International Economics

STUDYING ECONOMICS AT THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE

Unique Programmes

• The Department of International Economics offers a unique set of programmes in economics. The admissions process is highly selective and is based on a detailed application package, which includes the GRE. 
• Each year, we admit roughly 20 candidates to our Master in International Economics.
• Strong candidates with two-year master's degrees in economics should consider applying directly to the PhD in International Economics or the PhD in Development Economics. On average the two PhD programmes admit a combined total of 12 students each year.

Rigorous, Policy-relevant Training

• The Department looks for applicants of exceptional academic merit, but also seeks individuals who are enthusiastic about economics and want to use their training to make the world a better place.
• Besides compulsory courses in micro, macro and econometrics, students can choose amongst a wide range of electives in economics and other disciplines.
• Our students are known for their rigorous training and are highly sought-after by employers in international organisations, the private sector, policy institutions and academia.  
• Placement of our PhDs is remarkable for a department of our size.

Internationally-known Faculty in a Small Department 

• Our professors are internationally-known researchers who are not afraid of actively participating in current policy debates, writing OpEd pieces or advising national governments and international organisations.
• In the latest Repec rankings, we placed third in Switzerland (out of a total of 119 registered institutions), just behind Zurich and the Bank for International Settlements.  And remember that the Department only counts 12 full-time professors.
• On average, our entering classes are drawn from 20 different nationalities. Classes are small and interaction between students and faculty is easy.

A Cosmopolitan Environment

• Geneva is home to dozens of international organisations, NGOs and a dynamic financial sector, providing an attractive variety of internships and employment opportunities. Our Career Services provide information on such placements. Economists from institutions such as the WTO often teach in the Department.
• Students can take classes at the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne. PhD students can participate in high-level courses given by renowned economists at the Swiss National Bank's Gerzensee Study Center. Admission to this programme is competitive.

 Teaching staff for economics at the Graduate Institute
 

The professors are known worldwide in their respective areas and offer first-hand experience in using international economics to address the world’s many problems. Teaching is by professors (not graduate students) using hands-on, problem-solving approaches. In addition to lifelong academics, the faculty includes practitioners such as the Chief Economist of the World Trade Organisation, and faculty members which have spent part of their career working in policy institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission, and the US Federal Reserve. In addition to the core economics courses , the department offers an applied course taught by department’s alumni holding senior positions in international organizations. This course provides our students a unique opportunity to better understand how economics is used in policymaking and to get to know personally senior staff at organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank and the OECD.

A gender balanced faculty
from left to right: Profs. Ugo Panizza, Martina Viarengo, Nathan Sussman, Rui Esteves, Cédric Tille, Damien Neven, Lore Vandewalle, Yuan Zi, Imelda, Beatrice Weder Di Mauro
 

A supportive, collaborative learning environment
The high professor-student ratio, the small class sizes, and the highly diverse student body create a collegial, stimulating, and friendly atmosphere. As Julieta Contreras, a Master student from Mexico who graduated in 2020 put it: “there is an environment of collaboration where you can develop skills together with your classmates. There is solidarity and friendship .” 

A critical part of the training stems from constant interactions with bright, open and diverse minds from all over the world. Interdisciplinarity is a core principle of the Graduate Institute so you will be networking with students of international law, international history, international relations, social anthropology, and international development. 

Located physically at the centre of Geneva’s numerous international organisations, the Graduate Institute is a global hub for policy-relevant research in international relations in general and international economics in particular. Talks, debates and events are held virtually every evening in the Graduate Institutes ultra-modern building (the ‘Maison de la Paix’). The Graduate Institute has also a close link with the London-based Centre for Economic Research (CEPR), the premier network of economists in Europe: the President of CEPR, one of its vice presidents and the editor in chief of VoxEU (CEPR’s policy portal) are all professors at the Graduate Institute and our students benefit from joint events organized by the CEPR and the Graduate Institute. 

Beyond academics, living in Geneva exposes our students to a diverse, cosmopolitan environment, where you cannot help but broaden your horizons while picking up some French. The Graduate Institute is bilingual (English and French), but all economics courses are taught in English.