The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

EADS is an international PhD program hosted by the IMT School, one of the six Schools of Excellence in Italy, and one of the highest rated graduate schools in Europe, according to the most recent U-Multirank survey. The IMT School provides rigorous training and close supervision in variety of disciplines in the social, human and natural sciences, welcoming multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches at their boundaries.

The IMT School is a truly international environment with students from all around the world. The School has a record of placing students in top research universities, policy-making institutions, and companies. English is the official language of the School.

The PhD program in Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences

EADS trains students to undertake cutting-edge research in a wide range of economic and social disciplines with a unique multidisciplinary approach that relies on the unifying language of statistics and data science, as well as on selected tools from computer science and psychology.

EADS students also have the opportunity of completing their research projects under joint supervision (double-degree) with partner universities, including KU Leuven and the University of Alicante. All students are encouraged to spend part of their studies abroad, both within the Erasmus+ framework and through ad hoc mobility agreements.

Scholarships and funding

All students offered a place in the PhD programme receive full funding, which includes a tax-free stipend of €16,243/year for up to four years, with a possibility of graduating after the third year.

All students receive substantial financial support for attending international academic conferences, summer/winter schools and other developmental opportunities.

Accommodation, desk and meals

All students are granted a desk and free access to the IMT campus (see Campus Life page) for 4 years. The campus is equipped with relaxation areas, coffee areas, a dedicated Turkish bath, a small fitness centre, a common leisure room featuring several entertainment facilities (football and tennis table, PlayStation, board games), and a kitchenette with a cooker, a microwave and a dishwasher.

All students are granted free accommodation in hotel-like single room with cleaning service for the first 3 years (estimated value of €21,300).

All students are granted free meals (lunch and dinner, 365 days per year) at the canteen Campus for 4 years (a benefit worth €14,750).

Incoming student profiles

The EADS program welcomes candidates with training in one of the following subject areas: economics, management, statistics, law, physics, computer science, engineering, logic and philosophy of science, mathematics, cognitive and behavioral sciences, or in contiguous areas.

The ideal candidate is interested in acquiring distinctive competencies in economics, analytics and decision sciences, but does not necessarily need to have previous training in these areas.

However, it is crucial that the candidate demonstrates solid quantitative skills, comparable with those typically acquired in economics-managerial degrees.

Outgoing student profiles

The Program prepares to face, analyze and solve a wide spectrum of complex and policy-relevant problems at the institutional, social and industrial level, with the primary objective of identifying sustainable solutions and designing effective intervention policies in the economic and social spheres as well as in business life.

EADS graduated will have strong competencies on the analysis of economic decision-making and on the statistical-econometric analysis of data and economic evidence, plus individual specialization along the lines of economics and management, management and decision sciences, or economics and decision sciences.

Job placement opportunities encompass academia (various disciplines, especially economic sciences and statistics), the public administration, international institutions, research laboratories, study centers, and regulatory authorities, as well as private companies (services, industry and professional advice).

Past graduates in economic disciplines from the IMT School are currently working at leading universities, international institutions, research centers, banks, insurance and consulting companies, innovative startups and other private companies, with a focus on quantitative assessment and solution of complex problems (see Past Students page).

What EADS offers

• International, vibrant, and interdisciplinary research environment.

• Rigorous training in economics, analytics and decision sciences.

• Opportunity to meet leading researchers that visit IMT every year.

• Free single room accommodation for 3 years.

• Desk in the campus.

• Every day free meals (lunch and dinner) at the IMT canteen for 4 years.

• Scholarship €16,243/year for up to four years.

• Participation in exchange programs.

• Double degree programs.