Study plan for the academic year 2021/2022


List of courses / activities for the first year

titolocrediti
Applied Econometrics - Anna Conte (Sapienza University of Rome) 1
Behavioral economics - Miloš Fišar (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Eugenio Levi (Bozen University), Tommaso Reggiani (Cardiff University), and Valentina Rotondi (Università della Svizzera Italiana) 1
Cooperation to avert climate change - Gianluca Grimalda (Kiel Institute for the World Economy) 1
Data Visualization and Mapping - Filippo Celata (Sapienza University of Rome) - optional course shared with the PhD program in Models for Economics and Finance 0
Econometric Modelling of Experimental Data - Anna Conte (Sapienza University of Rome) 1
Econometrics of Causality - Marco Ventura (Sapienza University of Rome) 1
Econometrics of Discontinuity - Claudio Deiana (University of Cagliari), Andrea Geraci (University of Pavia), and Gianluca Mazzarella (European Commission JRC) 1
Economic Geography - Filippo Celata (Sapienza University of Rome), Andrea Ascani (GSSI), Raffaella Coletti (CNR), and Cesare Di Feliciantonio (Manchester Metropolitan University) - optional course shared with the PhD program in Models for Economics and Finance) 0
Economic History - Mauro Rota (Sapienza University of Rome) and Jacob Weisdorf (Sapienza University of Rome and CEPR) 1
Economics of Populism - Eugenio Levi (Bozen University) and Jessica Di Cocco (European University Institute) 1
Labor and Urban Economics - Giuseppe Croce (Sapienza University of Rome) 1
Machine Learning for Economists - Giuliano Resce (Universy of Molise) 1
Neural Networks for Economists - Antonio Martire (University of Genova) 1
Poverty and inequality: measurement and history - Giulia Mancini and Giovanni Vecchi (Università di Roma Tor Vergata) 1
Quasi-experimental Settings for Policy Evaluation - Fabio Sabatini (Sapienza University of Rome) 1
Research Methods in Microeconometrics - Marianna Belloc (Sapienza University of Rome) and Paolo Naticchioni (Università di Roma Tre) - optional course provided by the PhD in Economia Politica 0
Social and Cultural Economics - Fabio Sabatini (Sapienza University of Rome) 1
Tolerance for inequality and preferences for redistribution - Gianluca Grimalda (Kiel Institute for the World Economy) 1
Topics in Applied and Development Economics - Emanuele Brancati, Michele Di Maio, and Alessia Matano (Sapienza University of Rome) - course shared with the PhD program in Economia Politica 1
Topics in Economic growth - Michele Battisti and Francesco Gravina (Università di Palermo) 1
Urban Economics and Spatial Econometrics - Stepan Mikula (Masaryk University) 1
Welfare Economics - Flaviana Palmisano (Sapienza University of Rome) 1

More information

In the first year, students attend the courses provided by our scientific board and some external scholars. Courses are partitioned into four main fields: Econometric Methods, Behavioral and Public Economics, Economic History, and Political Economics. However, econometrics courses provide the quantitative skills that PhD students need to carry our research activity in any field.

The courses' schedule and locations are available at this url. All teaching activities are held in English.

PhD students attending from home can connect via Zoom using their institutional email and password and the links available here.

Econometric Methods

• Applied Econometrics - Anna Conte (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus.
• Econometric Modelling of Experimental Data - Anna Conte (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus.
• Econometrics of Causality - Marco Ventura (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus.
• Econometrics of Discontinuity - Claudio Deiana (University of Cagliari), Andrea Geraci (University of Pavia), and Gianluca Mazzarella (European Commission JRC) - Syllabus.
• Machine Learning for Economists - Giuliano Resce (Universy of Molise) - Syllabus.
• Neural Networks for Economists - Antonio Martire (University of Genova) - Syllabus.
• Research Methods in Microeconometrics (optional) - Marianna Belloc (Sapienza University of Rome) and Paolo Naticchioni (Università di Roma Tre) - Syllabus (course provided by the PhD in Economia Politica).
• Urban Economics and Spatial Econometrics - Stepan Mikula (Masaryk University) - Syllabus.

Behavioral and Public Economics

• Behavioral economics - Miloš Fišar (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Eugenio Levi (Bozen University), Tommaso Reggiani (Cardiff University), and Valentina Rotondi (Università della Svizzera Italiana) - Syllabus.
• Cooperation to avert climate change - Gianluca Grimalda (Kiel Institute for the World Economy) - Syllabus.
• Inequality and cooperation, theory and experiments - Gianluca Grimalda (Kiel Institute for the World Economy) - Syllabus tba.
• Tolerance for inequality and preferences for redistribution - Gianluca Grimalda (Kiel Institute for the World Economy) - Syllabus.

