Vanderbilt Law School's Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics is unlike any other. Dual-degree students pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D. concurrently in a fully integrated curriculum that combines economic theory and methodology with the study of law. The program is designed so that students complete both degrees in just 6 years. Admitted students receive a full funding package, including tuition for both degrees and a competitive annual stipend, for all 6 years of study.
Applicants must complete separate applications to Vanderbilt Graduate School and Vanderbilt Law School. Each applicant's Law School and Graduate School applications will be considered together in a collaborative admissions process.
Program faculty guide students through an innovative law and economics curriculum in which students pursue policy-relevant research. The program offers 4 primary research fields: behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, law and economics, and risk and environmental regulation.
Program graduates are in tenured or tenure-track positions at University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, University at Buffalo, Florida State University, George Mason University, University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, and Western Kentucky University, as well as in positions in government, legal practice, and consulting.
The Law & Economics/Applied Microeconomics Seminar Series brings scholars from around the world to Vanderbilt to present research spanning a variety of fields and topics. The program also hosts a variety of conferences, including the biennial Frontiers in Law and Economics (FILE) conference.
Applications Open for Fall 2025
Deadline for Priority Consideration
Final Deadline
Contact the Ph.D. in Law & Economics Program Manager.