phd economics part time

PhD in Economics

Request Info Visit Us Apply Now

• Center for Neuroeconomics Studies
• Claremont Institute for Economic Policy Studies

Computational Justice Lab

Our PhD program promotes practice-based scholarship that embraces the scientific method to better understand how people and societies make decisions.

Students are exposed to cutting-edge research in international economics and behavioral and applied microeconomics. Students are encouraged to collaborate with top scholars impacting the field today. Because we are an all-graduate student program, we mentor our students closely and prepare them for success in a competitive and fast-changing world. We have a long history of both influential research and of training students for careers in academia, government, and the private sector.

Program Highlights

• We closely mentor our students throughout their graduate school experience. CGU is an all-graduate institution & its core faculty are dedicated to enhancing our students’ success.
• We offer an active intellectual environment through informal brainstorming groups, and formal workshops and seminars.
• Students can get teaching and research assistantships at CGU and can also gain valuable teaching experience through lectureships in Los Angeles area colleges and universities.
• Our apprentice/experienced practitioner educational model offers our students research experience by involving them in research projects that require problem solving and the application of analytical skills as well as the ability to effectively collaborate as a member of a research team.
• As members of The Claremont Colleges, Economics PhD students have access to one-of-a-kind support from adjunct faculty and the Consortium’s infrastructure that prepare them for career success.
• This program is STEM designated, allowing international students who hold F-1 visas to apply for OPT work authorizations for a total of 36 months (an initial 1-year period and a 24-month OPT STEM extension) of paid work experience in the U.S. after graduation.

Program at a Glance

UNITS 72 units

*Actual completion times will vary and may be higher, depending on full- or part-time course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.

COURSES BEGIN Fall | Spring

DEPARTMENT Economic Sciences

DIVISION Division of Politics & Economics

DEGREE AWARDED PhD in Economics

Featured Courses

This course introduces the subject matter, methods, and results of experimental economics. The course will stress the interaction of theory and experiment, seeking to relate questions in the theory of markets, games, and decisions to issues in experimental design and the analysis and interpretation of results.

Global monetary and financial issues have captured the interest of economists for very many years, with recent international events including the global financial crisis in 2008/09 and the economic and financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic only serving to shine an even stronger light on them.

This course covers probability and statistics. Topics include the fundamental concepts of probability theory, Bayes’ rule, notions of discrete and continuous distributions, hypothesis testing, and other necessary statistical instruments, which are widely used in almost every phase of your academic career. A firm understanding of mathematical techniques and its applications covered in this class is essential for successful graduate studies in economics.

This course takes the design of graphics and tables seriously and explores a variety of visual techniques for investigating patterns in data, summarizing statistical results, and efficiently representing the robustness of such results to alternative modeling assumptions.

This course is designed to give students a flexible and broad toolkit for conducting quantitative social science research. It will cover the skills needed to collect, clean, aggregate, explore, visualize, and analyze data using the R statistical language. It will cover everything from general programming and workflow to web scraping and mapping.

This course is an opportunity for students to obtain a deep understanding of the theory and empirical support in law and economics. While the course will cover many areas within law and economics, a focus will revolve around criminal justice issues.

View All Economics Courses

As a student in the Department of Economic Sciences, you will have the opportunity to contribute to faculty-led research opportunities that offer practice-oriented learning.

Faculty & Research

Paul J. Zak

Professor of Economic Sciences, Psychology & Management Director, Center for Neuroeconomics Studies

Research Interests

Neuroeconomics, Neuroscience of Narratives, Neuromanagement

C. Mónica Capra

Professor of Economic Sciences

Experimental Economics, Behavioral Economics, Neuroeconomics

Joshua Tasoff

Associate Professor of Economic Sciences

Behavioral Economics, Experimental Economics, Animal Welfare Economics

Gregory DeAngelo

Associate Professor of Economic Sciences Director, Computational Justice Lab

Law, Political Economy, Public Choice

Affiliated with

Robert Klitgaard

University Professor

Public Policy, Economic Strategy, Institutional Reform, Corruption

Tom Kniesner

Senior Research Fellow

Labor Economics, Health Economics, Econometrics

Graham Bird

Clinical Professor of Economic Sciences Program Director: International Money and Finance; International Economics and Development Policy Co-Director: Claremont Institute for Economic Policy Studies

International Finance, International Macroeconomics, Economic Development

Thomas Willett

Professor Emeritus Director, Claremont Institute for Economic Studies

International Money and Finance, International Political Economy and Economic Policy

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

Akita International University, Japan

Assistant Professor of Economics, Akita, Japan

ALG, TrueCar

Vice President, Data Analytics, Santa Barbara, CA

California State University at San Marcos

Assistant Professor of Economics, San Marcos, CA

California State University at Sonoma

Assistant Professor of Economics, Rohnert Park, CA

Central Bank of Guatemala

Economist, Guatemala

Central Bank of Indonesia

Economist, Indonesia

Central University of Finance and Economics

Assistant Professor of Economics, Beijing, China

Chapman University

Assistant Professor of Economics, Orange, CA

Eckerd College

Assistant Professor of Economics, St. Petersburg, FL

Ernst & Young

Analyst, Los Angeles, CA

Finance Ministry of Thailand

Economist, Thailand

Harvard Law School

Manager Empirical Research Center, Boston, MA

Ivey Business School – Univ. Western Ontario

Assistant Professor of Economics, Canada

Kansai Gaidai University

Assistant Professor of Economics, Japan

Kent State University

Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics, Kent, Ohio

Loyola Marymount University

Clinical Assistant Professor of Economics

Ministry of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia

Economist, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Ministry of Finance

Fiscal Policy Office, Thailand

National University of Sciences and Technology

Assistant Professor, Islamabad

Northern Arizona University

Assistant Professor of Economics

Oxford University

Postdoctoral Candidate in Behavioral Economics, United Kingdom

Pepperdine University

Assistant Professor of Finance, Malibu, CA

Pricewaterhouse Coopers

Economist, London, United Kingdom

Resources for the Future

Postdoctoral Researcher, Washington, DC

Results Washington

Director, Olympia, WA

SAB Holdings

Investment Consultant, China

Samsung Economic Institute

Senior Researcher, South Korea

Samsung Securities

Investment Analyst, South Korea

Saudia Arabia Ministry of Finance and Economy

Economist, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority

Stitch Labs

Data Analyst, San Francisco, CA

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Manager, Market Research, San Francisco, CA

Toyota Motors

Senior Analyst, Los Angeles, CA

UBS (New York)

Quantitative Economist

University of California, Riverside

Clinical Assistant Professor of Finance, Riverside, CA

University of Massachusetts, Boston

Visiting Professor of Economics, Boston, MA

Whittier College

Assistant Professor of Economics, Whittier, CA

Request information about the Economics program

• Name * First Name Last Name
• Phone (optional)
• Address Zip / Postal Code Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands
• Anticipated Start Date Choose Your Start Date Summer 2024 Fall 2024
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Frank Frias

Director of Admissions & Recruitment T: 909-607-3240 E: [email protected]

Ph.D. in Economics

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Economics at Columbia University trains students to do cutting edge research in economics.  Students in our program do research in all major areas of economics including microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, international economics, labor economics, public finance, industrial organization, development economics, and urban economics.  Our department provides strong training both in theoretical economics and in applied and empirical economics.  The Ph.D. program is primarily designed for students that are interested in pursuing a career in teaching and research within academia but is also useful for student interested in certain positions within governments, research organizations, or private businesses.

The first two years of our Ph.D. program is largely devoted to rigorous coursework. After the second year, however, students devote most of their time to their own research under the supervision of faculty advisors. Students in our program generally complete their Ph.D. in 5 or 6 years.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is highly selective.  We receive approximately 1,000 applications each year for an incoming class of roughly 25 students.  We place a high value on attracting the very best minds, and recruiting members of groups who will both enhance the diversity of research in the field and contribute to the diversity of the university’s academic and professional community.

The Ph.D. program has a long and illustrious history.  Alumni of the program include some of the most distinguished economists of the last century – including Nobel Prize winners Kenneth J. Arrow, Milton Friedman, Simon Smith Kuznets, and William S. Vickrey.

