About GTAP: Graduate Programs

Individuals interested in applying for a doctorate with the Center for Global Trade Analysis must apply through one of the following:

Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics
A doctoral degree in Agricultural Economics prepares students for careers in academia, agribusiness, consulting firms, financial institutions, government, or non-governmental organizations. Opportunities will vary depending upon the student's choice of specialty area.

Purdue University Department of Economics
The Department of Economics in Purdue University's Krannert Graduate School of Management offers a doctoral program that prepares economists for careers in research, teaching, business and government. The graduate program in economics has a strong quantitative and analytical orientation. It is designed to provide a working knowledge of basic research skills and to broaden the students' understanding of economic institutions.

While the department decides who is accepted for the Ph.D. program, we encourage you to contact Thomas Hertel and/or visit the Center to discuss your application and/or interest. The Center usually prefers to accept students in their second year of study after they have undertaken their first year of coursework and have learned about other research being undertaken in the department. Note that competition for places and funding is very high; therefore, we strongly encourage early application.

PhD Students Working in the Center for Global Trade Analysis.

Testimonials from former students

Tasneem Mirza

"My experience at Purdue and beyond has been rewarding in many ways, and I owe much of that to GTAP. I graduated from a Liberal Arts College in Mathematics and Economics, and joined the International Economics PhD Program at Purdue. I held a Research Assistantship position at GTAP which gave me the opportunity to work on the development of the GTAP model and database. My research thesis on 'Infrastructure and Trade' was closely aligned with my work with GTAP, which gave me greater flexibility, depth of knowledge, and scope for creativity and initiative. I was interested to work on the benefits of trade facilitation and regional cooperation, and how it may lead to the expansion of markets, employment, and greater opportunities for the poor in South Asia. During my tenure at GTAP I wrote a paper on this topic jointly with Dr. Hertel that was funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). After Purdue I joined ADB's Young Professional Program under the Regional Cooperation Unit of the South Asia Department. Currently, I am engaged in the programming and design of trade facilitation related projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. I am very fortunate to be able to work in the area of development which has been my interest from early days, and I was guided and mentored closely by the GTAP team for my career progression. Besides developing academically and professionally at GTAP, I met wonderful people who were a family to me at Purdue and from whom I learnt and developed as a person as well." - Tasneem Mirza

Carlos Ludena

"After obtaining my PhD, I have used my CGE knowledge in my professional career for numerous things. I have looked into several issues using my CGE expertise, analyzing trade liberalization throughout Latin America, reduction of transportation costs in Paraguay, a convergence fund in Mercosur, import restrictions in Ecuador, and impacts of trade liberalization on poverty in Bolivia. I have also worked in several CGE training courses in Latin America. This capacity building effort has helped regional government institutions to be able to have this analytical tool and be able to answer policy questions for them. Right now, I work as a Research Economist at the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Currently, I am working on the impacts of climate change in Latin America, looking at both adaptation and mitigation. CGE has been a tool that has allowed me to look at this issue with ease, and provide good economic analysis within the IDB." - Carlos Ludena