COLOGNE GRADUATE SCHOOL in Management, Economics and Social Sciences PhD Programme in Economics with integrated M.Sc. Economic Research

Call for Applications

Admission with bachelor’s or master’s degree

The Cologne Graduate School in Management, Economics, and Social Sciences (CGS) at the University of Cologne offers a challenging and rigorous full-time PhD Programme in Economics. The programme integrates a two-year Master’s programme (M.Sc. Economic Research) and a subsequent, three- to four-year fully-funded PhD-stage, with entry to either stage in October of every year. There are no tuition or application fees.

Students with or close to completion of a Bachelor’s in Economics or related fields apply via the MSc Economic Research, which prepares students for high-quality research in economics via graduate level course work and a thesis. Upon graduation, students can enter the PhD-stage and focus on their dissertation work. Grants are available for outstanding students.
Students with or close to completion of a Master’s in Economics or related fields can directly apply to the PhD-stage, typically completing up to one year of course work prior to focusing on their dissertation. (They may also apply via the MSc Economic Research, earning an additional master’s degree and thus qualify for the dissertation phase.) Students are fully integrated into the research units of their (primary) supervisors in a supportive environment dedicated to excellence in research and teaching. The PhD-stage is fully funded.

The Department of Economics and the Department of Econometrics and Statistics of the University of Cologne’s Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Science are home to more than 30 senior faculty and their research units, with many more senior and junior researchers in adjacent disciplines and associated research institutions, providing ample opportunities for exciting research and fruitful collaboration and covering most areas of economics. Our research environment is well-connected and internationally recognised. Prominent examples are Germany’s only cluster of excellence in economics, the DFG-funded ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy – initiated by the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics, the Center for Social and Economic Behavior (C-SEB), and several ERC Grants.

Application

We invite applications from outstanding students with strong analytical and quantitative abilities, and a high research potential. The University of Cologne is an equal opportunity employer. We strive for gender and diversity equality and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Applications for the programme starting in October 2026 are open until: