phd economics boston university

Ph.D. candidate, Department of Economics, Boston University

I am a PhD candidate in Economics at Boston University. My research field is Applied Economics, with special interests in Political Economy and Development Economics.

I will graduate in May 2022, and I will be available for interviews at the upcoming 2022 ASSA Annual Meetings.

PDF version of my CV

KEVIN LANG Laurence A. Bloom Professor of Economics Department of Economics Boston University 270 Bay State Road Boston, MA 02215 (617) 353-5694 [email protected]

EDUCATION Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Economics, 1978-1982. M.Sc. Universite de Montreal, Economics, 1976-1978 B.A. University of Oxford (St. Catherine’s College), Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), (1973-1976; M.A. awarded 1980)

ACADEMIC POSITIONS HELD 2021- Laurence A. Bloom Professor of Economics, Boston University 2005-09 Chair, Department of Economics, Boston University 2000-01 Visiting Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1997 Acting Chair, Department of Economics, Boston University 1990- Professor, Boston University 1989-93 Associate Chair, Department of Economics, Boston University 1987-90 Associate Professor, Boston University 1982-87 Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine 1981-82 Acting Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine 1977-78 Part-time lecturer, “Methodes d’enquetes et de sondages” (Research and survey methods) Faculte de l’education permanente, l’Universite de Montreal (B.A. Program)

OTHER RELEVANT POSITIONS 2021- Advisory Editor, Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies 2019-2022 Vice President (2019-20), President-elect (2020-21), President (2021-22) Society of Labor Economists 2019- Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Labor Economics 2019 Visiting Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2018 Visiting Scholar, Harvard University 2016 Chair, Sherwin Rosen Prize Committee, Society of Labor Economists 2015 Jacob Mincer Prize Committee, Society of Labor Economists 2015-2017 Program Committee, Society of Labor Economics 2014-2016 Board of Officers of the Society of Labor Economists 2014-2017 Research Strategy Board, Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity, University of Manchester 2013-2019 Editor, Journal of Labor Economics 2013- Associate Editor, Labour Economics 2012-2013 Jacob Mincer Prize Committee, Society of Labor Economists 2012-2015 Board Member, American Economic Association Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession 2011-2012 Program Committee, Society of Labor Economics 2011-2012 Sherwin Rosen Prize Committee, Society of Labor Economists 2011- Editorial Board, Eurasian Economic Review 2009-2010 Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Economics, University of New South Wales 2009 Visiting Fellow, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Turin, Italy 2009- Research Fellow, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn 2009-2010 Member, Roundtable on Education Systems and Accountability, National Research Council 2009-2012 Member, Board on Testing and Assessment, National Academy of Sciences 2008-2010 Member, National Research Council panel on Value-added Methodology for Instructional Improvement, Program Evaluations, and Educational Accountability 2007-2011 Member, National Research Council panel on Incentives and Test-Based Accountability in Public Education 2006- Fellow, Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford University 2006- Research Associate, Center for Research and Analysis of Migration, University College, London 2004-2012 Co-Editor, Labour Economics, (journal of the European Association of Labor Economists) 2001- Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research 2000-2003 Advisory Board, Latino Research Program Project 1996-2009 Elected member, School Board (Brookline, Massachusetts), Vice Chair (2001-2004), Chair (2004-2006) 1996 H. Gregg Lewis Award Committee, Society of Labor Economics 1993-1994 Visiting Scholar, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1993 Program Committee, Econometric Society, North American Summer Meetings 1991-2012 Advisory Board, Canadian Employment Research Forum 1989- Faculty Affiliate, Institute for Economic Development, Boston University 1988-2004 Editor, monograph series on “Sociology and Economics: Controversy and Integration,” Aldine de Gruyter. 1987-1992 Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research 1973-1978 Principal Investigator (started as Research Assistant), CROP Inc., Montreal

