Ifo Doctoral Programme

A candidate who applies for the Ifo Doctoral Programme must have an excellent first university degree and willingness to take on special challenges. Full commitment to the programme bears rich rewards:

The doctoral students write not only excellent dissertations but finish them particularly fast.
They receive additional academic training and present their research results at international conferences.
They also acquire competence in empirical economic research and gain experience in project teams.
Ifo doctoral students are encouraged to be active as teaching assistants at the university, which gives them teaching experience and strengthens Ifo’s contacts to the university.

At the end of the programme is not only a doctorate but also empirical competence that offers an ideal springboard for a further career, either at a university or in empirical economic research.

Programme components

The Ifo doctoral programme has the following components:

As a rule the doctoral students have a dissertation supervisor at the Economics Faculty of the LMU. They attend seminars at the LMU graduate programme.
They also participate in the Lunchtime Seminars of both the Center for Economic Studies and the Ifo Institute.
The econometric skills necessary for empirical research are enhanced at university seminars and at special courses at the Ifo Institute with international econometric specialists.
The doctoral students present their research internationally. With the help of experienced economists in CESifo Group, they apply for participation at internationally conferences and publish articles in refereed journals.
The doctoral students also gain experience by participating in empirical economic research projects. They learn the instruments of project management, including presentation techniques. They work on policy-advice projects

Positions for doctoral students

The Ifo Institute pays its doctoral students according to the German public pay scale (half of EG 13). The basic contract is initially limited to two years and extended depending on progress made on the dissertation. As a rule the dissertation is finished after a period of about 3.5 years. The doctoral student has at least half of the time for work on the dissertation, and project participation is chosen with a view to supplementing the dissertation.

Additional remuneration is possible if a doctoral student manages to publish a paper in a recognised, refereed journal.

Requirements for acceptance in the Ifo Doctoral Programme

The basic requirements for acceptance as a doctoral student are a strong degree in economics, excellent knowledge of English and German. A background in econometrics and familiarity with allocation and welfare theory are also generally expected. Depending on the department assignment, additional qualifications may be required.