- Harvard Business School →
- Doctoral Programs →
- Admissions & Financial Support
- Admissions Resources
- Application Requirements
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Outreach Events
- Tuition & Financial Support
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications for Fall 2025 are now open!
Introduce Yourself
Application requirements .
- PHD in Business Economics
- PHD in Business Administration (includes Accounting & Management, Marketing, Strategy, Technology & Operations Management)
- PHD in Health Policy Management
- PHD in Organizational Behavior
Attend an Outreach Event
Non-discrimination disclosure information.
In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.
Ellen Mahoney, Chief Human Resources Officer, has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies. has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies.
In addition, inquiries about the application of non-discrimination policies regarding race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability may be referred to the Regional Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 8th Floor,5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-4557.
DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT
All prospective students should be aware of Harvard's policies on file sharing and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Business Economics
Share this page.
In this program, students specialize in fields such as behavioral economics, development economics, econometrics, economic history, financial economics, industrial organization, international economics, organizational economics, labor economics, macroeconomics, political economics, public economics, and economic theory.
Students will receive the comprehensive training of a PhD in economics along with the opportunity to focus on business-related research questions. Using this training, students will delve into some of the most pressing and relevant topics in the field of economics through the practical lens of business.
The majority of graduates have gone on to secure faculty positions at such prestigious institutions as Brown University, INSEAD, London School of Economics and Political Science, MIT, Northwestern University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Toronto. Others have gone on to careers in organizations such as the Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Trade Commission, Cornerstone Research, and NERA.
Students in business economics are enrolled in and receive their degree from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) and work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and Harvard Business School (HBS). Harvard Griffin GSAS has offered PhD programs in collaboration with HBS since 1916. In addition to Business Economics , Harvard Griffin GSAS and HBS collaborate on the programs in business administration (including Accounting and Management , Marketing , S trategy , and Technology and Operations Management ), Organizational Behavior , and Health Policy (Management Track) .
For more detailed information about the program, including information about financial support and student profiles, please visit the Harvard Business School Doctoral Programs website .
Admissions Requirements
Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Harvard Business School Doctoral Programs website .
Personal Statement
Standardized tests.
GRE General or GMAT: Required iBT TOEFL preferred minimum score: 100 IELTS preferred minimum score: 7.5
Writing Sample
Writing sample is optional but highly recommended. It should largely be your own work and you should be prepared to discuss the content and your contributions. It should be no more than 10 pages of text, plus references.
Fall Grades
Fall term grades should be sent when available if attending school while applying to the program (prospective students may add this information to the Fall Grade Report, available in the Applicant Portal, after they have submitted their application).
For the coordinated JD/PhD , applicants must apply separately to each program and indicate in the application to the PhD Program in Business Economics that a concurrent application has been submitted to Harvard Law School.
See list of Business Economics faculty
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Questions about the program.
- Utility Menu
44d3fa3df9f06a3117ed3d2ad6c71ecc
- Administration
- PhD Program
The Ph.D. Program in the Department of Economics at Harvard is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to their programs of study.
The program prepares students for productive and stimulating careers as economists. Courses and seminars offered by the department foster an intellectually active and stimulating environment. Each week, the department sponsors more than 15 different seminars on such topics as environmental economics, economic growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, industrial organization, law and economics, behavioral economics, labor economics, and economic history. Top scholars from both domestic and international communities are often invited speakers at the seminars. The Harvard community outside of the department functions as a strong and diverse resource. Students in the department are free to pursue research interests with scholars throughout the University. Faculty of the Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Business School, for example, are available to students for consultation, instruction, and research guidance. As a member of the Harvard community, students in the department can register for courses in the various schools and have access to the enormous library resources available through the University. There are over 90 separate library units at Harvard, with the total collections of books and pamphlets numbering over 13 million. Both the department and the wider University draw some of the brightest students from around the world, which makes for a student body that is culturally diverse and likely unequaled in the range of intellectual interests of its members. These factors combine to add an important dimension to the educational process. Students are able to learn from one another, collaborate on research projects and publications, and form bonds that are not broken by distance once the degree is completed and professional responsibilities lead them in different directions.
- Program Requirements
- Job Placement
- Financial Support