Economic History and Economic Geography

• Data Visualization and Mapping - Filippo Celata (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus (optional course shared with the PhD program in Models for Economics and Finance).
• Economic Geography - Filippo Celata (Sapienza University of Rome), Andrea Ascani (GSSI), Raffaella Coletti (CNR), and Cesare Di Feliciantonio (Manchester Metropolitan University) - Syllabus - (optional course shared with the PhD program in Models for Economics and Finance).
• Economic History - Mauro Rota (Sapienza University of Rome) and Jacob Weisdorf (Sapienza University of Rome and CEPR) - Syllabus.
• Poverty and inequality: measurement and history - Giulia Mancini and Giovanni Vecchi (Università di Roma Tor Vergata) - Syllabus.

Political Economics

• Economics of Populism - Eugenio Levi (Bozen University) and Jessica Di Cocco (European University Institute) - Syllabus.
• Labor and Urban Economics - Giuseppe Croce (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus.
• Quasi-experimental Settings for Policy Evaluation - Fabio Sabatini (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus (tba).
• Social and Cultural Economics - Fabio Sabatini (Sapienza University of Rome) - Syllabus.
• Topics in Applied and Development Economics - Emanuele Brancati, Michele Di Maio, and Alessia Matano (Sapienza University of Rome) - course shared with the PhD program in Economia Politica.
• Topics in Economic growth - Michele Battisti and Francesco Gravina (Università di Palermo) - Syllabus.

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In addition to regular courses, the European Ph.D. in Socio-Economic and Statistical Studies will host three series of thematic seminars in the fields of Political economics, Economic History, and Behavioral economics - and a residual series of seminars on various topics of interest to our Ph.D. students and board members.

Two additional series of seminars will be held by the members of our scientific board and by our Ph.D. candidates. In the first series, our board members will present their most recent works to illustrate their current research activity. In the second series, Ph.D. candidates present their job market paper.

Moreover, our Ph.D. students will attend the seminars jointly organized by the Department of Economics and Law and by the Department of Social and Economic Sciences at Sapienza.

Finally, the program's director, Fabio Sabatini distributes to Ph.D. students a weekly newsletter collecting the upcoming seminars to be held all over the world that can be freely accessed via Zoom.


Method of choosing the subject of the thesis

PhD students autonomously choose the subject of their doctoral research based on their research interests. The research project initially attached to the application is not binding and can be changed following the evolution of students' skills and interests.

Admission to the second year

To be admitted to the second year, PhD students have to attend first-year courses and pass the related exams. At the end of the first year, students should present to the faculty a paper proposal. The proposal, along with the grades obtained in the exams, are the basis of a formal decision concerning retention in the program and the assignment of a supervisor.


List of courses / activities for the second year

titolocrediti
How to prepare the job market paper - Fulvio Castellacci (University of Oslo), Carlo D'Ippoliti and Jacob Weisdorf (Sapienza University of Rome) 0
International academic publishing - Fulvio Castellacci (University of Oslo) and Jacob Weisdorf (Sapienza University of Rome) 0
Tips and tricks for surviving the academia - Matteo Rizzolli (Lumsa University) 0

More information

In the second year, PhD students mainly carry out their research activity. They can attend additional courses specifically targeted at strengthening the skills needed for the doctoral dissertation.

In most cases, PhD students arrange at least one visiting period abroad during the second year. Visiting periods usually last between three and six months, but in some cases can last between twelve and eighteen months. In all cases, students receive a 50% increase in their scholarship during their stay abroad. In addition, students can get additional funds on a competitive basis.


Method of preparation of the thesis

For the purpose of their dissertation, PhD students collect survey or experimental data (or both), and analyze the causal relationships between the phenomena measured by the data using the most advanced econometric techniques.

Admission to the third year

At the end of the second year, PhD students give a public seminar on their research activity. The PhD board deliberates students' admission to the third year based on the advancement and quality of their research and the feedback of their tutor and supervisor.


List of courses / activities for the third year

titolocrediti
Preparing a successful application for a research grant - Fulvio Castellacci (University of Oslo) and Jacob Weisdorf (Sapienza University of Rome) 0

More information

The third year of the program is devoted to writing the dissertation, which should consist of at least two research papers.
During the third year, students are encouraged to spend a second visiting period abroad. The program will provide funding for financing the visit


Method of admission to the final examination

At the end of the third year, students present to the PhD board one of their papers (preferably the job market paper). This presentation forms the basis of the formal decision to admit the student to the final exam.

Final examination

In the final exam, PhD candidates publicly present their thesis to an external examination committee. Generally, the final defense consists in a forty minutes seminar followed by a forty minutes discussion, during which candidates defend their work against committee members comments.

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