• Program Description
• Admissions Information
• Placement Information
• Student Life
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Program Requirements
• Announcements
• Graduate Student Appointments
• Office Hours
• List of 2nd Year Fields
• PhD Administrative Forms
• Job Market Candidates
• Honors and Prizes
• 1st Year Students (2023)
• 2nd Year Students (2022)
• 3rd Year Students (2021)
• 4th Year Students (2020)
• 5th Year Students (2019)
• 6th Year Students (2018)
• 7th Year Students (2017)
• Bridge to the Ph.D. Program

1022 International Affairs Building (IAB)

Mail Code 3308

420 West 118th Street

New York, NY 10027

Doctoral Program

The Ph.D. program is a full time program leading to a Doctoral Degree in Economics.  Students specialize in various fields within Economics by enrolling in field courses and attending field specific lunches and seminars.  Students gain economic breadth by taking additional distribution courses outside of their selected fields of interest.

General requirements

Students  are required to complete 1 quarter of teaching experience. Teaching experience includes teaching assistantships within the Economics department or another department .

University's residency requirement

135 units of full-tuition residency are required for PhD students. After that, a student should have completed all course work and must request Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status.

Department degree requirements and student checklist

1. core course requirement.

Required: Core Microeconomics (202-203-204) Core Macroeconomics (210-211-212) Econometrics (270-271-272).  The Business School graduate microeconomics class series may be substituted for the Econ Micro Core.  Students wishing to waive out of any of the first year core, based on previous coverage of at least 90% of the material,  must submit a waiver request to the DGS at least two weeks prior to the start of the quarter.  A separate waiver request must be submitted for each course you are requesting to waive.  The waiver request must include a transcript and a syllabus from the prior course(s) taken.  

2.  Field Requirements

Required:  Two of the Following Fields Chosen as Major Fields (click on link for specific field requirements).  Field sequences must be passed with an overall grade average of B or better.  Individual courses require a letter grade of B- or better to pass unless otherwise noted.

Research fields and field requirements :

• Behavioral & Experimental
• Development Economics
• Econometric Methods with Causal Inference
• Econometrics
• Economic History
• Environmental, Resource and Energy Economics
• Industrial Organization
• International Trade & Finance
• Labor Economics
• Market Design
• Microeconomic Theory
• Macroeconomics
• Political Economy
• Public Economics

3.  Distribution

Required:  Four other graduate-level courses must be completed. One of these must be from the area of economic history (unless that field has already been selected above). These courses must be distributed in such a way that at least two fields not selected above are represented.  Distribution courses must be passed with a grade of B or better.

4.  Field Seminars/Workshops

Required:  Three quarters of two different field seminars or six quarters of the same field seminar from the list below.   

Economics, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences, admission requirements.

The admission of each applicant is decided by the Department as a whole and rests upon their academic record (especially economics and mathematics courses), GRE test scores, recommendations of scholars and instructors, and other pertinent information including a match between the research interests of the applicant and the faculty. To apply for admission, applicants are required to upload unofficial transcripts of all previous college and university study to their online application. Failure to upload unofficial transcripts will result in an inability to complete and submit the online application. In addition, we require at least two letters of recommendation. These recommendation letters should come from individuals who can comment on your scholarly skills. All applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination. Admitted students nearly always have very high quantitative GRE scores. Applicants must take the TOEFL with a minimum score of 100 (internet based), 600 (paper based) or 250 (computer based), or IELTS with a bandscore of 7.  Applicants with degrees from universities in the United States or the countries listed on the KSAS Graduate Admissions website are exempt from this language proficiency requirement. It is the country in which the university is located that determines whether the requirement applies, not the language of instruction at the university.

Students should have a knowledge of economic theory and statistics and a strong background in mathematics including differential and integral calculus and linear algebra. Almost all of our students enter with at least two semesters of calculus and linear algebra. In admissions decisions, we like applicants to have taken other mathematics courses as well, including more advanced calculus, differential equations, probability, and real analysis. We especially welcome applications from under-represented populations, as diversity is important in our graduate program.

Program Requirements

Preparation for the Dissertation . The program’s first year is comprised of two semesters each of courses in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and statistics/econometrics, along with a one-semester course in mathematical methods. Second-year students take courses in specific fields within economics.  If necessary, students may take relevant courses in other departments such as Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Political Science, Public Health, Sociology, and Anthropology.  Second-year students also begin their exposure to original research through research mentorships with faculty.  A research paper is submitted near the end of the second year.  Third-year students complete any remaining course work and prepare a dissertation proposal

Comprehensive Exam.  This exam is administered by the department and consists of three written examinations designed to test the candidate’s knowledge of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics/econometrics. The written examinations are taken prior to the start of the second year.

Dissertation.  The dissertation is an original investigation worthy of publication, prepared under the supervision of three members of the faculty. A dissertation proposal is due near the end of the third year.  Though it is feasible to finish the program in four years, students typically complete the Ph.D. in five or six years.  The final requirement is a Graduate Board Oral Examination on the dissertation.  The committee that administers the examination includes faculty from outside the department. 

Requirements for the M.A. Degree

The department does not admit students from outside Johns Hopkins University who intend to work only for an M.A. However, it does offer this degree as an intermediate step toward the Ph.D. or as a final degree to some of those who do not complete their doctoral work.

Beyond the general university requirements, the department requires for the master’s degree two years of satisfactory graduate course work.

College of Arts & Sciences

Ph.D. Program

Welcome to the phd program.

The Georgetown University Economics Ph.D. program is a full-time program designed for students who seek research careers at the forefront of economic science. The Ph.D. program provides an excellent training environment for future scholars. Located in the nation’s capital, it is ideally situated for both students specializing in pure science and those who wish to study policy informed by science.

Main Contacts

• Julius Shapiro serves as the PhD Program Coordinator. Please contact him first with any questions related to the PhD Program.
• Professor  Toshihiko Mukoyama  serves as Director of Graduate Studies and is responsible for the PhD Program.

Information for Applying to the PhD Program

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Supplementary Form

Biennial Conference

Recent Placements

Information for Current Students

Current PhDs Students

Razin Lecture and Prize

General Information

• Directions to the Department
• Housing Information
• Current Job Market Candidates
• Previous Job Market Candidates

Our PhD Students

• Current PhD Student Profiles

Program Requirements

• Course of Study
• Core Courses
• Field Courses
• Policies and Procedures

PhD in Economics

You are here: american university college of arts & sciences economics phd in economics.

• Request Info

Are you interested in…

Explore more.

Are you interested in...

202-885-3770

Fax: 202-885-3790

[email protected]

Kreeger , Room 104 on a map

Back to top

PhD in Economics At a Glance

• 45 credit hours of course work, completed in as little as 2.5 years.
• Study diverse theoretical perspectives, including post-Keynesian, intuitionalist, evolutionary, and feminist economics.
• Tailor your field coursework to best match your research interests.
• Designated as a STEM degree program 
• Program Director: Professor Nathan Larson .

Tailor Your Degree to Your Research Interests

Offering a combination of rigorous technical training and a focus on policy-relevant research, our PhD in Economics will prepare you for careers in academics, research, and government. Our students master economic theory, statistical methods, and applied field knowledge. Then, through the dissertation-writing process, they develop the ability to formulate and empirically answer economic questions.  

• Diverse Perspectives : In addition to a strong foundation in macro and micro theory and econometrics, students learn a more diverse perspective on economics through required courses in economic thought and economic history, as well as optional courses in heterodox theoretical models of economics, including post-Keynesian, intuitionalist, evolutionary, and feminist economics.
• Flexibility : Students choose four applied field courses that best fit their research interests. The department offers a wide selection of concentrations, including courses in development, gender, international, labor, macro/monetary, and other applied micro topics.
• Preparation : Students must successfully pass one comprehensive exam at the end of their first year and produce a journal-quality research paper by the end of their third year. The third-year paper typically serves as a key component of the dissertation, giving students an advanced start on the dissertation writing process.

See complete Admissions and Program Requirements .

Faculty Dedicated to Your Success

At AU, you will take classes from and work with a diverse group of esteemed economists and highly cited scholars who are engaged with practitioners and policymakers around the world. Their wide-ranging research and publications , along with the variety of methodological approaches they use, create a rich environment for innovations in theory and empirical studies. 

Our research centers, including the Program on Gender Analysis in Economics and Infometrics Institute , host guest scholars and research projects, further enhancing the opportunities for graduate students. By working as research assistants and teaching assistants, PhD students gain valuable experience and mentorship in an academic setting.  

Throughout their third year and into the fourth, students work closely with a faculty member of their choosing on their third-year paper and dissertation proposal, eventually adding other experts to their dissertation committee to gain additional insights and expertise. Through this process, students develop lasting collegial, and productive relationships with faculty, classmates and economists at DC-area institutions, often co-authoring and publishing.  

