Ph.D. Program in Law & Economics

Joint-degree students pursue a Ph.D. in law and economics and a J.D. concurrently in a fully integrated law and economics curriculum. The program is based in the Law School.

Courses are taught by faculty from the Law School and the Department of Economics. Students receive a solid grounding in microeconomic theory, econometrics, and law and economics theory. Our principal fields include risk and environmental regulation, labor and human resources, and behavioral law and economics.

The Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics at Vanderbilt was launched in Fall 2007. The program has graduated one joint-degree student and currently has 11 students in residence, ranging from year one to year six. Admissions for Fall 2013 have been completed. The program will begin to accept applications for Fall 2014 on October 1. To be considered, applicants must have a strong mathematics background commensurate with the standards of leading Ph.D. programs in economics.

Law and economics students are fully funded by a competitive package of fellowship support covering both tuition and stipend.

"This program has exceeded our very high expectations. The combination of an internationally renowned faculty, an innovative and personalized curriculum, and generous financial support has enabled us to attract extraordinarily gifted and motivated students who will become the next generation's leading scholars and teachers in the field of law and economics."

Chris Guthrie, Dean and John Wade-Kent Syverud Professor of Law