harvard phd economics placement

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The Harvard Department of Economics has long tried to use scholarship to find answers to some of the world’s most pressing questions including the future of work, ending global poverty, and improving the environment. We believe nothing should limit the economist’s imagination.

You will be part of a program that includes people working in many fields, such as finance, economic history, behavioral economics, political economy, and many more. The program will prepare you for a productive and stimulating career as an economist. You will attend seminars given by top scholars from both domestic and international communities and you will have access to over 13 million books and pamphlets from 90 separate library units at Harvard.

Examples of student research include how investor base composition is an important determinant of bond price dynamics and capital allocation outcomes in response to aggregate credit cycle fluctuations, and the long-term effects that temporary upstream steel tariffs on US manufacturing have on downstream industries.

Graduates have secured academic positions at prestigious institutions like MIT, Stanford University, and Yale University. Others have gone on to careers at organizations like the International Monetary Fund, Vanguard, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Amazon.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Economics , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Economics .

Academic Background

Applicants should have an understanding of economics and have taken at least some economics courses beyond the principles level. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their ability to do research by either having done research previously or via experience as a research assistant. In the latter instance, a letter from the supervisor indicating the ability to do research is critical.

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required. It must be sole authored and no less than 15 pages.

Math Preparation

The minimum level of mathematical preparation to be considered for admission includes calculus and linear algebra and demonstration of proficiency with mathematics. Increasingly, successful applicants will have taken more mathematics classes. In particular, most successful applicants now take real analysis, although that is not a requirement.

Personal Statement

Not Accepted

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Required

Applying to More Than One Program

Harvard has several PhD programs that may also be of interest to students who are considering applying to the PhD program in economics. These include Business Economics , Public Policy , and Health Policy . Many students in these programs have considerable overlap in their coursework with courses offered to PhD students in economics. Many also have dissertation committees that include faculty members of the economics department.

We encourage those with interest in any of those programs to also apply to those programs. The Department of Economics will make admissions decisions independently, so application to or admission to other programs will not adversely affect admissions decisions within the department. However, please note that if you choose to apply to additional programs, you can only submit three applications to Harvard Griffin GSAS during the course of your academic career.

Campus Visits

The department arranges for campus visits for all admitted students and we cover a portion of the costs associated with these visits. We do not encourage visits prior to being admitted. Since the department receives an overwhelming number of applications, it’s simply more efficient to arrange meetings with faculty after students are accepted rather than before.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Economics

See list of Economics faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Undergraduate

Economics is a social science that covers a broad subject matter in seeking to understand the social world. Economics studies the behavior of social systems—such as markets, corporations, legislatures, and families—as the outcome of interactions through institutions between goal-directed individuals. Doing economic research involves asking questions about the social world and addressing those questions with data and models, employing mathematical and statistical tools whenever possible to aid the analysis.

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Economics is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves for careers in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Students in the department are free to pursue research interests with scholars throughout the University. Faculty of Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School, for example, are available to students for consultation, instruction, and research guidance.

Questions about placement? Contact our placement officer David Autor  or placement administrator  Shannon May .

Please see 2024 Placements here

Placement history.

The department plays an active role in assisting graduate students with career placement. In a typical year, every MIT Economics PhD graduate finds a job.

Over the past six years, the department has placed a total of 130 graduates in academic, research, and government jobs. Of these, 90 graduates (69%) chose positions at academic institutions and 36 graduates (28%) chose non-academic positions. Of the 90 academic placements, 35 (39%) were at top-15 US economics departments or top-10 US business schools. The tables below break out these proportions for each cohort and highlight some of our top placements.

All placements, 2018-2023

Placements to top economics departments and business schools, 2018-2023

PhD in Political Economy & Government

In this section.

• Degree Requirements
• Current Students
• Dissertations & Job Placements
• Faculty & Research

Beginning in Fall 2022, the PhD in Political Economy and Government (PEG) will no longer be admitting students.  Students may apply to the PhD program in Public Policy (PPOL) , or consider the PhD Programs in the Economics Department or the PhD Program in Government . 

