Applied Economics and Business

Stay tuned — official enrolment dates will be announced.

The University Doctoral Study Programme in Applied Economics and Business is a newly designed, three-year programme delivered entirely in English at the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split. It is built around a personalised approach, giving each doctoral candidate a tailored reading list and academic freedom in their research, guided throughout by a supervisor and, from the second year, a co-supervisor.

The programme focuses on developing advanced research competences and the preparation of high-quality doctoral theses. Its curriculum combines individually tailored theoretical coursework — such as Selection of Texts from a Broader Field of Research and Selection of Texts from a Narrower Field of Research — with a broad range of methodological courses covering both quantitative and qualitative methods, promoting interdisciplinarity and innovation. Compared to the previous doctoral programme, the reformed curriculum rationalises the number of courses, places greater emphasis on methodological and research skills, and gives candidates more flexibility to focus on their own research priorities.

Delivery in English reflects the programme's international orientation: it is designed to prepare candidates for the global academic labour market, connect them with international literature and lecturers, support researcher mobility, and open the Faculty to the international academic environment. The Faculty has already secured letters of intent for collaboration from professors at institutions including the University of Amsterdam, the London School of Economics, MIT Sloan School of Management, Vienna University of Economics and Business, and Cardiff University, among others.

The programme concludes with the preparation and public defence of a doctoral dissertation, following two Doctoral Seminars in which candidates present and then refine their research proposal before the Doctoral Study Committee.

Program Structure

180 ECTS credits · 3 years · fully English-taught

The programme is organised year by year rather than as a fixed list of semester courses: each year combines coursework with an increasing share of independent research work, so that the curriculum can be adapted to each candidate's own research topic under their supervisor's guidance.

Applied Economics

  Year 1: 60 ECTS, all courses are mandatory ECTS
  General Courses 15
1 Research Methodology in Applied Economics and Business 10
2 Academic Writing 5
     
  Theoretical Foundation 20
3 Selection of texts from a broader field of economic research 10
4 Selection of texts from a narrower field of research 10
     
5 Methodological Foundation 10
  Advanced Econometrics 10
     
6 Independent Research Work on Doctoral Dissertation 1 15
     
  60

Business

  Year 1: 60 ECTS, all courses are mandatory ECTS
  General Courses 15
1 Research Methodology in Applied Economics and Business 10
2 Academic Writing 5
     
  Theoretical Foundation 20
3 Selection of texts from a broader field of research 10
4 Selection of texts from a narrower field of research 10
     
  Methodological Foundation 10
5 Advanced Statistical Analysis or Advanced Qualitative Analysis* 10
     
6 Independent Research Work on Doctoral Dissertation 1 15
     
  60

Applied Economics and Business

Year 2: 60 ECTS ECTS
Students must obtain at least 20 ECTS by enrolling in a selected combination of elective courses from the following list (a, b, c): 20
a) Methodological Foundation (at least two courses must be taken)  
· Panel Data Analysis 5
· Time Series Analysis 6
· Experimental Economics 6
· Mathematical Models and Methods in Economics 6
· Machine Learning Methods 6
· Multivariate Analysis 6
· Operations Research 5
· Spatial Econometrics 4
· Causal Inference in Economic Research 6
   
b) Research Tools and Skills (at least one course must be taken)  
· Referencing Tools 2
· Data Visualization Tools 2
· Survey Research 2
· Databases 1
· English for Academic Purposes 3
· Open Science 2
· Research Data Management 2
· Introduction to Programming in MATLAB 2
· Introduction to Programming in Python 2
· Introduction to Programming in R 2
   
c) Any methodological course from the first year that the student was not required to attend may also be taken as an elective course. 10
   
Other Activities (at least 5 ECTS) 5
· Presentation of a Paper at an International Scientific Conference 5
· Participation in Research Workshops, Seminars, Summer Schools 5*
   
Independent Research Work on Doctoral Dissertation 2 30
   
Doctoral Seminar 1 or Research Draft 5
60

Applied Economics and Business

Year 3: 60 ECTS ECTS
Other Activities (at least 10 ECTS) 10
· Presentation of a Paper at an International Scientific Conference 5
· Participation in Research Workshops, Seminars, Summer Schools 5*
· Teaching at the Faculty – Selected Topics 5
· Teaching at the Faculty – Full Semester 10
· Article Published in a WoS-Indexed Journal 10
   
Doctoral Seminar 2 or Revised Research Draft 10
   
Preparation of Doctoral Dissertation 35
Defense of Doctoral Dissertation 5
60

The University Doctoral Study Programme - in Applied Economics and Business

DURATION (IN YEARS)

3

ECTS POINTS

180

PROFESSIONAL TITLE

Doctor of Science in the Field of Social Sciences (PhD, Socio.)

Prerequisites for enrollment

01.
What degree do I need to apply?

Normally a university graduate degree in economics and/or business, an integrated undergraduate-and-graduate degree in the same field, or a university specialist degree in economics/business (Croatia).

02.
My degree is in a different field — can I still apply?

Possibly. Candidates with a Master's degree in a related field (e.g. law, sociology, psychology) or from the natural sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics) with solid quantitative skills may also apply. If there are gaps in your prior education, you may be required to complete an individual doctum colloquium — additional courses (e.g. Selected Topics in Economics/Business, Mathematics for Applied Economics/Business) taken over the summer before the programme starts, to be completed by the end of the first academic year at the latest (max. 4 exam attempts).

03.
I completed my degree abroad — is it recognised automatically?

No, it's subject to the legally required recognition of foreign qualifications.

04.
Do I need an English language certificate?

Yes, unless English is your native language. Accepted proof includes: an average grade of "very good" (4) or higher in English coursework, if you graduated from the University of Split; certified diplomas/transcripts, if your full degree was completed in English at a university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA; otherwise, an internationally recognised test: TOEFL 575 (paper) / 233 (computer) / 94 (internet-based), IELTS/IELTS Academic 7, or Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency / C1 Business Higher. No other tests are accepted.

05.
What does the application actually involve?

A two-step selection process: 1. Initial evaluation (out of 100 points) based on your CV, academic record (GPA), a Research Draft (max. 1,500 words — longer proposals are rejected), plus any publications, GMAT/GRE scores, awards, and letters of recommendation. You need at least 60/100 points to move on. 2. Interview with the Candidate Evaluation Committee (out of 30 points), where you need at least 20/30 points to be admitted.

06.
How does ranking and enrolment work?

A three-member Admissions Committee compiles a provisional ranking list, published on the Faculty website. You can appeal within 48 hours of publication; a final ranking list is then adopted by the Faculty Council. Admitted candidates receive an enrolment decision electronically and are assigned a potential supervisor.

07.
How many places are available, and when does the programme start?

The admissions quota is 12 places, with a planned start in the 2027/2028 academic year.