complete draft of a research paper. 
 
Doctoral students are expected to participate to all the weekly seminars organised by the Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), which is located within DISES and collaborates closely with it. 
 
In years 3 and 4, besides doctoral work, students will provide part-time assistance in research projects and/or teaching activities. This is meant to be an integral part of their training, as it will help them hone their teaching and research skills.
 
  • Faculty: The diversity of research areas covered by the faculty allows students to write their thesis in several fields of economics and finance.  Doctoral students are exposed to a vibrant research environment, by participating to the weekly seminars organized by CSEF, and interacting with its Research Fellows as well as the international visitors frequently present at CSEF.
For further information about the Ph.D. program structure, please consult the NSE website: www.nse-unina.it
 
 

ADMISSIONS

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 2024).  Also candidates with a M.Sc. in Mathematics, Physics or Engineering may apply.
 
Candidates should be fluent in written and spoken English. Although language certifications are not required, they will be considered by the admission committee together with other credentials. 
 
Full details on the application requirements and procedure can be found at the following link:
 
41° CYCLE (A.A. 2025/26) - Call for application to the PhD Program in Economics
 
Bando di concorso emanato con DR/2025/1038 del 11/03/2025
Call Opening: 13 March 2025
Application deadline 15 April 2025, h 1.00 p.m. (CET) 
 
 
Link to the procedure for submitting the application https://pica.cineca.it/unina/
 
 
 
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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Full details on the program requirements can be found at the following link: NPDE Admission and scholarships.


COURSES


CURRENT STUDENTS

Students

Research Interest

Tutor

 

Admission November 2019

35° cycle

 

 

Antonia Pacelli

Environmental economics and sustainable development

Carla Guerriero

Ettore Savoia

Empirical Banking

Alberto Zazzaro

Elham Daadmehr

Empirical Finance

Giovanni Walter Puopolo

 

Admission November 2020

36° cycle

 

 

Carmine Russo

Climate risks in financial markets

Lorenzo Pandolfi

Corinna De Leo

Applied Microeconomics:labor economics, migration, education, gender economics

Annalisa Scognamiglio

Federica Ambrosio

Applied Microeconomics: public policy evaluation, human capita accumulation

Roberto Nisticò

Luca Denis Nota

Fiscal policy, Public Investment effects on firm performance

Saverio Simonelli

 

Admission November 2021

37° cycle

 

 

Agostino Gnasso

To be defined

To be defined

Andrei Belykh

 Matching with externalities

Michele Lombardi

Antonio Genovese

To be defined

To be defined

Kristjan Markovc

Financial Economics, Macroeconomics

Tommaso Oliviero

Nicol Barbieri

To be defined

To be defined

Simone Zuccolalà

Urban Economics, Regional Economics

 Antonio Acconcia
     

Admission November 2022

38° cycle

    
Nello Esposito To be defined To be defined
Girolamo Franchetti To be defined To be defined
Armando Martino To be defined To be defined
Matteo Vasca To be defined To be defined
     

Admission November 2023

39° cycle

    
Marco Carbone
 
 To be defined To be defined
Gennaro Brosco
 
 To be defined To be defined
Matteo Moracci To be defined To be defined

 


CONTACTS

PhD Program Director:
  • Prof. Marco Pagano
  • tel: 081-675306
  • Email: marco.pagano@unina.it
PhD Secretary:
  • Dr Maria Carannante
  • tel: 081-675115
  • Email: maria.carannante@unina.it
  • Dr Micol Sorrentino
  • tel: 081-675309
  • Email: phd.dises@unina.it
International Office at the University of Naples Federico II

PhD committee: