Overview

The Economics programme of Hanken School of Economics consists of diverse doctoral courses and seminars which provide a thorough training in the skills required of the contemporary academic and professional economists.

Key facts

All doctoral students are expected to gain a broad knowledge in various fields of economics during the first years of studies when the three main compulsory course modules - microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics - are offered.
The first year courses in the Helsinki GSE program are geared towards developing good all-round economists with a solid grasp of macroeconomics, microeconomics, and econometrics.

The course emphasizes problem-solving skills, applicability of modeling skills, and ability to conduct empirical research over pure development of theoretical skills. We allow the students to reach the theory frontier in the area they specialize in through a variety of methods: second year courses, reading groups, and study groups.

Accreditation

Hanken School of Economics is EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB accredited.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Finance
Statistics
Business Analytics
Data Science
Econometrics
Economics

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-01-09 00:00:00

Language

English

IELTS

6.5

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PTE Academic

62

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TOEFL^® IBT

92

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Credits

240 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Helsinki, Finland

Disciplines

Economics View 6 other PhDs in Economics in Finland

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Academic requirements

GPA

B

GRE^®

158 _{(quantitative)}

GMAT

600

Applicants applying with a qualifying degree obtained in an EU/EEA country, need to fulfill the following requirements:

The GPA in the qualifying degree needs to be at least a Grade B (US grading scale), GOOD or equivalent or higher. You can check if your GPA meets the requirements by using the WES World Education Systems online grading scale conversion tool. If there is not an conversion table for your country, Hanken will convert your GPA on a case to case basis.

The specific minimum GPA requirement is:

70-79 (the scale used by Hanken 50-100)
3 (Finnish scale of 1-5)
Grade B (American scale)

English requirements

IELTS

6.5

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PTE Academic

62

Schedule a PTE test!

TOEFL^® IBT

92

Schedule TOEFL®

Start preparing for IELTS with Free Practice Tests.

Other requirements

General requirements

A research-based Master's degree with good grades from a recognised university constitutes the basis for admission to doctoral studies. The Master's degree has to include a comprehensive research based thesis.

In order to be admitted as a PhD student the student must have sufficient and relevant previous studies in the field or major to which they apply to.

The applicant's Master's thesis should have received a minimum evaluation of "good" (cum laude approbatur) or be of corresponding standard in cases where grades are not given.

The applicant's previous studies in Economics should have been evaluated as achieving the general grade "good".

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Hanken School of Economics and/or in Finland, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

Free

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 0 EUR per year during 48 months.
EU/EEA

Free

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 0 EUR per year during 48 months.

Living costs for Helsinki

975 - 1584 EUR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Hanken offers funding for doctoral students who study full time. Hanken also offers help in applying for funding.

There are three main potential funding options:

External grant funding from one of the foundations supporting research in the areas relevant to Hanken PhD students, for example the Foundation for Economic Education.