HONORS, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS 2021 55th Annual Gilbert Memorial Lecture, “Tasks and Investments in Skills” 2019-22 National Science Foundation, “Dynamics of Occupation Choice: Skill Investment and Output Pricing with Multidimensional Skill,” $280,000. 2018 Boston University Graduate Economics Student Association, “PhD Advisor of the Year” award. 2017 Economic Journal Referee Prize for 2016 2015 Gerald L. Gitner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 2013-17 National Science Foundation, “Monitoring for Worker Quality: A Theory of Task Assignment, Job Ladders, Wages and Mobility in Internal Labor Markets,” $283,525 2010- Elected Fellow of the Society of Labor Economists 2007 Honorable Mention, 2007 Award for Best Professional/Academic Book in Sociology and Social Work, Association of American Publishers 2007-09 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, “The Consequences of Teenage Childbearing,” $162,500 2007 Canadian Labor Market and Skills Researcher Network, “Effects of Social Networks on Labour Market Outcomes of Recent Immigrants,” $12,873 2004-07 National Science Foundation, “Discrimination, Segregation and Wage Differentials,” $276,817 (with Michael Manove). 2003-04 Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), “Worker Sorting, Health Insurance Coverage and Wages,” $90,284. 2002 Neu Family Award for Excellence in Teaching in Economics 2001-02 Mini-grant, Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, “Voluntary Desegregation and Human Capital Acquisition in a Recipient District.” 1996-98 National Science Foundation, “Unemployment, Underemployment and Wage Determination,” $150,486 1993-95 National Science Foundation, “Recruiting by Employers: Implications for Labor Market Behavior and Policy” $117,213 1989 Fulbright Fellowship, NZ Institute of Economic Research, Wellington, New Zealand, “Deregulation and the Labor Market” 1987-89 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Faculty Research Fellow 1987-89 National Science Foundation, “Constraints on the Choice of Work Hours,” $35,652 (with Shulamit Kahn) 1986-88 National Science Foundation, “Testing Theories of the Dual Labor Market,” $46,385 (with William Dickens) 1986-88 National Science Foundation, “An Empirical Study of Labor Market Structure,” supercomputer funds (with William Dickens) 1986-87 NBER-Olin Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research 1984-87 National Science Foundation, “An Econometric Examination of Dual Labor Market Theory,” $74,600 (with William Dickens) 1978-81 Fellowship, Quebec Ministry of Education 1978-81 Fellowship, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (formerly Canada Council) 1973-76 Exhibition (competi

CONFERENCE, SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS American Economics Association; American Education Research Association; American Sociological Association Mini-Conference; Arizona State University; Australian Labour Market Research; Australian National University; Baruch College (CUNY); Boston College; Boston University; Brandeis University; Brigham Young University, The Brookings Institution; Brown University; Canadian Association of Applied Social Research; Canadian Economic Theory Conference; Canadian Economics Association; Canadian Employment Research Forum; Canadian Labour Economics Conference; Canadian Labour Market and Skills Researcher Network; Carnegie-Mellon University, CASE (Center for Economic and Social Research, Warsaw); Center for Economic Policy Research; Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche en Économie Quantitative (CIREQ); CERGE-EI; Chinese University of Hong Kong; CIRANO (Montreal); Chinese University of Hong Kong; Chinese University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen; Claremont Graduate School; Collegio Carlo Alberto; Columbia University, Conference of Economists (Australia); Cornell University; Duke University; Dunedin University; Econometric Society; Einaude Institute of Economics and Finance (Rome); Eurasian Business and Economics Society; Erasmus University; European Society of Population Economics; Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Fudan University; George Washington University, Georgetown University; Harvard University; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ho Chi Minh University of Economics; ICER (Turin); Industrial Relations Research Association; Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po); Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (NSEE); Instituto de Análisis Económic (barcelona); Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico; International Symposium on Contemporary Labor Economics (Jinan University); IZA (Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn); Koc University (Istanbul); Linnaeus University; Levy Institute (Bard College); London School of Economics; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mathematica Policy Research; McGill University; McMaster University; Monash University; National Bureau of Economic Research; National University of Singapore, New York State Conference on the Elimination of Childhood Lead Poisoning; New York University; Northeastern University; Northwestern University; Oberlin College; Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; Otago University; Peking University – Shenzhen; Princeton University, Queen’s University; Pomona College; Princeton University; Purdue University; Rice University; Rochester University; Shanghai University of Finance of Economics; Singapore Management University; Society for Economic Dynamics; Society of Labor Economists; Stanford University; Statistics Canada, Stockholm University; Syracuse University, Tel Aviv University; Tilburg University; Tinbergen Institute (Amsterdam, Rotterdam); Tinbergen Institute (Rotterdam); Tufts University; Universidad Carlos III; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona; Universitat Pompeu Fabra; University Universite Aix-Marseille, University du Quebec à Montréal; Universite de Montréal; Universite Laval; Université d’Aix-Marseille II (GREQAM); College, London (CreAM), University of Alberta, Edmonton; University of Calgary; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Riverside; University of California, San Diego; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Chicago; University of Connecticut; University of Delaware; University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City; University of Houston; University of Kentucky; University of Louisville; University of Manchester; University of Mannheim; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; University of Michigan, University of New South Wales; University of Oklahoma; University of Pennsylvania; University of Rochester; University of St. Gallen; University of Southern California; University of Washington; University of Waterloo; University of Western Ontario; University of Wisconsin; University of Wollongong; Victoria University of Wellington; University of Zurich; Waikato University; Washington University, Western Economics Association; West Point Military Academy; Yale University