Launch Your Career Amongst Top Economists 

The Washington metropolitan area employs over one-third of all economists in the country. The array of intellectual and professional opportunities offered by the nation's capital make American University the ideal place to study economics. The department's strategic partnerships and our faculty's relationships with nearby institutions will help you make the best use of those opportunities.

Internship and employment opportunities:

• The World Bank 
• International Monetary Fund
• Research institutes
• Think Tanks and NGOs
• US Treasury, Labor, and Commerce Departments 

Economics PhD graduates are well qualified for careers in academia, government agencies, and international organizations. Our students receive career mentorship and placement services that lead to careers in public policy, academia, and government, both domestically and abroad.

Many of our graduates go on to academic posts at universities such as the Saint Louis University, the University of Vermont, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and Franklin College. Domestically, graduates have served in congress and government agencies, including the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Labor. Our alumni working outside of the US have founded research institutions and consulted for major organizations such as CGIAR-CIP and the United Nations. 

Read more career information about AU economics alumni.

See the 2017-8 list of job market candidates .

News & Notes

See abstracts from the 2024  Third Year Paper Conference .

Research Seminar Series Wednesdays at noon.

• PhD candidate Amy Burnett Cross received an EHA Dissertation Fellowship from the EHA Committee on Research in Economic History
• PhD student Danielle Wilson was awarded an Economic History Association grant for archival research on Mexican Railroads.
• PhD student Aina Puig's short essay, " The Unequal Effect of Interest Rates by Race, Gender, " was published in the San Francisco Fed's Economic Letter.
• Professor Bernhard Gunter and PhD students Bong Sun Seo & Farah Tasneem were awarded the  International Award for Excellence for their article on the change in labor force participation rates during periods of globalization and marginalization. 

Student Spotlights

More about Aina

San Francisco Federal Reserve Board’s essay contest  called for papers studying economic impacts of gender and racial inequalities. As a winner, Aina’s paper will be published in the Federal Reserve Board’s Economic Letter and will have the opportunity to participate in a 6-week summer research program.

Aina’s paper focused on the impact of monetary policy, through interest rates, on spending patterns among types of U.S. households—those with mortgages, those with women versus men as head of household, and those headed by White versus Black people. By building on her interest in macroeconomic inequality topics with direct policy implications, she intended (and continues to intend) to fill a gap in the literature, adding to the income inequality narrative by bringing gender and racial inequalities to the forefront of discussion.

Through this project, she was able to not only establish the impact of monetary policy shocks on consumption patterns, but also inform the Federal Reserve Board of these distributional impacts. When discussing her research, Aina states that “promoting equal opportunity and understanding the different impacts of policies can help policymakers create policies that promote economic growth while benefitting all groups’ well-being in society.”

Her interest in analyzing inequality topics through lens of distributional effects of macroeconomic policies came to life during her research for this paper and “ties directly into [her] plans for [her] dissertation…, a good starting point for [her] future research.”

Vasudeva Ramaswamy

More about Vasudeva

Economics PhD candidate Vasudeva Ramaswamy credits American University with helping him zero in on his area of research interest and for equipping him with the tools to explore and contribute to his field. 

During his time at AU, Vasu spent two summers working with the World Bank, studying the impact of agricultural aggregators in East Africa — specifically, how they provided income and security to farmer communities. 

Vasu’s dissertation considers the effects of the Federal Reserve Bank’s actions on household inequality. Who gains and who loses when the Fed increases (or decreases) interest rates? And how do these effects propagate through the economy? Because business income and profits play a key role in household inequality, Vasu looks at how businesses respond to the actions of the Fed. 

After he earns his PhD, Vasu says he would love to be able to continue researching the importance of economic heterogeneity in monetary policy transmission. “I am particularly grateful for AU’s faculty, who are leading experts in their field and approachable and encouraging as mentors,” he adds. “I am equally grateful for the rest of my PhD cohort, who are a brilliant and motivated group. I am learning from them continually.”

Elissa Cohen

More about Elissa

Economics PhD candidate Elissa Cohen received an NSF grant to pursue her research about assumptions people make about risk and, building off an idea from a previous project, Elissa continues her interest in the Value of Statistical Life in this one to question the validity of how VSL is used and estimated. In doing so, she contributes to development of a more complete theory of how perceptions of risk guide decision making.

Elissa asks three questions: (1) Is the construct validity of the VSL consistent across measurement approaches? (2) Do people value the mitigation of varying types of fatality risk differently across domains? (3) Do people accurately comprehend the probability of death in a given setting?

To answer these questions, Elissa uses discrete choice experimental (DCE) designs, self-report surveys, and machine learning techniques to evaluate the validity of the VSL as an assessment how people’s risk assessment shapes behavior.

This research improves the understanding of how people perceive fatality risk across domains and how perceptions impact choices about risk exposure. With this research comes the potential to reshape how regulatory agencies construct their aggregated VSL estimates for future cost-benefit analyses, influencing policy decisions and allocation of scarce federal resources.

As she thinks about impact and the research space she can contribute to and develop, Elissa comments, “AU has definitely helped me refine the types of questions I am interested in answering…. I see myself continuing to explore and test feedback loops between emergent human behaviors and macro-level policy decision-making.”

Amy Burnett Cross

More about Amy

Amy Burnett Cross has been selected as one of the three NBER Pre-Doctoral Fellows in the Gender in the Economy program to support her dissertation research on the influence of military policy on the sorting of women into occupations. Through this research, she is able to include her knowledge from AU’s Program on Gender Analysis in Economics as well as her understanding that by bringing more insight from conservative institutions into her research realm, she could enhance the policy space of gender equity.

As she continues her career, Amy desires to conduct research that is directly applicable to policymakers, and through her research on this project, Amy has the chance to do this in addition to engaging with economic history and begin to invest more time in the historical arc of military policy and gender dynamics.

She has three focuses for her dissertation project: (1) evaluate the impact of lifting the ban on women in combat (in 2013) on civilian occupational desegregation; (2) measure the extent to which gender desegregation of the Army (in 1977) signaled a shift in the appropriate role of civilian women at work; and (3) assess whether the structure of the U.S. draft in WWI (in 1917) contributed to the development of the male breadwinner norm.

Amy’s work aims to provide evidence that policy changes can influence social norms constraining women’s work and occupational segregation, particularly in discovering how policies regarding women’s participation in the military go on to influence gender gaps in civilian labor market outcomes. In doing so, Amy also seeks to contribute to the research of information asymmetry as a cause for occupational segregation—does military gender desegregation function as a reduction of information asymmetry?

With the support and accommodation of her peers, professors, and advisor, Mary E. Hansen, Amy has been able to focus on her academic excellence and develop close friendships and bonds during her journey at AU. In discussing her work in gender economics and the community at American University, Amy offered, “AU attracts women economists and I have found some truly excellent ones here.”

Please send me information about PhD in Economics

It looks like you already used that name and address to request information for one or more AU graduate program(s).

If you have not previously requested AU graduate program information, create a new request

PhD Program

Year after year, our top-ranked PhD program sets the standard for graduate economics training across the country. Graduate students work closely with our world-class faculty to develop their own research and prepare to make impactful contributions to the field.

Our doctoral program enrolls 20-24 full-time students each year and students complete their degree in five to six years. Students undertake core coursework in microeconomic theory, macroeconomics, and econometrics, and are expected to complete two major and two minor fields in economics. Beyond the classroom, doctoral students work in close collaboration with faculty to develop their research capabilities, gaining hands-on experience in both theoretical and empirical projects.

How to apply

Students are admitted to the program once per year for entry in the fall. The online application opens on September 15 and closes on December 15.

Meet our students

Our PhD graduates go on to teach in leading economics departments, business schools, and schools of public policy, or pursue influential careers with organizations and businesses around the world. 

