Becoming an economics professor is a long road, usually 5 to 7 years of PhD study after a bachelor's degree, but each step is clear. You first build the math and core theory, then learn to do real empirical research with data, then learn to teach well and enter the academic job market. This roadmap uses only free resources. Your goal at each stage is to prove to yourself that you can do what the job asks: explain ideas clearly, work with data, and produce original research. Note that the PhD itself is normally funded by the university, with tuition waived and a stipend paid, so you do not pay
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Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 3 · about 40 weeks
Master undergraduate economics and the math behind it, and get ready to apply to PhD programs.
Intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics
Every course you will teach rests on these models: consumer choice, firms, markets, growth and the business cycle. If you can explain why a price ceiling creates a shortage using a supply and demand graph, you can teach it. Understanding comes before the formulas.
Calculus, linear algebra and probability
Graduate economics is written in math. Optimization (maximizing utility under a budget) uses calculus and Lagrangians, and regression uses matrices and probability. Strong math is the biggest factor in PhD admissions.
Introductory statistics and econometrics
Economists test ideas with data. You need to know what a regression coefficient means, what a standard error is, and why correlation is not causation.
Spreadsheets and first programming in R or Python
You will clean data, run models and make graphs in every research project, and you will build demos for class.
Then 2 more stages (about 248 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 6 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.