PhD in Economics

The 42nd cycle lasts three years. It runs from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029. The department published six positions for this cycle and every one carries a scholarship. Four scholarships are funded by Roma Tre, one is co-financed with Fondazione Lilly and one is co-financed with Fondazione Tarantelli. Four positions are for general topics of interest to the programme. One is for the theme "Equity in healthcare and access to health services: measurement tools, policies, and proposals for innovation in healthcare governance". One is for the theme "Employment, public policy and demographic changes". You state your preferred theme when you submit the online application.

Teaching is concentrated in year one. In the first semester you take four core courses with a final test in each. The Courses page names them Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Statistical Methods for Economics and Mathematics. Macroeconomics is split into Module 1. The economics of aggregate demand and Module 2. Neoclassical and endogenous growth theory, DSGE and OLG models. Microeconomics is split into Module 1. Surplus approach to value and distribution and Module 2. Neoclassical theory: consumption, production, equilibrium and income distribution. Statistical Methods for Economics is split into Module 1. Statistical Inference: from Data to Models and back and Module 2. Statistical Linear Modelling. Mathematics is taught by Pierluigi Vellucci over 50 hours. In the second semester you take one further core course, Research Design and Methodologies, plus elective courses.

The elective list changes each year. The courses delivered last year were Applied Macroeconomics, Economics of Migration, The Growing Relevance of Wealth and Inheritance, Assessment of Tax Policies, and Empirical Micro-econometric Methods in Economic Research.

During year one you define your research project with your supervisor and the thesis committee, and you present it to the faculty at the end of the year. Year two is training you choose yourself, approved by your supervisor and the coordinator, plus a progress presentation at the annual meeting. Year three is finishing the research and presenting the results in public. In years two and three you may spend periods abroad.

Faculty research covers industrial, regional and agricultural policies, public finance and inequality, labour and welfare, finance and banking, alternative theories of prices and output determination, macroeconomic models of the business cycle and growth, development and food security, environmental and resource economics, global markets, and quantitative and computational methods. The programme is part of the EPOG-DN network, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions programme, and Roma Tre is the degree awarding institution for two of that network's scholarships.

Selection has two stages and no written exam. The committee first scores your qualifications out of 30, paying particular attention to your master's record and your master's thesis. You need at least 18 to reach the interview. The interview is scored out of 30 and you need at least 18 to pass. The first part tests core concepts in economic analysis and the main tools used in economic research. The second part covers your qualifications, your research proposal, your academic background, your interests and your motivation. The research proposal should be about four pages, around 2,000 words. The interview may be held in English and may be held remotely, which you request by email to the department research office.

Knowledge of Italian is not compulsory. English is the language the call requires you to know, and your language skill is assessed inside the interview.

A student with a scholarship and a student without one pay the same annual charges: a regional tax of 140 euro and a duty stamp of 16 euro. The scholarship is 16,243 euro a year gross, paid monthly. A research grant worth 10 percent of the annual gross scholarship is provided for each student, subject to the PhD committee's authorisation. The scholarship rises by 50 percent for authorised study or research periods abroad.

Applying costs 35 euro for each application, paid through the PagoPA portal, and it is never refunded. The 42nd cycle closed on 14 July 2026 at 14:00 Italian time. The application portal now shows the call as expired.