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Student blogs and videos
• Why Cambridge
• Qualifications directory
• How to apply
• Fees and funding
• Frequently asked questions
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Visiting the University
• Term dates and calendars
• Video and audio
• Find an expert
• Publications
• International Cambridge
• Public engagement
• Giving to Cambridge
• For current students
• For business
• Colleges & departments
• Libraries & facilities
• Museums & collections
• Email & phone search
• Postgraduate Studies
• Faculty of Economics
• Research overview
• Econometrics Research Group - Papers
• Econometrics Research Group - Cambridge Working Papers in Economics
• Microeconomic Theory Research Group - Papers
• Microeconomic Theory Research Group - Cambridge Working Papers in Economics
• Macroeconomics Research Group - Papers
• Macroeconomics Research Group - Cambridge Working Papers in Economics
• Empirical Microeconomics Research Group
• Empirical Microeconomics Research Group - Cambridge Working Papers in Economics
• History Research Group - Cambridge Working Papers in Economics
• Papers and Publications
• Cambridge Working Papers in Economics (CWPE)
• Research Intranet (Raven Login Required)
• The Janeway Institute
• The Keynes Fund
• Research Contact
• People overview
• Noriko Amano-Patiño
• Debopam Bhattacharya
• Florin Bilbiie
• Peter Bossaerts
• Charles Brendon
• Vasco Carvalho
• Tiago Cavalcanti
• Meredith Crowley
• Matthew Elliott
• Aytek Erdil
• Robert Evans
• Elisa Faraglia
• Leonardo Felli
• Eric French
• Edoardo Gallo
• Tripos supervisions
• Chryssi Giannitsarou
• Selected Articles
• Working Papers
• Popular Press
• Past PhD Students
• Invited Lectures
• Christopher Harris
• Economics of Religion in India Book
• Demography Book
• Oliver Linton
• An old link to some of my papers
• A poem by Robert Graves
• Christopher Rauh
• Alexander Rodnyansky
• Mikhail Safronov
• Gabriella Santangelo
• Flavio Toxvaerd
• Julius Vainora
• Some Recent Articles
• Research Projects
• Efficiency Assessment
• Supervisions
• Weilong Zhang
• Ivano Cardinale
• Giancarlo Corsetti
• William H Janeway
• Pierre Mella-Barral
• Theofanis Papamichalis
• Simona Paravani
• Mark Salmon
• Patrick Allmis
• Nazanin Babolmorad
• Seda Basihos
• Leonard Bocquet
• Daniele Cassese
• George Charlson
• Chuan-Han Cheng
• Joris Hoste
• Konstantinos Ioannidis
• Caroline Liqui Lung
• Frederic Moisan
• Jason Schoeters
• Jerome Simons
• Robert Woods
• Michael Ashby
• Victoria Bateman
• Francisco Beltran
• Collin Constantine
• Yujiang River Chen
• Rupert Gatti
• Emanuele Giovannetti
• Pauline Goyal-Rutsaert
• Myungun Kim
• Nigel Knight
• Vasileios Kotsidis
• Domique Lauga
• Kamiar Mohaddes
• Mary Murphy
• Dario Palumbo
• Cristina Peñasco
• Cristiano Ristuccia
• Isabelle Roland
• Julia Shvets
• Oleh Stupak
• Simon Taylor
• Anna Watson
• Publications - Since 2001
• Interviews and Lectures
• Jeremy Edwards
• Refereed Papers
• Other Publications
• Work in Progress
• Selected Publications
• Downloadable Publications
• Economics as Social Theory
• Sir James Mirrlees
• Downloadable Conference Presentations
• Regulation, Privatisation, Energy, Electricity
• Transport: Road and Rail
• Risk, Industrial Organisation, Optimal Growth, Dynamic Inconsistency
• Taxation, Public finance, Cost-benefit analysis
• Transition Economies and Development
• Recent Conference Presentations
• Jose Gabriel Palma
• Published Articles
• Forthcoming Papers
• Newspaper, Magazine and Online Articles
• Forewords/Prefaces
• Book Reviews
• Unpublished Papers
• Lecture Audio, Video and Podcast Recordings
• Archive Working Papers
• Biographical
• Biographical (long version)
• William Peterson
• Bob Rowthorn
• Honours and Awards
• Geoff Whittington
• Selection Committee
• Academic Staff - A to E
• Academic Staff - F to H
• Academic Staff - I to M
• Academic Staff - N to Q
• Academic Staff - R to V
• Academic Staff - W to Z
• Academic Staff - Office Hours
• Past Visitors
• Prospective Academic Visitors Information
• Application Form
• Rules and Categories of Visitors
• Visiting Doctoral Students
• Visiting Students Application Form
• Razan Amine
• Laura Araújo De Freitas
• Marium Ashfaq
• Deniz Atalar
• Kilian Bachmair
• Gerardo Baldo
• Balduin Bippus
• Saru Chaudhary
• Adrian Chung
• Radu Cristea
• Zixuan Deng
• Mar Domenech-Palacios
• Lukas Freund
• Luigi Dante Gaviano
• Guillem Gordo-I-Bach
• Darija Halatova
• Andrew Hannon
• Lea Havemeister
• Shengjuan He
• Rebecca Heath
• Christian Höhne
• Darren Hoover
• Benedikt Kagerer
• Kilian Kamkar
• Ganesh Karapakula
• Alastair Langtry
• Sean Lavender
• Weiguang Liu
• Ana Lleo-Bono
• Fred Seunghyun Maeng
• Shane Mahen
• Fergus McCormack
• Manuel Montesinos
• Mathis Momm
• Jamie Moore
• James Morris
• Shania Mustika
• Felix Mylius
• Cheuk Fai Ng
• Lennart Niermann
• Tianyu Pang
• Charles Parry
• Dmitrii Petrukhin
• Benjapon Prommawin
• Vivek Roy-Chowdhury
• Diogo Salgado Baptista
• Niklas Schmitz
• Kishen Shastry
• Sarah Rose Taylor
• Christian Tien
• Ho-Yung Antonia Tsang
• Carles Vila Martínez
• Nicholas Waltz
• Yi (Amanda) Wang
• Shu Feng Wei
• Alessa Widmaier
• Mingmei Xiao
• Yinfeng Zeng
• Mingxi Zhang
• Xiaoxiao Zhang
• Yiyang Zhang
• Yuting (Tina) Zhang
• Zhaocheng Zhang
• Henning Zschietzschmann
• Professional Services Staff
• Job Market Candidates
• Teaching overview
• University's Blended Learning Site
• Apply overview
• Economics Open Days 2023
• Economics Prospectus
• A Guide for Prospective Students
• Preliminary Part I Reading List
• Why Choose Economics
• Course Description
• Course Structure
• Course Requirements
• How to Apply
• Students Finance
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Entry Requirements
• How and When to Apply
• Finance Overview and Funding
• Core Modules
• Optional Modules
• Applicant Mentoring Programme
• Doctoral Training Partnership
• ESRC Studentships
• Example Course Structure
• PhD Modules
• Careers / Placements
• EDGE (European Doctoral Group in Economics)
• Social Events
• Postgraduate Open Day
• Postgraduate Life
• Postgraduate Guide 2023
• Cambridge University Graduate Economics Society
• Economics Postgraduate Fund
• Postgraduate Admissions - Contacts
• The Cambridge Environment
• Introduction to the Faculty
• Student Life
• Alumni overview
• Alumni Newsletter
• Alumni Webinars
• Online Giving
• Faculty Info overview
• Information for Staff (Intranet)
• Find the Faculty
• Provision for Students with Disabilities
• History of the Faculty
• Sheilagh Ogilvie
• Caroline Hoxby
• Joan Robinson
• Women in Economics Events
• Student & Staff Behaviour
• Women in Economics
• Faculty IT Support

PhD in Economics

• Advanced Diploma in Economics
• MPhil in Economics
• MPhil in Economic Research
• MPhil in Finance and Economics
• MPhil in Economics and Data Science

This is the most advanced programme of graduate studies in Economics at Cambridge. Upon its completion, candidates are awarded a PhD degree for producing a thesis of high-quality, original, and publishable research over a period of four years (full-time) and seven years (part-time).

A good number of our PhD students receive full or partial funding for their studies, from a variety of funding bodies, such as the ESRC and the Gates Foundation .

Our PhD students receive high quality training on a variety of research methods and are exposed to cutting edge research conducted by our own Faculty members, as well visitors to the Faculty (via the Cambridge-INET Institute , seminars, PhD workshops, locally organised conferences, etc.). Faculty members can supervise a wide range of topics from six broadly defined research areas: microeconomic theory, macroeconomics, econometrics, applied microeconomics, economic history and alternative approaches to economics.

PhD students in Cambridge benefit from a high faculty-to-student ratio and therefore form close relationships with many Faculty members. They also forge strong links with our post-doctoral researchers, and they actively participate in the Faculty’s vibrant research life. They have access to a wide range of facilities, such as their own desk/office space in the same building as regular Faculty members, computing equipment, a variety of software and access to a wide range of databases.

PhD students are encouraged to attend academic conferences and showcase their research work in a variety of ways. Upon completions of their studies, many of our PhD students become academics, or researchers at international or government research institutions (see recent job market placements here ).