REFEREE American Economic Review; American Economic Review: Insights; Cambridge University Press; Canadian Business Economics; Canadian Journal of Economics; Contemporary Policy Issues; Eastern Economic Journal; Econometrica; Economic Development and Cultural Change; Economic Inquiry; Economic Journal; Economica; Education Economics; Educational Testing Service; European Economic Review; FCAR (Quebec); Industrial and Labor Relations Review; Industrial Relations; International Economic Review; International Review of Economics and Finance; Journal of Development Economics; Journal of Development Studies; Journal of Econometrics; Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization; Journal of the Economics of Ageing; Journal of Economic Studies; Journal of Economics and Business; Journal of Health Economics; Journal of Human Resources; Journal of International Economics; Journal of Labor Economics; Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization; Journal of Macroeconomics; Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking; Journal of Policy Analysis and Management; Journal of Political Economy; Journal of Population Economics; Journal of Public Economics; Labour; Labour Economics; Levy Institute; MacArthur Foundation; Mass Insight; McGraw-Hill; MIT Press; National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; National Science Foundation; Policy Studies Review; Princeton University Press; Quarterly Journal of Business and Economics; Quarterly Journal of Economics; Research in Labor Economics; Review of Black Political Economy; Review of Economic Studies; Review of Economics and Statistics; Scandinavian Journal of Economics; Science; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Southern Economic Journal; Theoretical Economics; U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation; Veteran’s Administration; W.W. Norton

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Economics at Boston University

We've gathered data and other essential information about the program, such as the average salary of graduates, ethnicity of students, how many students graduated in recent times, and more. We've also included details on how Boston U ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in economics.

Jump to any of the following sections:

• Available Degrees
• Student Debt
• Student Demographics
• Related Majors

Economics Degrees Available at Boston U

• Bachelor’s Degree in Economics
• Master’s Degree in Economics
• Doctorate Degree in Economics

Boston U Economics Rankings

Boston U is in the top 10% of the country for economics. More specifically it was ranked #37 out of 497 schools by College Factual. It is also ranked #4 in Massachusetts .

Popularity of Economics at Boston U

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Boston University handed out 281 bachelor's degrees in economics. This is a decrease of 6% over the previous year when 300 degrees were handed out.

In 2021, 149 students received their master’s degree in economics from Boston U. This makes it the #4 most popular school for economics master’s degree candidates in the country.

In addition, 22 students received their doctoral degrees in economics in 2021, making the school the #12 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.

How Much Do Economics Graduates from Boston U Make?

Salary of economics graduates with a bachelor's degree.

The median salary of economics students who receive their bachelor's degree at Boston U is $53,654. This is great news for graduates of the program, since this figure is higher than the national average of $45,868 for all economics bachelor's degree recipients.

How Much Student Debt Do Economics Graduates from Boston U Have?

Student debt of economics graduates with a bachelor's degree.

While getting their bachelor's degree at Boston U, economics students borrow a median amount of $24,500 in student loans. This is higher than the the typical median of $22,987 for all economics majors across the country.

The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the economics program at Boston U is $888 per month.

Related Programs

Learn about other programs related to Economics that might interest you.

Science & Engineering Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)

Science & Engineering Diploma Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)

Economics Student Diversity at Boston U

Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the economics majors at Boston University.

