University of California, Berkeley campus

Arts & Humanities

PhD Economics at University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley, United States

Programme overview

The Economics PhD program at UC Berkeley is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced study and conducting original research in economics. The PhD degree is awarded in recognition of the recipient's qualifications as a general economist and of the ability to make scholarly contributions in fields of specialization. New admissions to the graduate program are restricted to students pursuing the PhD degree.

Faculty: Graduate Division  |  Department: Economics  |  Duration: 6 years  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Berkeley, CA, United States

What you will study

Normative Time Requirements In advancing to the PhD degree, students pass through two major stages: 1) Preparation for candidacy typically takes three years. During the first two semesters, students take courses to achieve competence in econometric methods, methods of economic history, and fundamentals of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory.

Career pathways

Graduates enter career areas including Academia & Education, Business, Government, International, Law & Public Policy, Nonprofit.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

A degree equivalent to a US bachelor’s is required for admission to the program. An undergraduate degree in economics is not required for admission to the PhD program, provided that applicants have achieved an adequate background in economics and mathematics at the undergraduate level. Economics: All applicants are expected to have completed intermediate math-based economic theory courses. Further education in economics and economic theory is helpful, but not required. Math: Applicants must have knowledge of multivariate calculus, basic matrix algebra, and differential equations; completion of a two-year math sequence, which emphasizes proofs and derivations. Some knowledge of statistics and elementary probability is highly desirable, as is additional coursework in algebra and real analysis. Starting with the 2024–25 admissions cycle, valid GRE scores are required for all applicants. This requirement will remain in place moving forward, with no exceptions.

Duration: 6 years

Apply through the official page: https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/

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