Explore here the profiles of our current PhD students.

To obtain the degree of PhD in Economics, students need to:

1. Obtain the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) . If accepted for the PhD degree, you will be registered initially for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) in Economics. Students registered for the CPGS are required to:

• Attend the 'How to do Economics' lecture course. Other postgraduate courses in research methods are organised by the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Physical Sciences, and are available to all PhD students.  
• Undertake a minimum of four courses from PhD or MPhil Modules from at least two subject areas. You must achieve a pass mark (60%) on each component of the coursework. Students who fail any examinations will be called for a viva on the coursework.

• Write a research proposal (maximum length 10,000 words) that should include a review of the relevant literature, a research question, and outline of a research design and methods. The expectation is that this proposal will be for a piece of research that could form the basis of one chapter of a PhD dissertation. You will be given an oral examination on this piece of work and must perform to a satisfactory standard.  
• Attend (a) one of the three research workshops (on microeconomics, macroeconomics or econometrics) at which research students present both their own work and recent papers in the literature - assessment of workshops will be arranged by course organisers; (b) attend at least one of the Faculty's general seminars in which papers are given both by outside speakers and Faculty members;  
• To be registered for the PhD submit an acceptable piece of research (first year chapter) of not more than 20,000 words. The piece of research submitted must be of a standard that would enable it to form the basis of one-third of your eventual PhD thesis. This means that it must contain research that could be expanded upon to constitute one-third of the PhD thesis.

2. Once upgraded to PhD status, a student concentrates on her or his PhD dissertation. In general the thesis format is either in the form of a book divided into chapters, or of three or more connected articles; in either case, the Faculty has a strict limit of 60,000 words. As research progresses, there will be opportunities to present work in progress at research workshops attended by Faculty members and research students. PhD students will also be required to attend research seminars given by outside speakers and Faculty members. 

Upon completion and submission of the PhD thesis, students do an oral examination (viva) with two examiners, one internal to the University of Cambridge (not the supervisor or research advisor), and one external (from any other University in the UK or the rest of the world).

After a successful thesis defence, the examiners recommend awarding the degree of PhD.

Faculty of Economics Austin Robinson Building Sidgwick Avenue Cambridge CB3 9DD UNITED KINGDOM

Telephone: +44 1223 335200

Fax: +44 1223 335475

Site Privacy & Cookie Policies

Find Us (details and maps)

with University of Cambridge Maps

with Google Maps

Associated Websites

Janeway Institute

COVID-19 Economic Research

Keynes Fund

Application Emails

Undergraduate Admissions: (for enquiries about the BA in Economics) [email protected]

Graduate Admissions: (for enquiries about the Diploma, MPhil and PhD courses) [email protected]

General Emails

Faculty Office: (for all other enquiries) [email protected]

Webmaster: (for enquiries about the website) [email protected]

Marshall Library: [email protected]

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• University A-Z
• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Terms and conditions
• Undergraduate
• Spotlight on...
• About research at Cambridge

Department of Economics

• Graduate Courses
• Program Requirements
• For Admitted Students
• Funding and Financial Aid
• For Current Students
• Recent Placements

The rigorous PhD economics program at Johns Hopkins is among the best in the nation. With its world-class faculty, individualized attention, and small classes, the doctoral program is the centerpiece of the Department of Economics. From financial analysis to applied research, students are well-prepared to be leaders in the field.

The department is dedicated to maintaining strong research and teaching cores in applied microeconomics, economic theory, macroeconomics, and econometrics. Faculty members are experts in their fields, and they are actively involved in thesis supervision and research seminars . The unique Hopkins difference is the direct interaction and one-on-one attention students receive from faculty. Such attention opens the door to myriad opportunities for students to conduct groundbreaking research, apply complex economic theories, and make educated financial analyses and predictions.

Student Life

Graduate students enjoy a diverse social life outside of the department’s rigorous curriculum and their individual research interests. Faculty and students – from both inside and outside the department – have ample opportunities to spend time together socializing and discussing their studies. 

In addition to frequent student-planned happy hours, social outings, and local events, the Department of Economics and the JHU Graduate Representative Organization host many functions throughout the year.

• At the beginning of the fall semester, the Department of Economics hosts a welcome dinner and party to encourage new students to meet their peers, older students, and faculty.
• The department throws an annual holiday party immediately following completion of the first term, as well as an end-of-year barbecue to celebrate the completion of the spring semester.
• JHU sponsored coffee “happy hours” offer graduate students opportunities to meet people from outside their department.
• Intramural sports are popular among graduate students at Hopkins, and the economics department often forms teams that compete against other departments.

Students and faculty members often know each other by name before taking classes together, and first-year students enjoy straightforward access to faculty members and their more experienced peers. This collegial atmosphere makes for an easy transition into graduate life and comfortable communication once research begins in earnest.

Economics across JHU Schools

Carey business school.

The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School is the graduate business school of Johns Hopkins University and offers full-time and part-time programs leading to the Master of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees.  The School has a number of distinguished economists who interact with the faculty and graduate students in the Department of Economics.

School of Advanced International Studies

The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., United States, with campuses in Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China. It is consistently ranked one of the top graduate schools for international relations in the world.  The economists at the school interact with the faculty and graduate students in the Department of Economics.

Advanced Academic Programs Applied Economics

The Johns Hopkins Division of Advanced Academic Programs is a  division of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences in Washington DC which offers high-level graduate-level education in Applied Economics, with a variety of Masters Degrees designed to build on the intellectual strength and educational requirements of professional adults.

• University Home
• Parsons School of Design
• Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
• College of Performing Arts
• The New School for Social Research
• Schools of Public Engagement
• Parsons Paris
• Continuing and Professional Education

Economics (PhD)

Take the next step.

• How to Apply
• Request Information
• Admission Events
• Check Application Status

General Admission Contact The New School for Social Research Office of Admission 72 Fifth Avenue, 1st floor New York, NY 10011 212.229.5600 or 800.523.5411 [email protected]

Admissions Liaison Yuki Tada

Department of Economics 6 East 16th Street, room 1124A New York, NY 10003 Tel: 212.229.5717 x3044 Fax: 212.229.5724

Mailing Address 79 Fifth Avenue, room 1124A New York, NY 10003

Chair Sanjay Reddy

Senior Secretary Silvina Palacio Student Advisor Daniel Younessi

Economics Student Handbook

Admission Links

• Tuition and Fees
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships
• View Courses
• Read and Download Viewbook
• Download Catalog

The PhD in Economics is designed for students who have completed the Economics MA at The New School for Social Research or a comparable master's degree from another university.

Core courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics are supplemented by courses in Marxian, post-Keynesian, and neo-Ricardian theory. Students develop two areas of concentration prior to beginning work on a dissertation.

• Degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Credits 60 credits
• Format Full-time or part-time, on campus
• Start Term Fall

View current tuition and fees View fellowship and funding opportunities

STEM Designation for International Applicants 

This program is  STEM-designated . After graduating, eligible F-1 students in this program can apply for an additional 24 months of Optional Practical Training at the end of their Post-Completion OPT. 

A full account of degree requirements and procedures is contained in the Economics student handbook .

PhD candidates must earn 30 credits in addition to the 30 credits taken in the Economics MA program, for a total of 60 credits. Three minimum conditions must be fulfilled for the subcommittee to consider a petition to continued study toward the PhD:

• At least 18 credits must have been completed in residence at The New School for Social Research.
• The student must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better.
• The student must have completed at least one course in the PhD theory core and one graduate-level econometrics course with a grade of 3.5 or better.

Transfer students who already have an MA from or have completed graduate work in economics at another institution may be assigned credit for all or part of their previous graduate studies up to a maximum of 30 credits. If admitted, transfer students must complete a minimum of 12 credits at The New School for Social Research with a grade point average of 3.5 or better, including at least one PhD core course (see below) with a grade of at least 3.5.

PhD Course Requirements To earn the PhD in Economics, a student must complete 30 credits beyond the MA, including four core courses as well as elective courses:

• Advanced Microeconomics I (GECO 6200)
• Advanced Macroeconomics I (GECO 6202)
• Advanced Econometrics I (GECO 6281)
• Advanced Political Economy I (GECO 6204) or Post-Keynesian Economics (GECO 6206)
• Up to nine credits may be taken as Directed Dissertation Study (GECO 7991)
• Electives up to the total of 60 credits

Students must receive grades of 3.0 or better in all four core courses to continue. (A student who receives a grade of less than 3.0 in a core course is permitted to retake the examination in that course within one year of the end of the semester in which the course was taken. No core course examination can be taken more than twice.) Students are not required to take a PhD qualifying examination in the core course material, although they are free to select advanced macroeconomics, advanced microeconomics, advanced political economy, or advanced econometrics as elective fields from the areas of concentration.