Boston U Economics Bachelor’s Program

During the 2020-2021 academic year, 281 students graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Boston U. About 52% were men and 48% were women.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Boston University with a bachelor's in economics.

Boston U Economics Master’s Program

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 149 students earned a master's degree in economics from Boston U. About 56% of these graduates were women and the other 44% were men.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Boston University with a master's in economics.

Most Popular Majors Related to Economics

View All Economics Related Majors >

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• Image Credit: By Cmcnicoll at English Wikipedia under License

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• Administration
• PhD Program

The Ph.D. Program in the Department of Economics at Harvard is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to their programs of study.

The program prepares students for productive and stimulating careers as economists. Courses and seminars offered by the department foster an intellectually active and stimulating environment. Each week, the department sponsors more than 15 different seminars on such topics as environmental economics, economic growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, industrial organization, law and economics, behavioral economics, labor economics, and economic history. Top scholars from both domestic and international communities are often invited speakers at the seminars.  The Harvard community outside of the department functions as a strong and diverse resource. Students in the department are free to pursue research interests with scholars throughout the University. Faculty of the Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Business School, for example, are available to students for consultation, instruction, and research guidance. As a member of the Harvard community, students in the department can register for courses in the various schools and have access to the enormous library resources available through the University. There are over 90 separate library units at Harvard, with the total collections of books and pamphlets numbering over 13 million.  Both the department and the wider University draw some of the brightest students from around the world, which makes for a student body that is culturally diverse and likely unequaled in the range of intellectual interests of its members. These factors combine to add an important dimension to the educational process. Students are able to learn from one another, collaborate on research projects and publications, and form bonds that are not broken by distance once the degree is completed and professional responsibilities lead them in different directions.

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Department of Economics

The Ph.D. program in Economics at Brown trains students in economic theory and the tools of economic analysis. Through coursework, participation in seminars, and supervised research students are taught to conduct theoretical and empirical research at the highest level.

The Economics Department will be accepting applications to its PhD program for Fall 2024.  Applications are due by January 1, 2024. Application information is available at  https://www.brown.edu/graduateprograms/economics-phd  . 

FAQ: If you have questions about the program or the admissions process please consult our list of frequently asked questions  . If your questions are not answered there please contact  [email protected] . 

Requirements

The Ph.D. degree usually requires two years of course work, followed by supervised research and the completion of a doctoral dissertation.

The first year involves core courses in:

• Microeconomics (Economics 2050, 2060)
• Macroeconomics (Economics 2070, 2080)
• Econometrics (Economics 2030, 2040)
• One in mathematics (Economics 2010)
• One in applied economics analysis (Economics 2020) 

Students will take microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics in their first year and must receive a passing grade in these courses. Starting in the second year, each student chooses two fields of specialization, and takes an oral field exam. Each field comprises two advanced courses within an area. Beyond the fields, the student takes three additional advanced courses, for a total of seven.  Students must receive a B or better in these courses. The rest of pre-dissertation requirements include a poster presentation in late March, a research paper turned in during May of the third year, and successful seminar presentations each year from the fourth year and on.

Handbook of the Graduate Program

The detailed description of all requirements, along with guidelines for the student, can be found in The Handbook of the Graduate Program.

View Handbook

Dissertation

The culmination of the Ph.D. program is the dissertation, which embodies the results of the student's original research. Work on the dissertation usually takes two-three years after completion of course work. Students working on dissertations participate actively in research workshops. After a faculty committee has approved the dissertation, the student takes a final oral examination on the subject of the dissertation.

High Standards

The work in the Ph.D. program is demanding and the standards of performance are high. The Department's reputation for providing superb training has enabled its graduates to compile an excellent placement record. Some of the institutions at which recent graduates have obtained positions include major research universities (Chicago, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, Dartmouth, Minnesota, New York University, Penn State, University College London, University of British Columbia, University of Pittsburgh, University of Toronto, University of Virginia), prestigious liberal arts colleges (Wesleyan University and Williams College), government and international agencies (International Monetary Fund, Federal Trade Commission, World Bank, Congressional Budget Office, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, US Census Bureau), and private industrial, consulting, and research firms. Brown graduates have an outstanding record of research accomplishments and publications.

