Bridge to the Ph.D. Program

The Department of Economics is proud to have participated in Columbia University’s Bridge to the Ph.D. program,  supporting nine Bridge Scholars beginning in 2019. The final cohort of Scholars is expected to complete the program and move on to their next academic or professional stages in Summer 2026 – Fall 2026.

The Bridge to PhD Program provided an intensive research, academic, and mentoring experience for post-baccalaureate scholars seeking to strengthen their graduate school applications and prepare for the transition to Ph.D study. Bridge Scholar alumni affiliated with the Economics Department have gone on to pursue graduate degrees at Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University (NYU), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and other leading institutions. A full list of the Department’s Bridge Scholar alumni, along with their PER predoctoral peers, is available on the Program for Economic Research Pre-Doc Alumni Page.

Bridge participants were hired as full-time Columbia University research assistants for up to two years and conducted research under the mentorship of Economics Department faculty. Research areas within the Department include behavioral economics, development economics, education and health economics, and political economy. An overview of the department’s research can be found on the Program for Economic Research website, and the faculty webpage is searchable by research area.

Bridge Scholars received an annual salary commensurate with comparable predoctoral programs, along with a $2,000 annual stipend to support professional and educational expenses such as conference travel and the purchaes of academic materials. As full-time employees, Bridge Scholars were also eligible for University benefits.

In addition to their research responsibilities, Bridge participants typically enrolled in one to two Columbia University courses per semester  related to their intended field of graduate study. For economics scholars, this coursework often included mathematics courses, undergraduate economics electives, or introductory Master’s- or Ph.D.-level courses. The Program also offered monthly one-on-one progress meetings with the Program Director, peer social and academic events with the PER Predoctoral program, access to professional development workshops and GRE preparation resources, and collaboration with Columbia’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science to support Scholars’ success at Columbia and their applications to Ph.D. programs.

Please note that starting in 2025 and until further notice, Columbia University, including the Department of Economics, is not accepting applications to the Bridge to PhD Program.