Areas of Concentration In addition to the core theory curriculum, each student chooses two areas of concentration, which will be the subjects of the student's comprehensive examinations. The Department of Economics regularly offers the following areas of concentration:

• Advanced macroeconomics
• Advanced microeconomics
• Advanced political economy
• Economic development
• History of economic thought
• International economics
• Labor economics
• Money and banking

Other areas of concentration may be available subject to faculty availability:

• Class and gender
• Economic history
• Industrial organization
• Race and class
• Public finance

All students must select one concentration from the list above. The second concentration can also be selected from the list or students may, if they wish, define their own second concentration or define an interdisciplinary concentration by combining concentrations from the list above. Individually defined concentrations are subject to approval of the department, which may depend on faculty availability.

Graduate Minors Students can use elective courses toward completing one of the university’s  graduate minors . These structured pathways of study immerse master's and doctoral students in disciplines outside their primary field and expose them to alternative modes of research and practice. Completed graduate minors are officially recorded on students' transcript.

Seminar Requirement Three credits must be fulfilled in the form of seminar requirements. Seminar credits can be earned only after a student has completed Advanced Microeconomics I, Advanced Macroeconomics I, and Advanced Econometrics I. Seminar credits can be earned only from work associated with an upper-level course, but not through directed dissertation study. All seminar credits require faculty approval. Transfer credit cannot be used to fulfill the seminar requirement.

PhD Qualifying Exam Students can request permission from the department to take the PhD qualifying examinations after they have:

• Completed 45 credits with an overall grade point average of 3.5 or better in courses taken at The New School for Social Research
• Satisfactorily completed the three-semester requirement in economic analysis and the econometrics core requirement.

The PhD qualifying examination will consist of either:

• A three-hour written exam in each of the two areas of concentration
• A three-hour written exam in one area of concentration and an original research paper of high scholarly quality in the second area. Permission to submit a paper in lieu of examination must be obtained from a faculty supervisor and from the department chair.

Dissertation Oral Examination Dissertation Defense A student is considered a doctoral candidate only after passing a dissertation proposal defense, which also serves as an oral examination. Students must first submit a dissertation proposal to the supervisor of their dissertation committee. This proposal must be approved by the three members of the dissertation committee prior to the oral examination. Students are also responsible for scheduling a date for their oral exam through the University Records Office six weeks prior to the oral defense date. The student must pass this examination in the area of the proposed dissertation research. The written dissertation and its defense in front of a committee of four faculty members constitute the remaining requirements for the PhD.

Mathematics Requirement Although there are no formal requirements in mathematics, students must have sufficient competence to pass all courses that use mathematical techniques, such as the PhD theory core courses.

Foreign Language Requirement All PhD candidates must demonstrate reading knowledge in a foreign language appropriate to their dissertation topic by passing a language examination administered by the department. Alternatively, a student may satisfy the language requirement by showing competence in mathematics, as demonstrated by a grade of 3.5 or higher in GECO 6189 or the equivalent.

MPhil Degree With the permission of the department chair, the Master of Philosophy degree will be conferred upon a registered student who has fulfilled satisfactorily all the requirements of the department for the PhD except the dissertation and dissertation proposal defense. Registered students in satisfactory academic standing who have fulfilled the requirements for the MPhil can petition for the degree and receive it en route to the PhD, or they may take it as a terminal degree. Students cannot be re-admitted or re-enrolled for the purpose of receiving the MPhil.

At any time within ten years from the date the MPhil degree was awarded and subject to approval by the department chair, a recipient of the MPhil in Economics who has not continued studies in residence at the university may present to the university a substantial body of independent and original published scholarly work in lieu of a sponsored dissertation toward completion of the requirements for the PhD degree.

Take The Next Step

• Request Info

Submit your application

Undergraduates.

To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

Undergraduate Adult Learners

To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Skip to Main Landmark (Press Enter)

Spartan Alert

Phd in economics, on campus and online options, a focus on policy research.

Our innovative Ph.D. program provides you with the advanced theoretical, quantitative, and statistical skills required to perform and interpret economic analyses in a wide range of policy-oriented areas. Graduates of the PhD in Economics program work in a broad range of in-demand fields including economic consulting and research, policy analysis and evaluation, forecasting, data science, risk analysis, and academia.

Our program focuses on producing top-quality policy-oriented researchers through rigorous training in advanced empirical analysis and economic modeling. You will be prepared to perform and interpret cutting-edge economic analyses in a wide range of areas including education, environmental policy, health, labor, public economics, macroeconomics and banking, and technology and innovation.

Collaborative research experiences with invested instructors sharing a deep commitment to teaching and scholarship

45-72 Hour Program

Earn a PhD in Economics in as little as three years

Customizable

Select a focus on: Public, labor, health, environmental economics, economics of technology and entrepreneurship, macroeconomics

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program requires the submission of a completed application including Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores and a completed bachelor’s degree with coursework in the following:

• Intermediate microeconomics
• Intermediate macroeconomics
• Regression analysis
• Mathematical economics or equivalent

Students who enter the program with a master’s degree in economics may be eligible to waive up to 15 credit hours, depending on their coursework.

General Program Of Study

An established legacy of excellence since 1935, the department of economics has celebrated more than 80 years of service in education and developing researchers., full & part-time program options.

We offer full-time and part-time options for completing the PhD in economics program. For those who wish to pursue the program full-time, this program can be completed in as little as three years. For those who would rather pursue the program part-time, we will sit down and work out your plan of study to fit your needs and desires. The time to complete the PhD degree part-time will depend on the specifics of that plan of study, but a common plan results in completion in five or six years.

Check Out Our Program Fact Sheet

Program costs.

Estimated program costs are based on completing 45 credit hours calculated by 2021-2022 rates. Costs exclude textbooks and student health insurance. If you would like to view a complete schedule of tuition, fees, meal plans and financial aid opportunities, visit the Spartan Central website .

The Department typically provides tuition waivers to well-qualified doctoral applicants along with a stipend, fellowship, or scholarship to reimburse student fees and the majority of cost of living expenses. Additionally, information on financial assistance is available through the Spartan Central website .

February 1st – Priority deadline

Complete applications submitted by this date are given first priority for admission and for financial support through fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships.

May 15th – Standard deadline

Complete applications submitted by this date will be considered for admission and for financial support after applications that were submitted by February 15 have been evaluated.

2021 Class Profile

Female Students

International Students

Minority Students

Average Class Size

Mean Undergraduate GPA

The Student Experience

Close collaboration with faculty.

Our PhD students work under the guidance of faculty who conduct nationally and internationally recognized research that promotes economic understanding, policy improvements, and economic development. Whether it is classroom interactions or one-on-one discussions, you’ll find our faculty always have time to support you as you make your way through the PhD program.

Classes at the doctoral level are small, and students benefit from direct and frequent interactions with faculty.  Students begin working in applied research early in their programs and are encouraged to work with faculty to identify policy problems they want to investigate through their dissertations.  They frequently work with faculty on grant-funded research, and co-author papers with faculty for presentation at regional and national professional meetings.

Students Who Work (and Play) Together

Because our PhD program is small, you’ll also find that it’s easy to get to know your fellow students. PhD work can be a daunting process, but it’s made easier and more rewarding when students work together. We strongly encourage our students to work together, to help each other out, and share in their successes.

Whether it is work in the classroom, as a graduate assistant, or on a dissertation, you’ll find our students accessible and willing to pitch in to help. That help sometimes extends beyond the formal boundaries of the program; sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is to help them relax!

Opportunities to Share Your Work

Part of being an economist is sharing one’s work, getting feedback, and, yes, sometimes engaging in discussions over contentious issues. As a result, we strongly encourage our PhD students to share their work at all stages of the research process. This can take place informally through one-on-one conversations with faculty or fellow students, casual group conversations at the end of the day, or even by exchanging written work and asking for feedback. But formal interactions are also an important part of the world of the economists, so the Department also strongly encourages PhD students to participate in our informal Brown Bag Presentations intended for work still in the early stages and in our more formal Seminar Series where more complete, polished work can be shared.