Exceptional Faculty

The Department currently has about 40 tenure track faculty . The faculty includes several Fellows of the Econometric Society, several Sloan Fellows, several Guggenheim Fellows, several recipients of prestigious prizes and awards, the editor of the Journal of Economic Growth, the editor of the Journal of Financial Intermediation, a past editor of the American Economic Review, and several associates and fellows of the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Center for Economic Policy Research. The Department's faculty publishes regularly their research in the top journals of economics and other disciplines, as well as in top field journals (see our "Selected Faculty Publications"). Members of the faculty in the Department have also delivered numerous named, keynote and plenary lectures in main international scientific conferences. The atmosphere in the Department is highly collegial. Interaction among faculty members and graduate students is easy and extensive. The department collaborates with the  Brown Population Studies and Training Center,  which provides support for students doing research in population economics and economic development. Active workshops provide opportunities for faculty, graduate students, and visiting scholars to discuss current research. Library and computer facilities are excellent. 

PhD in Economics

The doctoral program in economics provides students with a sophisticated and critical grounding in economic analysis, so that they can contribute creatively to research, teaching, and social policy. This commitment has gained the department an international reputation as a center for research in innovative approaches to economics.

The entering graduate class consists of ten to twelve students each year. The focus of the department, as well as its policy of maintaining small classes and promoting close contact between faculty and students, has permitted the program to attract talented students on a par with other highly selective graduate programs in the country.

The graduate program in economics is primarily designed for doctoral candidates, but a master of arts in economics can be awarded along the way. 

Application information & deadlines

January 15, 2024.

Gain critical grounding in economic analysis and innovative economic theory so you can contribute creatively to research, teaching, and social policy.

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Welcome to the Department of Economics

UMass Boston's Department of Economics in the College of Liberal Arts delves into the fundamental questions that shape our economic world. Our faculty, specializing in diverse approaches, offers innovative curriculum and mentoring, while our undergraduate and graduate programs prepare you for impactful careers in finance, law, public service, and more.

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Academic Programs

Undergraduate programs.

• Economics BA
• Economics Minor

Graduate Programs

• Applied Economics, MA

About Our Department

The Department of Economics boasts distinguished faculty renowned for their high-quality applied economic research, innovative curriculum, and dedicated student mentoring. Our faculty members specialize in various heterodox economic approaches, such as feminist, institutional, behavioral, Marxian, and post-Keynesian perspectives.

Our undergraduate courses cover applied, theoretical, and quantitative analysis, equipping students with valuable skills for careers in finance, law, public service, or further studies in economics and related fields. Additionally, our Applied Economics graduate program provides practical research and analytical tools, preparing students for impactful roles in government, education, NGOs, nonprofits, research, consulting firms, and various private sector industries, including insurance, banking, telecommunications, environmental services, and transportation.

Year in Review

Economics Department Year in Review 2021-2022

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Graduate Program

Department of Economics

Front Desk: Teaching Unit 2, Room 104 4104 Martin Luther King Blvd. Houston, Texas 77204-5019 Phone: (713) 743-3800 Fax: (713) 743-3798 Mailing Address: Department of Economics Teaching Unit 2, Room 104 4104 Martin Luther King Blvd. Houston, Texas 77204-5019

Please note the new application deadline for the Ph.D. program is January 15 .

Updated information about the GRE for Fall 2024 applicants on the Admissions and FAQ pages.

Questions and Answers

What are the characteristics of students who have been admitted and funded, how many students are admitted each year, how many students receive funding each year, do you provide partial funding, if i do not receive funding initially, can i be funded later, how much is the stipend, the doctoral program in economics.

The Department of Economics offers a program leading to the Ph.D. degree in Economics designed to provide students rigorous training in economic theory and quantitative skills as well as an intensive exposure to several specialized areas of Economics. The Ph.D. training provides skills needed in academic, government, or business careers.

Graduate students in the University of Houston Department of Economics are subject to all regulations of the Graduate School and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The rules are found in the University of Houston Graduate Catalog, which can be found online at http://www.uh.edu/grad_catalog/. The requirements discussed below are additional requirements that apply to graduate students in economics.

