JACOB LOUIS WEISDORF

Office hours
Mondays 16-18 from 21 Sep to 14 Dec 2026. Please email <jacob.weisdorf@uniroma1.it> the day before to secure a time slot during office hours. Outside this period, appointments are available by email.
 
Master theses
For students wishing to write a master's thesis in economic history, please read the thesis instruction document available for download here carefully before contacting me. Please note: the earliest graduation session for students wishing to write their thesis with me is the autumn of 2027.
 
Reference letters
Please note that I only write reference letters for my PhD students, not for master's students or those writing a master's thesis.
 
Economic History 2026/27 (bachelor level, in English):
The course introduces students to economic history and serves as a perfect complement for those interested in development economics. The course takes students from the pre-industrial era through the first, second, and third industrial revolutions up to the present day. The course examines why some countries became wealthy while others remained poor, how this divergence occurred, what barriers to economic development might exist, and what the prospects for future economic growth are. A detailed course description is available on the course website here. Classes take place on Wednesdays (12-14), Thursdays (16-18), and Fridays (16-18) in Aula 8B. Important note: classes start on 23 Sept 2026 and end with an in-class exam on 16, 17, or 18 Dec 2026. Regarding the grading system: the grade combines the score from a written examination (up to 20 points) and an essay (up to 10 points). Oral exams will be used for students who do not take the in-class examination in December. Send the essay as a PDF via email to jacob.weisdorf@uniroma1.it for approval no later than one week before the official exam date found on Infostud. It should be approximately 5,000 words (+/- five per cent), excluding the reference list. The essay topic, chosen by the student, along with the two main research articles that underpin it, must relate to economic history and be approved by me in advance.

Advanced Economic History 2026/27 (master's level, in English):
The course introduces students to advanced economic history and serves as a perfect complement for those interested in development economics. The course takes students from the pre-industrial era through the first, second, and third industrial revolutions up to the present day and beyond. The course examines why some countries became wealthy while others remained poor, how this divergence occurred, what barriers to economic development might exist, and what the prospects for future economic growth are. A detailed course description is available on the course website here. Classes take place on Mondays (14-16) in Aula Fanfani (5th floor) and Thursdays (12-14) in Aula Marrama (6th floor), starting on 21 Sept 2026 and (tentatively) ending with an in-class exam on 14 or 16 Dec 2026. Important note regarding the grading system: the grade combines the score from a written examination (up to 20 points) and an essay (up to 10 points). Oral exams will be used for students who do not take the in-class examination in December. Send the essay as a PDF via email to jacob.weisdorf@uniroma1.it for approval no later than one week before the official exam date found on Infostud. It should be approximately 5,000 words (+/- five per cent), excluding the reference list. The essay topic, chosen by the student, along with the two main research articles that underpin it, must relate to economic history and be approved by me in advance.

Business History (in English):
I no longer teach this course.
 

Please see: https://sites.google.com/view/jacobweisdorf/cv