Recent job placements of our graduates

• Lead Economist, The MITRE Corporation Washington, DC Area
• Assistant Professor, University of Maine
• Lead Data Scientist , ADP
• Senior Research Economist , RTI International Durham, NC
• Lecturer (U.K. AP equivalent) , University of Strathclyde Glasgow, Scotland
• Consultant , The Lewin Group Washington, DC Area
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Northeastern University
• Economist, Amazon
• Research Fellow , Ankara University Ankara, Turkey
• Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC Area

Have Questions?

To learn more about the PhD in Economics program please contact Dr. Dora Gicheva at [email protected] .

Dr. Dora GiCheva

Bryan 459 [email protected]

• Print Friendly

Department of Economics | PhD

Phd program.

About the Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. Program in Economics at UCLA prepares students for careers as economists in academia, business and government. The program combines rigorous work in economic theory and careful study of real-world problems and institutions. Graduates from this program work at major universities around the world, national and international government agencies, banks, research centers and in private businesses. Some of our graduates have achieved great prominence, such as William Sharpe , who earned both his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees at UCLA, and was co-recipient of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on the capital asset pricing model.

The department includes internationally recognized scholars in economic theory, econometrics, and all the major applied fields. These outstanding scholars form one of the foremost departments of economics in the world.

The Economics Department is situated within one of the world’s most youthful and vibrant universities. Founded in 1919, UCLA first developed into a major university in the 1950’s. After so short a history, the university was ranked second in the United States among public research universities by the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils in 1982. Thirty-one of its Ph.D. programs are currently ranked in the top 20 in their field–third best in the nation.

The Ph.D. is the degree objective of the graduate program. This degree is awarded to students who demonstrate professional competence by passing written qualifying exams and by completing a major piece of individual research (the Ph.D. dissertation).

Preparation for the qualifying exams through coursework and independent study occupies most student time for the first two years. Thereafter the focus shifts to independent research and finally to the writing of a Ph.D. dissertation. Research in progress by our graduate students as well as our faculty is presented at workshops that meet weekly throughout the academic year. Currently, the Dept. has workshops in Theory and Mathematical Economics, International and Development Economics, Labor and Population Economics, Business Organization and Regulation Economics, Economic History, Econometrics, and Monetary Theory. In addition, many graduate students work as research or teaching assistants for faculty members. The normal time to degree is six years.

This degree program classifies as STEM (CIP Code 45.0603: Econometrics and Quantitative Economics).

UCLA Department of Economics

8283 Bunche Hall Mail Stop: 147703 Los Angeles, CA 90095

Campus Resources

• Academic Calendar
• Maps, Directions, Parking
• University of California
• Terms of Use
• Injury & Illness Prevention Program

Internal Resources Manager’s Manual Admin Login Webmail (O365 Server) Contact Webmaster

• About the Department
• Administration
• Board of Visitors
• Department Newsletters
• Ladder Faculty
• Courtesy Faculty
• In Memoriam
• Recent Publications
• Research Spotlight
• Economics Major
• Business Economics Major
• Declare our Majors
• Degree Planning
• Benjamin Graham Value Investing Program
• Enrollment Procedures
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Student Wellness & Community
• Department of Economics Commencement 2023
• Course Descriptions
• Economics Class Schedule
• Learning Objectives
• Common Syllabus
• Non-UCLA Course Credit
• Econ Summer Courses for 2024
• Departmental Honors
• Departmental Scholar
• Departmental Scholarships
• Career Pathways
• Fellowships
• Career Center
• Internships
• Research Opportunities
• Preparing for a Ph.D. in Economics
• EDI Courses in Economics
• EDI Research
• EDI Resources for Students
• Incoming Undergraduates
• Why Study Economics?
• Freshmen Information
• Transfers Information
• Economics Courses
• Graduate Handbook
• Graduate Student Awards
• Standards and Procedures
• Second Year
• Thesis Writing
• TA Resources
• Job Market Prep
• Grad Econ Association
• Computing Resources
• Placement History
• Job Market Candidates
• Graduate Counseling Office
• Commencement videos
• Alumni Career Engagement
• UCLA Alumni Affairs
• Update Your Information
• Alumni Interviews
• Women in Business
• Proseminars

DPhil in Economics

• Entry requirements
• Funding and costs

College preference

• How to apply

About the course

Oxford has a thriving group of research students studying for the DPhil in Economics. The DPhil, which is the equivalent to a PhD at most other institutions, is similar in structure to a PhD at leading economics graduate schools worldwide.

The majority of students on the DPhil at Oxford have first completed the two-year Oxford MPhil in Economics . You can also apply for the DPhil if you hold, or will hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in Economics from other universities.

All students starting the DPhil are admitted with Probationer Research Student status (PRS) in the first instance. You will take additional courses from the MPhil menu to deepen and broaden your economic training, while starting to work on your first research project. The PRS status allows for a smooth transition from learning about economic research to producing new economic insights yourself. If you haven’t completed the MPhil in Economics at Oxford, you will usually be required to take a year of coursework taking papers from either the first and/or second year of the MPhil programme. Students progressing from the MPhil in Economics at Oxford will usually complete their coursework by taking additional advanced courses from the MPhil. 

You will join one or more of the department's research groups, becoming part of a vibrant educational research community with a large number of doctoral student-led events, seminars and conferences.

You will have opportunities to present your work at a variety of seminars and sessions in the department.

Further information about part-time study

The department is able to offer the DPhil in Economics as a part-time mode. Although there is no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time: October and November, mid-January to mid-March, and late April to mid-June) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training.

The department understands that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns. To ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups a pattern of attendance at MPhil courses, training events and research seminars would form part of the general part-time study agreement.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Economics and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Economics. In those cases, the expectation is that a co-supervisor or secondary supervisor from within the Department of Economics will also be appointed.

DPhil students will work closely with their supervisors and will be expected to meet face-to-face on at least two occasions per term with additional contact through online meetings and email exchanges.

Full-time students admitted to Probationer Research Student status are first required to transfer to DPhil status. The Transfer of Status requires the completion of the Qualifying Examinations, necessary coursework, and an interview with two assessors appointed by the department, at which the candidate presents an outline of their proposed thesis and a piece of written work relevant to the thesis. The transfer is normally expected to be completed by the end of the fourth term, and no later than six terms from admission to Probationer Research Student status. In exceptional circumstances, where a student has already successfully completed advanced coursework as part of the MPhil in Economics at Oxford, the department may waive the requirement for Transfer of Status and students may progress directly to DPhil status. Upon a successful transfer to DPhil status, students are required to confirm their DPhil status no later than nine terms after admission to Probationer Research Student status. 

Candidates for Confirmation of Status are required to present a research paper at a workshop or seminar, present a detailed outline of the complete thesis and some complete draft chapters, and will be interviewed by an assessor.

Part-time students admitted to Probationer Research Student status are normally expected to transfer to DPhil status during the first two to three years of study. Upon a successful transfer to DPhil status, students are required to confirm their DPhil status no later than eighteen terms after admission as a Probationer Research Student.

The award of this degree is based on a thesis of not more than 100,000 words in length. It should constitute a significant and substantial piece of research, of a kind which might reasonably be expected of a diligent and competent student in three years of full-time study. The maximum time allowed for completion of the DPhil is four years (eight years for part-time).

Graduate destinations

The interests and strengths of the department's doctoral students are many and diverse and this is reflected in the positions they take up after graduation: most take up tenure track or postdoc positions in academia; others find employment in government, international organisations, or the private sector. The international reputation of Oxford’s doctoral programme also means that its DPhil graduates can be found making a contribution in many different parts of the world.

The department recognises the importance of helping doctoral students find suitable employment and its placement efforts are directed by a senior member of the faculty. The department provides advice and help on all aspects of the job application process, including limited financial assistance to cover travel and conference expenses.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• an outstanding performance in a rigorous master's course in economics;  and
• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in economics or another approved subject (such as mathematics).

Applicants must demonstrate a strong quantitative preparation. 

Offers will usually be made conditional on obtaining a distinction grade (or an equivalent level of performance where a distinction grade is not officially awarded) at master's level. 

Please note:

• a master's qualification that is only partially in economics would not be considered a suitable background: for example, a master's course in development studies, public administration, or in finance lacks the required level of economics content, even if there are economics courses as part of the training;
• a master's qualification in a specialised field within economics (eg development economics, applied economics, or financial economics) may also be insufficient background. Candidates with these qualifications should provide a written statement as part of their research proposal to demonstrate that the courses on which they have been examined covered all the core material of a rigorous master's course in economics.