The new doctoral student begins a year of intensive course work in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, statistics, and econometrics. During the summer after the first year, the student is required to take the economic theory comprehensive exam. Upon receiving a grade of "superior" in both the micro and macro parts of the exam, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree.

More about the program

• Frequently asked questions about graduate programs in Economics
• Graduate Economics course descriptions
• How to apply for a competitive fellowship

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• Dissertation Areas and Joint PhD Programs
• PhD Career Outcomes
• PhD Proposals and Defenses
• PhD Job Market Candidates
• PhD Research Community
• 100 Years of Pioneering Research
• Rising Scholars Conference
• Yiran Fan Memorial Conference
• Frequently Asked Questions
• PhD in Accounting
• PhD in Behavioral Science
• PhD in Econometrics and Statistics

PhD in Micro-Economics

• PhD in Finance
• PhD in Management Science and Operations Management
• PhD in Marketing
• Joint Program in Financial Economics
• Joint Program in Psychology and Business
• Joint PhD/JD Program

Our PhD Program in Micro-Economics is widely recognized for our faculty, whose insights have changed the course of modern-day economic research.

The Chicago School of Economics. It all started here at the University of Chicago.

Fields of specialization in the Micro-Economics Stevens Doctoral Program include price theory, market design, industrial organization, labor economics, public economics, health economics, and financial economics. While the research community at Chicago Booth is multidisciplinary and collaborative, the majority of Stevens Doctoral Program students produce scholarship in micro-economics. Doctoral students can take advantage of a wide range of course offerings in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago and at Chicago Booth.

Our Distinguished Economics Faculty

Chicago Booth faculty have been responsible for many of the pioneering economic concepts that inform today’s global businesses and policymaking. And they’ll be your teachers, mentors, and research collaborators. Below you’ll find our microeconomics faculty. For our macroeconomics faculty, visit the Booth faculty directory  and select “Macro/International Business” under “Academic Area.”

Milena Almagro

Assistant Professor of Economics, Liew Family Junior Faculty Fellow, George G. Rinder Faculty Fellow

Marianne Bertrand

Chris P. Dialynas Distinguished Service Professor of Economics

Eric Budish

Paul G. McDermott Professor of Economics and Entrepreneurship and Centel Foundation/Robert P. Reuss Faculty Scholar

Christopher Campos

Assistant Professor of Economics

Rebecca Dizon-Ross

Associate Professor of Economics and Charles E. Merrill Faculty Scholar

Alexander P. Frankel

Professor of Economics

Robert H. Gertner

Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Strategy and Finance; John Edwardson Faculty Director Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation

Austan D. Goolsbee

Robert P. Gwinn Professor of Economics

Richard Hornbeck

V. Duane Rath Professor of Economics and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow

Anders Humlum

Assistant Professor of Economics and Fujimori/Mou Faculty Scholar

Emir Kamenica

Richard O. Ryan Professor of Economics

Jacob Leshno

Associate Professor of Economics and Robert H. Topel Faculty Scholar

Andrew McClellan

Jack Mountjoy

Assistant Professor of Economics and Robert H. Topel Faculty Scholar

Sendhil Mullainathan

Roman Family University Professor of Computation and Behavioral Science

Matthew Notowidigdo

David McDaniel Keller Professor of Economics and Business and Public Policy Fellow

Canice Prendergast

W. Allen Wallis Distinguished Service Professor of Economics

Daniel Rappoport

Elisa Rubbo

Assistant Professor of Economics and Liew Family Junior Faculty Fellow

David W. Johnson Professor of Economics

Chad Syverson

George C. Tiao Distinguished Service Professor of Economics

Richard H. Thaler

Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics

Thomas Wollmann

Associate Professor of Economics and William Ladany Faculty Scholar

Alumni Success

Alumni have written dissertations in industrial organization, labor economics, microeconomics, and other related areas. Upon graduation, they go onto Career Outcomes in academics, government, and industry.

Nick Tsivanidis, PhD '18

Assistant Professor in the Real Estate Group Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley Nick researches topics related to urbanization in developing countries. His current interests center on policy issues around transport and housing, with projects in India, Nigeria, Colombia and Brazil. He earned his PhD in economics.

