About IDEA

International Doctorate in Economic Analysis

is a highly competitive international Ph.D. program in Economics. Launched in 1991-1992 IDEA was the first postgraduate program in Southern Europe drawing on the Anglo-Saxon tradition of two years coursework, with a supervised master thesis and a further two or three years devoted to a PhD thesis.

We are proud that IDEA has succeeded in maintaining its exceptional standards over the years, receiving awards and gaining recognition worlwide. In 2008-2009 IDEA was awarded the Quality Recognition (Mención de Calidad) by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, a recognition that has been awarded to IDEA each academic year since 1994 when the Ministry first started using this official seal to mark quality PhD programs in Spain.

The success of IDEA centres around the following unique features:

• The growth and maintainance of a world class faculty including recipients of the Rey Juan Carlos and the Rey Jaume I awards in Economics, as well as the first Spanish fellow of the Econometrics Society.
• An insistence on competitive entrance requirements ensuring high standards among students.
• The establishment and consolidation of an international vocation reflected in our students, resident faculty, visiting faculty, and hosting of international events.
• The presence of a unique student support system designed to provide help at all levels (initial application, finance including full grants for 60% master and 100% doctoral students individual academic tutoring, leisure and in finding employment).
• A proven ability to generate doctors with a sustained and successful research life.
• The capacity to place its graduates in attractive research and also in policy oriented institutions.