The PEG program will continue with the outlined course requirements for students who matriculated in Fall 2021. HKS will continue to fully fund and support all current PEG students until they have completed the program and graduated. However, going forward, prospective students will no longer be able to apply to or be admitted to the PEG program.

As of Fall 2021, prospective students interested in focusing on an economics or political science perspective of political economy are encouraged to apply to the PhD programs offered by the Department of Economics and the Department of Government at the  Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the newly created PhD program in Public Policy (PPOL) tracks: Economics and Politics and Institutions (Political Science) . 

History of the PhD in Political Economy and Government

Dating to the 1930s, the PhD Program in Political Economy and Government (PEG) was initiated with the objective of fostering research at the intersection of Economics and Political Science. A collaborative program between Harvard Kennedy School, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Government, PEG emphasized positive—as opposed to normative—political economy. The PEG program combines rigorous training in economics, formal theory, and quantitative empirical methods with a substantive focus on the interaction between economic and political institutions and processes. Students combine coursework from the Department of Economics  and the Department of Government for an interdisciplinary program of study.

Students and faculty members in the PEG program share an intellectual interest in the impact of politics on economic processes and outcomes, and the reciprocal influence of economic conditions on political life. It covers research areas as diverse as international economic relations, financial economics, political development, political and economic institutions, institutional transition and reform, the economic importance of culture, economic performance, environmental resource policies, and social policy.

Doctoral Program Admissions

Phd student life.

Job Market Candidates

PhD Job Market Candidates

Harvard University’s Department of Government graduates go on to careers at leading academic institutions, companies, government agencies, and non-profits. On this page, you’ll find our candidates on the job market this year.

Placement Directors: Feyaad Allie and Peter Hall .

Sean Ashley

Field: Comparative Advisor: Steven Levitsky

Evelyn Boyden

Field: Political Theory Advisor: Eric Nelson

Kaitlyn Chriswell

Akshay Dixit

Field: Political Economy & Government Advisor: Torben Iverson and Melani Cammett

Field: Comparative Politics Advisor: Jeffry Frieden and Peter Buisseret

Merideth Dost

Field: American Politics / Social Policy Advisor: Daniel Carpenter

Field: Political Theory Advisor: Danielle Allen

José Ramón Enríquez

Field: Political Economy & Government Advisor: Jeffry Frieden and Pia Raffler

Brian Highsmith

Field: American Politics / Social Policy Advisor: Danielle Allen

Katherine Irajpanah

Field: International Relations Advisor: Joshua Kertzer

Christopher Kenny

Field: American Politics / Methods Advisor: Kosuke Imai

Aseem Mahajan

Field: International Relations Advisor: Dustin Tingley

Dorothy Manevich

Field: American Politics Advisor: Michael Hiscox

Michael-David Mangini

Field: Political Economy & Government Advisor: Dustin Tingley

Manuel Meléndez Sánchez

Alex Mierke-Zatwarnicki

Field: Comparative Advisor: Peter Hall

Brian Palmiter

Field: Political Theory Advisor: Eric Beerbohm

Sophie Pangle

Field: Political Theory Advisor: Harvey Mansfield

Connor Phillips

Field: American Politics Advisor: James Snyder

Reed Rasband

Field: Comparative Politics Advisor: Ryan Enos

Sooahn Shin

Elizabeth Thom

Field: Government & Social Policy Advisor: Theda Skocpol

William Tilleczek

Madai Urteaga Quispe

Field: Comparative Advisor: Alisha Holland

Briitta van Staalduinen

Field: Comparative Politics Advisor: Peter Hall

Ye Helen Zhang

Doctoral Programs

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →

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Phd programs  , accounting & management, business economics (includes finance), health policy (management), organizational behavior, technology & operations management, admissions  , unlock your phd journey with full financial aid  , placement  , research community  .

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