PhDProfessionalby Marc Sleiman
All pages in this guide

Start here

  1. Getting in: start here
  2. Should you do a PhD?

Build your foundation

  1. Your undergraduate degree
  2. Math and coursework
  3. Graduate courses early
  4. Your graduate degree

Build your research record

  1. Research experience
  2. Predocs and research pathways
  3. Work experience

Apply

  1. Statement of purpose
  2. Letters, GRE and choosing programs
  3. Mentoring and support programs

Looking ahead

  1. Keep your options open

About

  1. About Marc Sleiman
  2. Contact

Other path

  1. Getting out ready

Before the PhD · Apply

Mentoring and support programs

Many programs exist to help applicants, especially those from backgrounds underrepresented in economics. Most are free.

2 min read · By Marc Sleiman

Applying to a PhD is easier with someone who has done it recently. Many programs pair applicants with current PhD students or economists for help with statements, program choices and the overall process. Most are free, and many are designed for students from backgrounds underrepresented in economics. If you are eligible, use them.

Preparation and training

AEA Summer Training and Scholarship Program. An intensive two-month residential program in microeconomics, mathematics, econometrics and research methods for undergraduates preparing for doctoral study, with up to 12 college credits.

PREDOC. A consortium of universities offering a predoc job board, free courses in programming and data science, workshops and office hours with researchers.

Application mentoring in North America

MIT Application Assistance and Mentoring Program (AAMP). Connects applicants from underrepresented groups with economics PhD students at MIT and Harvard.

Economics Mentoring Program (EMP). A student-run program connecting applicants from underrepresented groups with PhD student mentors at Duke, Harvard, MIT and Stanford.

Duke Economics Graduate Mentorship Program. Matches applicants from underrepresented backgrounds with Duke economics PhD students.

Research in Color Foundation. Pairs people of color pursuing doctoral degrees in economics and related fields with mentors, includes a research project and helps with application costs.

Association for Mentoring and Inclusion in Economics (AMIE). Long-term mentorship, scholarships and travel support for underrepresented, first-generation and non-U.S. junior economists.

The Sadie Collective. A community for Black women in economics and related fields, offering mentorship, networking and professional development.

Application mentoring in the UK and Europe

Applicant Mentoring Programme (AMP). Matches applicants from underrepresented backgrounds with PhD students at Cambridge, LSE, Oxford, UCL and Warwick.

Programs for African applicants

Graduate Applicants International Network (GAIN) and Project Access Africa support African students applying to graduate programs abroad, with mentoring and help reducing financial barriers. The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) runs training programs for African economists.

Find the full list

J-PAL maintains the most complete directory of these programs, with links and eligibility details: University application support and mentorship programs. The AEA’s Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession also curates resources on graduate school.

Programs and deadlines change every year. Check each program’s website for the current cycle.