Ph.D. in Law and 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.
Overview
Dual-degree students pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D. in Economics concurrently in an integrated curriculum that combines economic theory and methodology with the study of law.
Program Format
In the first year of study, all students take core Ph.D. courses. In the second year, dual-degree students take the standard 1L curriculum. In subsequent years, students concurrently take law courses and Ph.D. courses.
The program's Director of Graduate Studies works with students who have been admitted into the dual-degree program to help them coordinate the course of study so that all requirements of both degrees are met.
Application
Dual-degree applicants complete both the J.D. application and the Ph.D. application. Vanderbilt’s dual-degree partners have their own admission and application policies, procedures, and deadlines that may differ from those of the Vanderbilt J.D. program. To learn about the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences requirements, visit the Ph.D. program's admissions page.
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