A Network of Support

Doctoral students at Booth have access to the resources of several high-powered research centers that offer funding for student work, host workshops and conferences, and foster a strong research community.

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Bringing together researchers from the entire Chicago economics community, the Becker Friedman Institute fosters novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems.

George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State Dedicated to examining issues at the intersection of politics and the economy, the Stigler Center supports research by PhD students and others who are interested in the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to better working markets.

Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation Committed to making the world more equitable and sustainable, the Rustandy Center works to solve complex social and environmental problems. The center’s student support includes fellowships, research funding, and networking opportunities.

Fama-Miller Center for Research in Finance Tasked with pushing the boundaries of research in finance, the Fama-Miller Center provides institutional structure and support for researchers in the field.

Center for Research in Security Prices CRSP maintains one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive stock market databases. Since 1963, it has been a valued resource for businesses, government, and scholars.

The Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets Enhancing the understanding of business and financial market globalization, the Clark Center for Global Markets positions Chicago Booth as a thought leader in the understanding of ever-changing markets and improves financial and economic decision-making around the world.

Scholarly Publications

Chicago Booth is home to some of the most prestigious academic journals in economics.

The Journal of Labor Economics presents international research on the relationship between labor and the economy.

The Journal of Law and Economics has published some of the most influential and widely cited articles on a broad range of economic topics.

The Journal of Political Economy , one of the oldest economics journals in the world, focuses on the relationship between government and the economy.

Spotlight on Research

Our faculty and PhD students continually produce high-level research. The Chicago Booth Review frequently highlights their contributions in economics.

Why Medical Tourism Could Be Good Policy

Rather than investing in putting more medical facilities in remote areas, it could be more effective for the government and private health-insurance companies to pay for patients to visit healthcare facilities.

Benedict Guttman-Kenney's National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Dissertation Fellowship on Consumer Financial Management 

The NBER fellowship will primarily support Guttman-Kenney's research in the economics of credit information.

How Should Economics Shape Policy?

Chicago Booth and the University of Chicago’s Lars Peter Hansen and Kevin M. Murphy discuss the challenges of translating academic research into policy advice.

Inside the Booth PhD Experience

Nick Tsivanidis, PhD ’18, talks about the culture of interdisciplinary study he found at Booth.

Video Transcript

Nick Tsivanidis, ’18: 00:03 My PhD thesis was about how commute costs shape economic organization in cities. Billions of people over the next 50, 100 years, they're going to be moving into mostly developing cities. Governments are going to spend huge amounts of money on providing new infrastructure to try and accommodate them. My project had both macro and applied micro elements. One of the benefits of Booth is that you have access to people from a wide range of areas who are very happy to encourage you to work on interdisciplinary topics.

Nick Tsivanidis, ’18: 00:38 I've always been interested in development and in particular how cities and countries can use evidence-based policy to try and improve welfare of their citizens. I've decided that pursuing a PhD would allow me to research and help translate that research into policy. What attracted me to the PhD program here at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business was this culture of interdisciplinary study. People at Chicago certainly aren't scared or will shy away from trying to think at the intersection of different areas. This is where a lot of very fruitful and productive new research actually takes place, which is at the border of frontiers. That really attracted me to come here.

Current Economics Students

From the effects of government regulation on economies to the impact of urban transit infrastructures, our PhD students examine a wide range of economic issues. When they graduate, they go on to positions at some of the top universities and companies in the world.

Current Students

Olivia Bordeu

Franco Calle

William Cockriel

Emily Crawford Arshia Hashemi

Paulo Henrique de Alcantara Ramos

Camille Hillion

Benedict Guttman-Kenney

Tyler Jacobson

Nidhaanjit Jain

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Boston University offers striking PhD students 12-month stipends if they work summers

I n its latest efforts to help end a nearly two-month strike by graduate student workers, Boston University proposed granting all PhD students access to a 12-month stipend, a university leader said Tuesday.

The proposal came during the 25th bargaining session between the university and the graduate workers union, said university provost Kenneth Lutchen in an email to BU community members. The strike by graduate workers, who teach classes, grade student work, and conduct research, has impacted classes and university life since late March.

The new 12-month stipend policy would enable all PhD students who were previously on eight-month stipends to work or conduct research over the summer to receive a minimum of $42,159 annually, Lutchen said.

