PhD Economics

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Duration
4 to 5 years depending on point of entry
Entry requirements

Streams : The 1+3 stream consists one year of PhD level teaching followed by 3 years of research. The 1+1+3 stream consists of one year of MSc teaching followed by the 1+3 stream.

High level of performance: Achieving an average of 65% in coursework with no unit marks below 55% for both UG and PG degrees as well as 65% mark for dissertation. Typically, offer holders tend to achieve much higher standards than this.

Degree Requirement : Economics degree training should be equivalent to the training given at the University of Manchester. Applicants with degree in quantitative fields other than economics will be considered on a case by case basis. We will not normally consider applicants whose previous studies have been in non-quantitative fields. Our criteria are:

  • 1+1+3 Stream: High level performance in degree equivalent to BSc or MA in Economics from the University of Manchester.
  • 1+3 Stream: High level performance in degree equivalent to the training in the MSc phase of our PhD programme.

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Apply online

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

Application Deadlines

Admission to the PhD programme is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, but you must submit your application before the deadline below to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this deadline has passed.

  • For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024

It should be noted that the deadlines for funding competitions will often be earlier than the deadline shown above. For internal studentships from the School of Social Sciences, the application deadline is the same as the programme deadline above. However, we reserve the right to close the competition at any stage if all awards have been allocated, so we recommend that you apply as early as possible. If you intend to apply for external funding sources (e.g. ESRC NWSSDTP), you must submit your programme application far enough in advance of the relevant external funding deadlines, which are usually much earlier than the programme deadline listed above.

Programme options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
PhD Y N N N

Programme overview

  • Join a vibrant and active research hub, with weekly seminars in macroeconomics, economic theory and applied economics.
  • Benefit from staff with expertise across all areas of economics.
  • We host prestigious events such as the Annual Conferences of the Royal Economic Society and the Summer Meeting of the European Economic Society and the Econometric Society.
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Economics - PGR Virtual Open Week Session (September 24 entry)

Open days

To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • PhD (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £4,786
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards available to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered .

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting your funding application and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Social Sciences
Contact name
Humanities Doctoral Academy Admissions
Telephone
+44 (0)161 275 1200
Email
Website
https://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/
School/Faculty

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

Streams : The 1+3 stream consists one year of PhD level teaching followed by 3 years of research. The 1+1+3 stream consists of one year of MSc teaching followed by the 1+3 stream.

High level of performance: Achieving an average of 65% in coursework with no unit marks below 55% for both UG and PG degrees as well as 65% mark for dissertation. Typically, offer holders tend to achieve much higher standards than this.

Degree Requirement : Economics degree training should be equivalent to the training given at the University of Manchester. Applicants with degree in quantitative fields other than economics will be considered on a case by case basis. We will not normally consider applicants whose previous studies have been in non-quantitative fields. Our criteria are:

  • 1+1+3 Stream: High level performance in degree equivalent to BSc or MA in Economics from the University of Manchester.
  • 1+3 Stream: High level performance in degree equivalent to the training in the MSc phase of our PhD programme.

English language

International applicants must provide one of the following:
  • IELTS test minimum score - 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in other sections.
  • TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score - 100 overall, 25 all sections.
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score - 76 overall, 76 in writing, 70 in other sections.
  • To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years.
  • O ther tests may be considered.
Please note, CAS statements are only issued when all conditions of the offer have been satisfied, offer accepted, and a PDF copy of passport received.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the programme.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country .

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

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

Application Deadlines

Admission to the PhD programme is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, but you must submit your application before the deadline below to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this deadline has passed.

  • For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024

It should be noted that the deadlines for funding competitions will often be earlier than the deadline shown above. For internal studentships from the School of Social Sciences, the application deadline is the same as the programme deadline above. However, we reserve the right to close the competition at any stage if all awards have been allocated, so we recommend that you apply as early as possible. If you intend to apply for external funding sources (e.g. ESRC NWSSDTP), you must submit your programme application far enough in advance of the relevant external funding deadlines, which are usually much earlier than the programme deadline listed above.

Advice to applicants

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).

Interview requirements

As part of the offer making process, applicants will be required to undertake an interview assessment. This may be in the form of an in-person interview or video call.

The interview is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the broad topic area, the viability of your proposed research and its intellectual contribution, alongside the fit of your project with the supervisory team. You also may be asked to identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research, and discuss how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance.

The interview panel will consist at minimum of your proposed primary supervisor and an independent interviewer.

Aptitude test requirement

You must input the details of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE General Test) in the Admissions Test section of the application form ensuring that you report the scores on the quantitative, verbal and analytical writing sections along with percentiles. There is no restriction on when you took the test.

Exception to the GRE General Test requirement can be obtained in advance, but only if you have alternative means of demonstrating strong quantitative ability. If an exception is granted you will be informed by the Admissions Team how to complete the Admissions Test section of the application form.

Deferrals

It is normally possible to defer your offer to a later entry point, with the approval of your supervisory team and Department PGR Director, and if applicable, funder. Please be aware that the University of Manchester permits applications to be deferred only once, for a maximum of two years. Your English Language evidence must be valid on the date of registration.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful, you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard programme entry criteria for that year of entry.

In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen programme.

Programme details

Programme description

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.

Additional programme information

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

All appointments are made on merit.

The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Teaching and learning

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 of Economics is recognised as a leading centre for economics research, and research-led teaching, with particular strengths in economic theory, macroeconomics and econometrics, which support strong applied work in labour economics and environmental economics.

Building on these core areas, recent professorial appointments are leading international research agendas in Financial Economics/Mathematical Finance, game theory with economic applications, and development macroecomics, with the latter's emphasis on poverty-reduction and growth informing the future research direction of the Growth and Business Cycles Research Group, co-directed by George Bratsiotis and Akos Valentinyi. Further information can be found at https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/gbcr/

Whilst supporting all aspects of intellectual enquiry through high-quality research, our strategy is to underpin this with foundations in the core of the discipline in order to maintain a profile which addresses key economics research questions of the day. To facilitate this, and to provide an academically stimulating environment of discourse and debate research is organised principally through our research areas .

Members of the Economic Studies have had papers published by many leading journals, including: American Economic Review, Econometrica, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Mathematical Economics, International Economic Review, European Economic Review, Journal of Public Economics, Economic Journal, International Journal of Game Theory, Games and Economic Behaviour, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Journal of Econometrics, Econometric Theory, Biometrika, Review of Economics and Statistics, Econometric Reviews, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Journal of Labour Economics, Journal of Applied Econometrics.

What our students say

See profiles of current and former PGRs in Economics.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

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.