This database compiles information on Ph.D. dissertations in economics defended in France since 1900. See our companion website for news and full documentation. The French database is implemented as a relational database that integrates multiple interconnected data frames. It is organized around four main components: Thesis Metadata: This table contains the core information for each dissertation. Each entry corresponds to a single thesis and includes details such as the title, defense date, abstract, and other relevant metadata. Edges Data: This table captures the connections between the other three tables, linking individuals, institutions, and theses. It associates each thesis with the individuals and institutions involved in its production, thereby enabling a synthetized view of these relationships. The edges data are provided in two formats: (1) a ready-to-use format with cleaned and standardized information; and (2) a more extensive format that allows for comparison between the original collected data and the results of the cleaning process. Institutions Data: This table includes information on universities, laboratories, doctoral schools, and other institutions associated with the dissertations. Each entry corresponds to a single institution. Individual Data: This table contains information on the individuals involved in the dissertations, including authors, supervisors, and jury members. Each entry corresponds to a single individual. The data used in this project comes from three mains sources: Theses.fr: https://theses.fr/ Sudoc: https://www.sudoc.fr/ IdRef: https://www.idref.fr/] If you use our data or scripts, please cite the following reference: “Delcey Thomas, and Aurélien Goutsmedt. (2024). Becoming an Economist: A Database of French Economics PhDs. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14541427”