Ph.D. in Law & Economics
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.
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 current students complete both degrees in just 6 years.
About our Program
Curriculum
Program students pursue policy-relevant research within three primary research fields: behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, and risk and environmental regulation.
Careers
Program graduates hold tenured and tenure-track academic positions in areas such as law, economics, and policy, as well as positions in government, industry, legal practice, and consulting.
Expert Faculty
Consisting of top-cited economists and legal theorists, The Ph.D. in Law and Economics faculty lead students through a specialized interdisciplinary approach that integrates law and economics.
Application
Students who wish to pursue a dual-degree program with a graduate program with which the law school has no formal arrangements can propose a customized dual-degree program. In all cases, prospective students must seek and gain acceptance to both the law school and the other graduate program. Decisions regarding admission to the law school and the graduate program are made independently.
Meet Our J.D./Ph.D. Students
Scott B. Jeffrey
Senior Economic Policy Advisor; Division of Labor Standards and Statistics; Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Jean Y. Xiao
Senior Financial Institution Policy Analyst; Artificial Intelligence Lab, Financial Stability; Federal Reserve Board
Jack Cramer
Judicial Clerk; Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg; U.S. Court of Appeals, DC Circuit