Course Program for Doctoral Students in Economics of Education

A major emphasis of the Swiss Leading House VPET-ECON is the advancement of young researchers.

Young economists are offered a wide range of study and research options as they work through the structured doctoral program in the economics of education. Reputed international researchers are systematically integrated into course offerings. Through required courses in microeconomics, business economics, econometrics and institutional settings, doctoral students are introduced to current theories, empirical methods and themes relevant to the economics of education. In required elective courses, students learn about latest theoretical or methodological developments from the world’s experts in the respective field (for examples see list of previous courses below).

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Group Picture
Microeconomic Foundations of Economics of Education with Prof. Dr. Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich and Ifo Institute) in Zurich.
Randomized Experiments in Economics of Education with Prof. Dr. Eric Bettinger (Stanford University) in Zurich.
Dohmen course
Dohmen course
Personality, Economic Preferences, Skills and Education with Prof. Dr. Thomas Dohmen (University of Bonn) in Zurich.

Doctoral students are also familiarized from the outset with current research projects in the field. This research is carried out within the framework of thematically specialized seminars or literature colloquia in which students discuss seminal and most recent publications with experts in the field of economics of education. Beyond that, students are expected to participate intensively in current research discussions. This is ensured by a regular research colloquium in which guest speakers - but also students or their tutors - present and discuss current research. To improve the networking effect, a number of courses are offered as off-site courses, giving students the possibility to discuss their work with internationally renowned scholars in a more leisurely atmosphere like for example a skiing trip.

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Group Picture
Discussion Workshop: Personnel Economics and Economics of Education with Prof. Edward Lazear (Stanford University)
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Group Picture
Personality, Economic Preferences, Skills and Education with Prof. Dr. Thomas Dohmen (University of Bonn)

The new Course Program of the Swiss Leading House VPET‒ECON, a research center on the Economics of Education, Firm Behavior and Training Policies, will start in the Spring term 2022. More information about the application can be found here.

The former course programs started in winter term 2006/2007, fall term 2009, fall term 2013, fall term 2015, fall term 2017, and fall term 2019 and consisted of four core courses and a variety of electives. For detailed information about the previous courses please visit the course archive and for a preview of the upcoming core courses please visit the current schedule.

General Structure of the Program:

Core Courses

1. Semester Spring term Econometric Analyses in Economics of Education (3 ECTS)
    Microeconomic Foundations of Economics of Education (3 ECTS)
2. Semester Fall term Apprenticeship Training: Insitutions and Markets (3 ECTS)
    Personnel Economics for Education Economists (3 ECTS) 

Electives

1st to 3rd year varying elective courses on:
  -Personnel and Education Economics
  -Education Institutions
  -Writing and Publishing 
  -Data analyses and Econometrcis
3rd year Research Conference

 

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Group Picture
Econometric Methods in Economics of Education (7th cohort) with Prof. Dr. Guido Schwerdt (University of Konstanz)
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Crafting Scientific Publications (7th cohort) with Prof. Uschi Backes-Gellner (University of Zurich) and Prof. Kerstin Pull (University of Tuebingen)
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Group Picture
Corporate Communication - Theoretical Foundations, Case Studies, Role Playing and Media Training (6th cohort) with Dr. Andrea Timmesfeld (Generali Deutschland)
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Group Picture
Online edition due to COVID-19: Personality, Economic Preferences, Skills and Education (6th cohort) with Thomas Dohmen (University of Bonn)
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Group Picture
Online edition due to COVID-19: Microeconomic Foundations of Economics of Education (6th cohort) with Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich and Ifo Institute)
Participants Randmized Experiments Course
Participants Randmized Experiments Course
Hybrid edition: Randomized Experiments in Economics of Education (6th cohort) with Eric Bettinger (Stanford University)
Participants Natural Experiments
Participants Natural Experiments
Online edition due to COVID-19: Natural Experiments for causality analysis in economics of education (6th cohort) with Dinand Webbink (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Bild Kurs
Bild Kurs
Personnel and Labor Economics for Education Economists (6th cohort) with Prof. Tor Eriksson (Aarhus University) and Niels Westergaard-Nielsen (Copenhagen Business School) in Zurich
Photo_Cohort6_Schwerdt
Photo_Cohort6_Schwerdt
Econometric Methods in Economics of Education (6th cohort) with Prof. Dr. Guido Schwerdt (University of Konstanz) in Zurich.
Bild Muehlemann
Bild Muehlemann
Apprenticeship Training: Institutions and Markets (5th cohort) with Prof. Samuel Mühlemann (LMU Munich), Prof. Paul Ryan (King's College London) and Dr. Ursula Renold (ETH Zurich) in Zurich
Participants Randmized Experiments Course
Participants Randmized Experiments Course
Randomized Experiments in Economics of Education (5th cohort) with Prof. Dr. Eric Bettinger (Stanford University) in Zurich