“Students have repeatedly spoken of the challenges of living with an eight-month stipend and how it affects their financial security,” Lutchen said, adding: “We hope that this move at the bargaining table signals our goodwill and seriousness of purpose in moving toward resolution with [Boston University Graduate Workers Union] and reaching an agreement that supports our students.”

The union, which formed in 2022, represents about 3,000 masters, professional, and PhD students and is part of Service Employees International Union Local 509. Its strike calls for stronger health care coverage, pay, and benefits.

David Foley, president of SEIU 509, told the Globe that while the proposal is a “step in the right direction,” it’s a long overdue effort to address the economic insecurity experienced by graduate workers. It excludes hourly workers and does not address the needs of the many graduate workers already struggling to live in Boston on 12-month stipends, Foley said.

“Forty-two thousand dollars is still far from a living wage for any of our members, and we remain committed to fighting for a meaningful end to rent burden and financial insecurity,” Foley said in a statement. “The university has the means — and the obligation — to do better.”

The union said it expects to see more movement from the BU administration now that it has acknowledged graduate workers’ complaints about underpayment.

Currently about 560 grad students remain on strike, according to Rachel Lapal Cavallario, a BU spokesperson. That makes up 20 percent of salaried grad students and 10 percent of hourly ones, she said, according to student and faculty attestation data and hours submitted for hourly students.

As of May 8, about 80 percent of bargaining unit members that receive stipends have been working each week throughout the strike, according to BU’s negotiations team .

Graduate students are currently paid stipends between $27,000 to $40,000, according to the union. The university said those wages are for 20 hours of work per week, while grad workers claim to work more than that.

When the students began striking in March, they asked the school for about a $62,000 stipend, the union said, to which BU said it offered about $42,000 . The union declined to counteroffer, BU said. The students are still advocating for the $62,000 stipend, according to the union.

In March, the school also offered to raise the minimum wage to $18 from $15 for hourly workers and add children under age 6 to the health insurance plan for full-time PhD students.

Graduate workers help grade quizzes and teach lab sessions and supplementary class meetings known as discussion sections. Their absence throughout the strike caused classes and labs to be canceled throughout the semester, several students told the Globe. BU’s spring semester concluded earlier this month, with the summer term beginning on May 21, according to Lapal Cavallario.

The proposal for 12-month stipends came about in part because faculty cited difficulties recruiting PhD students in humanities and social sciences, Lutchen said.

“We appreciate the dedication and patience of everyone involved and are hopeful these efforts will produce significant progress as we head into the summer,” Lutchen said.

Another bargaining session is set to occur in the coming weeks.

Material from prior Globe coverage was used in this report.

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Faculty Rachel Brulé and Mahesh Karra Earn Promotions to Associate Professor

The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is proud to announce that faculty members Rachel Brulé and Mahesh Karra have been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure by Boston University.

Scott Taylor, Dean of the Pardee School, expressed his enthusiasm for the well-deserved promotions, stating “It is gratifying to see their excellent scholarship, teaching, and service recognized by the field and rewarded by the highest echelons of the university.”

Brulé and Karra have made invaluable contributions to Boston University and the Pardee School through their work. Their promotions recognize their exemplary achievements in research, instruction of students, and service to the university community.

Dean Taylor highlighted that the Pardee School looks forward to Brulé’ s and Karra’s continued valuable contributions in the years ahead as associate professors. Their elevated ranks underscore their roles as leaders and scholars in their respective fields.

The promotions of Brulé and Karra to associate professor with tenure status represent major career milestones. The Pardee School celebrates these faculty accomplishments and the prospective future impacts their work will have.

Rachel Brulé   is an Assistant Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and core faculty of the Global Development Policy Center’s Human Capital Initiative. Her research interests are broadly in comparative politics, international development, political economy, and gender, with a geographical focus on South Asia. Read more about Professor Brulé  on her  faculty profile .

Mahesh Karra ’s academic and research interests are broadly in development economics, health economics, quantitative methods, and applied demography. His research utilizes experimental and non-experimental methods to investigate the relationships between population, health, and economic development in low- and middle-income countries. Read more about Professor Karra on his   faculty profile .

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