Doctoral students enroll at the School for four years. During the first year and the first semester of the second year, students are required to attend taught courses. Courses are entirely taught in English. At the end of each course, students take a written examination.

The remaining time is devoted to the preparation and submission of a dissertation. Special methodology seminars are organized during which students present their research proposals and progress to the Faculty members. Students are required to draft all papers and presentations, as well as their dissertation, in English. Students are offered a course in academic writing to help them acquire the necessary skills.

Students are assigned tutors at the start of their course of studies. The academic performance of individual students is reviewed regularly through the year by the Doctoral Program Teaching Coordination and Managing Committees. Students are admitted to the second year, and pass from the second to the third year and from the third to the fourth year, only upon successfully completing their examinations and upon approval of their research activities by the Teaching Coordination and Managing Committees.

Taught courses

In the first year, students attend seven compulsory courses: Mathematics, Econometrics, Microeconomics, Public Economics, Macroeconomics, Research Methods and Finance. The economics and quantitative contents of the courses are extremely advanced and thorough.

In the second year, students attend advanced courses in various fields of Economics and Finance. Starting from the second year, students are also urged to attend the academic seminars organized by the Departments supporting the Graduate School. Both the second-year courses and an active participation in seminars are meant to prepare students for writing a successful dissertation, by exposing them to the frontier of research in Economics and Finance.