PhD Economics

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Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

If you would like to be considered for University of Manchester funding, we reccomend you apply as early as possible. If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

• For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024

Before you start your application, you should:

1. Develop your own research proposal and project title.
2. Find a supervisor by browsing our academics' profiles, and reach out directly to discuss if they are interested in supporting your research.
3. Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor.

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal and 500 word statement giving a brief description of any econometrics/macro/micro/mathematics and statistics courses taken during your undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, detailing core texts used. A paragraph for each course unit taken will be sufficient. Please upload the 2000 word document as a single file.
• Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor's and Master's degrees. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript;
• An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE General Test) - Further details can be found in the Aptitude Test Requirements section below.
• You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following submission of your application form. You may wish to contact your referees to request they submit your reference in a reasonable timeframe as this forms part of the review process;
• International applicants must additionally provide English Language evidence (e.g IELTS).

Our five-year PhD programme consists of: 

• Two years of formal training;
• Three years of independent research (with the possibility of a 6th year, for writing up). 

The first year of the programme is equivalent to an MSc in Economics and candidates that have already gained a similar qualification at 2:1 level or above, can be considered for entry directly into the second year.  

In Year 2, you will take advanced PhD level courses and work on your research proposal, which will represent the basis of the subsequent three years of research.  

The programme structure aligns to that of top institutions in the US and the UK, providing you with rigorous advanced training and sufficient time for producing independent research, giving you a competitive edge in the job market.  

We admit around 8-10 PGRs per year, and five-year scholarships from the department/school are available. There is also the possibility to compete for ESRC funding. 

Find out more on our Economics PhD programme webpages.

When you become a postgraduate researcher, you'll join a diverse and vibrant community of doctoral students from nearly 100 different countries, all studying within the Faculty of Humanities.  

You'll be assigned to a specific research area that complements your research interests and have access to a variety of interdisciplinary research institutes. 

Our working environments are often spacious and open-plan, giving you plenty of opportunities to communicate with colleagues and staff within the School. You will have your own desk space as well as access to our fantastic range of libraries on campus. 

All of our academic supervisors are research active and will support you to work on challenging research problems and develop rigorous, creative and original research. 

You can expect to meet with your supervisor at least once a month to discuss progress on your project. 

You will have access to a large and diverse community of internationally recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development. 

We provide additional financial support for a number of activities related to your PhD, including: 

• presenting at international conferences;
• attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities;
• conducting fieldwork in the UK and overseas;
• hands-on, paid teaching experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.  

Graduate Teaching Assistants are valued members of the teaching team. As such, we take pride in the opportunities provided for the professional development of graduate teaching assistants.  

Our training includes preparation for application to the Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. This brings a range of benefits:

• consolidates your personal development and emphasises your professional practice in HE;
• entitlement to use post-nominal letters – AFHEA;
• provides a valuable measure of success and is increasingly sought by employers across the education sector as a condition of appointment and promotion;
• recognised and valued by a growing number of international institutions. 

See the Associate Fellowship website for more information.

The department provides resources to support postgraduate researchers (PGRs) going on the job market. This includes practice interview sessions, as well as introductory talks on the European and American academic job markets. These talks are aimed towards year-5 PGRs but are open to all PGRs. 

In recent years, our PhD candidates have obtained research positions at universities, central banks and policy institutions. Visit our website to see recent placement history for our PhD students.   

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a PGR and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help support you with your goals for the future.  

As a PGR, you'll have access to a dedicated Researcher Development Team who will support your professional development throughout your PhD journey and beyond. 

Our researcher development programme will enable you to become more aware of your developing researcher identity, equipping you with the skills you’ll need during your PhD and preparing you to integrate into the researcher community.  

We offer training sessions to build your skills and confidence in writing and presenting, with specific sessions on viva preparation, thesis submission, and preparing for your Review Panel. 

You'll also have access to a range of workshops, covering areas such as:

• increasing research impact through blog posts;
• making the most of social media; 
• publishing in journals;
• applying for fellowships;
• designing academic posters;
• improving time and self-management. 

In addition, our Humanities training hub gives you additional learning opportunities in public engagement, wellbeing, language training and teaching, alongside more specialist courses in tools and software such as Python, R and NVivo.  

methods@manchester is an initiative that gives you the chance to learn from the very best in research methods expertise at Manchester and beyond. Regular talks, workshops and other methods-related events are organised throughout the academic year.  

Taking a placement provides a great opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange and to develop professional networking opportunities for your future career development. 

We have established Postgraduate Researcher Exchange programmes with a small number of institutions around the world, offering you the opportunity to visit another institution, access research resources and experience another academic culture as well as build professional networks. 

Successful applicants will receive some funding towards travel expenses, accommodation, subsistence, education materials and/or other education-related costs. 

For more information visit our Research training and professional development page.