Admission Requirements

We seek to admit a small number of students each year with the following profile:

Strong intellectual development, as demonstrated by high academic marks and test scores
Emotional maturity to complete a rigorous program of study
Commitment to research in Economics

Application Materials

All applications must be submitted online.

Applications submitted on paper and/or by email will not be considered.

Online application form
Curriculum Vitae
Undergraduate/Bachelor certificate (with final grade)
Master course certificate (with final grade)
Motivation letter, including research interests and suggested course work during the PhD (about 300 words)
Research project proposal written in English (about 600 words)
Transcript of records with all courses (undergraduate/bachelor and master degree), grades per course, and the duration of your degree
Indication of whether the bachelor and/or master’s degree was held in English
(Optional) TOEFL or IELTS score (if presented, will benefit the application)

As part of application review process, the Program Director may request an interview with the candidate.

The application for Doctoral Programmes requires the payment of non-refundable-fee.

Check the general terms for admission here.

Non-Portuguese or non-Bologna Declaration country diploma or certificate

Please be aware that if your diploma or certificate was not awarded by a Portuguese university or a university from a Bologna Declaration Country, you must provide the following information:

Your diploma or certificate must have the final grade
You must present a Transcript of records with all courses, grades per course, and the duration of your degree
The documents must have the Hague Apostille or be recognized by the Portuguese local Consular agency (to be provided until October 30)
When the documents mentioned above are in a foreign language (other than Spanish, French, English, or Italian) a certified translation must be delivered

The application will not be analysed if the documents submitted do not meet the above conditions.

Visa

If you need a visa to study in Portugal, please apply as early as possible.

Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 2026-2027

Portuguese/English Versions

Application Deadlines

Academic year 2026 / 2027

round	application fee	opening date	closing date	reservation fee	programme enrollment	curricular units registration	vacancies	current vacancies
1^st Round	€ 70	DEC 15, 2025	JAN 14, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	JAN 29 - FEB 11, 2026	APR 16 - 30, 2026	opens DEC 15, 2025	10 (unused vacancies transfer to next round)
2^nd Round	€ 70	JAN 28, 2026	FEB 25, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	MAR 12 - 23, 2026	APR 16 - 30, 2026
3^rd Round	€ 70	MAR 11, 2026	APR 6, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	APR 16 - 30, 2026	APR 16 - 30, 2026
4^th Round	€ 70	APR 22, 2026	MAY 13, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026	MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026
5^th Round	€ 70	JUN 3, 2026	JUN 24, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	JUL 9 - 23, 2026	JUL 9 - 23, 2026
6^th Round	€ 70	JUL 8, 2026	AUG 26, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	SEP 10 - 21, 2026	SEP 10 - 21, 2026

Only up to 10 candidates will be accepted

Fees and Financial Aid

For the PhD in Economics, the tuition fees are € 2 750.00 per year. Students are expected to pay a minimum of 4 years of tuition fees.

Please check with the Academic Services for Iscte payment schemes.

Scholarship Calls

Merit Scholarships

Scholarships for duration of the PhD programme are granted to students with an excellent academic profile.

BRU-Iscte will offer merit scholarships to PhD candidates with an outstanding academic background. For more information see Regulation (link here).

Funding Opportunities

There are several scholarships and financial support schemes available for national and international PhD candidates.

Competition can be strong, but it is well worth exploring your options. Following are some of the main places to find out more about grants and funding opportunities.

Funding Opportunities for PhD Candidates