Is a master from Toulouse school of economics or Paris school of economics highly recognized for a top PhD in economics in the USA?

[Dung Le]

Hi!

My name is Dung Le and I’m from Vietnam. I have a desire to pursue a PhD in economics in a top-20 graduate school in the USA, but I feel that, with a background of undergraduate in Vietnam and having no master degree, my dream will not come true.

So I’m thinking of taking a master degree in Toulouse school of economics (TSE) or Paris school in economics (PSE) as an intermediate step. I have two LoRs, one from a professor at PSE and the other from a professor at TSE, so it is very likely that I will be accepted for admission from TSE and PSE.

Please help me with my questions!

1.     I heard from one of my friends that TSE and PSE are respected for their theoretical and mathematics-focused teaching style and curriculums. Is this insight correct?

2.     Is master degree from TSE or PSE highly recognized in top graduate school in the USA (Chicago, MIT, Stanford, …)?

3.     If I study well (top 5 in class) in the Master program from TSE or PSE, is it possible for me to be admitted to top PhD in economics in the USA?

4.     Between PSE and TSE, which one is best suited for me if my goal is to be admitted in top PhD in economics in the USA? Below are master programs in these two schools.

a.     Public Policy and Development – PSE

https://www.parisschoolofeconomics.eu/en/teaching/masters-program/ppd-public-policy-and-development/

b.     Analysis and Policy in Economics - PSE

https://www.parisschoolofeconomics.eu/en/teaching/masters-program/ape-analysis-policy-in-economics/

c.      Master 1 in Economics (international track) – TSE

https://www.tse-fr.eu/master-1-economics-international-track

d.     Master 1 in Econometrics and Statistics (international track) - TSE

https://www.tse-fr.eu/master-1-econometrics-and-statistics-international-track

5.     In Master 1 Econometrics and Statistics (international track), I see that there are apparently two options in which the first one is Decisions Mathematics Path and the second one is Statistics and Applied Econometrics Path.

You can find the curriculums of these two paths at https://www.tse-fr.eu/master-1-econometrics-and-statistics-international-track .

Please elaborate on the differences, and pros and cons between these two paths.

Thank you so much for your help!

[ExponentialDecay]

Please elaborate on the differences, and pros and cons between these two paths.

Just fyi you're asking for a lot from people who aren't professional admissions consultants and aren't paid to help you.

Here's what you do: check what PhDs these schools place students into. For PSE, it will mostly be their own PhD program (which is good btw), but a few go on to top PhDs as well. Contact the school/professors to chat about your options if you need more information (professors won't always answer but the admissions office can usually give you more detailed placement info). Check the urch forums - they have a lot of discussions on this topic (to the extent that, if you've done your research, you really shouldn't need to be posting such a question anywhere). I would also advise you to apply to other European schools that place students into top PhDs (Bocconi, BGSE, CEMFI, etc) and not to get hung up on top PhDs - economics is incredibly competitive and you need to be a top student (in one of these incredibly competitive, cutthroat programs) to have a chance. But you can still have an excellent career from a T30 downwards.

Don't do any degree with "policy" in the name. The pre-PhD programs are always called something like economics, or economics and finance, or economics and [insert mathematical thing]. That said, placement will differ slightly from program to program and school to school (e.g. some schools are macro-focused, others micro, some are more theoretical and others more applied) and whilst it doesn't matter too much, it's better if you're working with professors who are known in your subfield. It also helps to get relevant research experience.