Applicants with an insufficient master's background in economics who wish to proceed to DPhil are encouraged to first apply to the joint MPhil+DPhil in Economics.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum cumulative GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

If you do not hold, or will not shortly hold, a UK or Republic of Ireland degree, you must submit the results of a GRE Test obtained within the last 5 years. However, we recommend applicants from UK or Republic of Ireland universities also submit a GRE score. Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants will have a GRE score of Verbal 160, Quantitative 164, Analytical 4.5.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• All candidates are expected to have working knowledge in one programming language (of the candidate’s choice) at the start of the DPhil. The department will provide advice to accepted candidates on how to acquire such knowledge.
• Part-time applicants will also be expected to show evidence of the ability to commit time to study and, if applicable, an employer's commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend programme and University events and modules. Where appropriate, evidence should also be provided of permission to use employers’ data in the proposed research project.
• Publications are not expected.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.  

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Some postgraduate research students in science, engineering and technology subjects will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate prior to applying for a  Student visa (under the Student Route) . For some courses, the requirement to apply for an ATAS certificate may depend on your research area.

With more than 60 academics in permanent posts and 30+ postdoctoral research fellows, the Department of Economics is a large and vibrant international community of researchers. In the 2021 REF, Oxford was ranked first in terms of overall research ‘power’ and funding market share.

The department hosts research centres such as the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), which is internationally recognised as a hub for innovative research and outreach to the academic and policy-making communities world-wide through their seminars, workshops and annual conferences.

Within the department, specialised research groups play a key role in bringing together faculty and graduate students working in particular sub-fields, supporting and mentoring doctoral students and postdoctoral research fellows, and promoting research of the highest international standard.

The research groups provide an important interface between the research centres and the department, for example, econometrics and the INET programme on Economic Modelling (EMOD); development economics and CSAE. Other research groups facilitate collaboration across departments, as in the case of the economic history group and economic historians in the Faculty of History. Each research group runs a regular seminar series with external presenters, plus a more informal workshop in which members, including DPhil students, present their research in progress.

Students can access a range of internship programmes through the University Careers Office as well as the RCUK Policy Internship scheme for ESRC-funded students. In addition, the Bank of England and Goldman Sachs each provide a short summer internship for a doctoral student specialising in macroeconomics or finance and the Department of Economics is accredited by the Asian Development Bank to nominate candidates for their internship programme. In recent cohorts, students have benefited from an internship with organisations including the EBRD, European Central Bank, UK Home Office, as well as those identified above.

The Department of Economics is located in the Manor Road Building in central Oxford, alongside the Department of Politics and International Relations. The department contains faculty offices and open-plan workspaces for DPhil students and postdoctoral research, with access to Wi-Fi and print services. A BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy is in place within the Economics department, enabling you to access data shares, printing, software and for some, a full Windows desktop via the department's Virtual Desktop environment. The Manor Road IT team support all IT-related infrastructure and systems within the department, including desktops, laptops and tablets, and all associated peripherals (printers, scanners, webcams etc) and software provision.

The Manor Road Building also houses the Bodleian Social Sciences Library (SSL), a first-class research library open to all members of the University. The SSL holds over 250,000 printed books, over 1,000 printed journal titles, as well as statistical publications, working papers, dissertations, pamphlets and reports. Online resources include almost 100,000 e-journals and an extensive collection of databases and archives in the social sciences. Graduate teaching and most seminars take place within the Manor Road Building, where there is also a cafeteria and common room for students' use.

Oxford's Department of Economics is one of Europe's leading research departments and its members include some of the world's most distinguished academic economists.

The department offers its community of around 300 graduate students a rigorous and relevant training in economics, providing a setting in which debate and research can flourish. The department’s graduate courses prepare students for a wide range of careers in academia, government and business.

The department is committed to excellence in teaching and the MPhil and DPhil in Economics are internationally recognised for the quality of the training provided. The University of Oxford is ranked 2nd in Europe in the most recent Tilburg University ranking of Economics departments, based on research contribution for the period between 2016-2020. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework exercise, that evaluated research output of UK Universities, Oxford was first for overall research strength in Economics and Econometrics, with more research ranked as ‘world-leading’ than any other participating institution.

In a submission of 84 FTE academics, which was the largest number of researchers submitted in the Economics and Econometrics Unit of Assessment, 94% of the department's research output was assessed as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world-leading’ (3* or 4*). The scale and breadth of the Department’s research is a product of a vibrant and well-connected community, with particular attention on supporting early career researchers. The Department maintains world-class expertise in the core discipline areas of microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics, while building clusters of research strength in more specialist subfields – notably applied microeconomics; behavioural economics and game theory; the economics of climate change and sustainability; machine learning; economic history; development economics.

Oxford has one of the strongest, largest, and most varied groups of economists in the world. Our objective is to engage in innovative research that extends the frontiers of the discipline, deepening our understanding of the operation of modern economies. Research spans almost all the major sub-fields of economics with particular strengths in microeconomic theory, including behavioural economics; econometrics, both micro-econometrics and time series; economic history and development and international economics. Research activity is focused within smaller, specialised groups, with each group holding regular workshops at which research by faculty and graduate students is presented and discussed. Many distinguished researchers from outside Oxford also visit to present their work at seminars.

View all courses   View taught courses View research courses

The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Full-time study.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Part-time study

Information about course fees.

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Harris Manchester College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Nuffield College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• The Queen's College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents . 

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Referees: Three overall, academic and/or professional

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

It is recommended that you provide three academic references, however the department will accept one professional reference of the three required overall. Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, and motivation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

A CV/résumé is compulsory for this course. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Research proposal: A maximum of 1,500 words

You should submit a detailed outline of your proposed research, written in English, covering areas such as the background to the research, methodology, expected results and the contribution to the field of learning.

It is not necessary to include your bibliography in the overall word count. 

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying;
• the coherence of the proposal;
• the originality of the project;
• evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study;
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English;
• the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course (a maximum of 4 years);
• commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course;
• preliminary knowledge of research techniques;
• capacity for sustained and intense work;
• reasoning ability; and
• ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace.

Written work: One essay of a maximum of 2,000 words

An academic essay or other writing sample from your most recent qualification, written in English, is required. An extract of the requisite length from longer work is also permissible. The written work should be related to the subject you propose to study.

The written work should be typed and in English. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.

• a comprehensive understanding of the subject area;
• understanding of problems in the area;
• ability to construct and defend an argument;
• powers of analysis; and
• powers of expression.

GRE General Test results

If you do not hold, or will not shortly hold, a UK or Republic of Ireland degree, you must submit the results of a GRE Test obtained within the last 5 years. However, we recommend that applicants from UK or Republic of Ireland universities also submit a GRE score. Entrance is very competitive, and most successful applicants have a GRE score of at least 160 for verbal, 164 for quantitative and 4.5 for analytical.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply - Full time Apply - Part time

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 19 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Department of Economics

• Course page on the department's website
• Funding information from the department
• Academic and research staff
• Departmental research
• Social Sciences Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ e [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 281290

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Other courses to consider

You may also wish to consider applying to other courses that are similar or related to this course:

MPhil + DPhil in Economics

You can study this course as part of our five-year integrated  MPhil+DPhil in Economics  which enables students to first study for the two-year MPhil in Economics and then automatically switch to the DPhil in Economics.

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

Browser does not support script.

• Undergraduate
• Executive education
• Study Abroad
• Summer schools
• Online certificate courses
• International students
• Meet, visit and discover LSE

MRes/PhD Economics

• Graduate research
• Department of Economics
• Application code L1U4
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers you the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to the field of economics. You will begin on the MRes degree, and will need to meet certain requirements to progress to the PhD.

The Department of Economics pioneered the development of systematic research training in economics in Britain and our MRes/PhD Economics aims for the highest international standard of achievement and professional competence. The programme offers structured research training and supervision by faculty prominent in their fields. It begins with two years of rigorous coursework, equipping you with the theoretical knowledge and analytical techniques necessary to proceed to the research component of the programme. 

Many research students are associated with the work of one of LSE's research centres. You could work with the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines on areas ranging from development economics to public policy; or on research technology, growth and globalisation as part of the Centre for Economic Performance . You could contribute to major research programmes addressing the key issues of unemployment, inflation, fiscal and monetary policy, macroeconomic development and growth, financial markets, and changes in the world economy at the  Centre for Macroeconomics ; or specialise in risk management, asset pricing, financial institutions and corporate finance as part of the Financial Markets Group .

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mres/phd economics.

An upper second class honours (2:1) degree (or equivalent) in any field. Some preparation in economics, a strong mathematics background and evidence of research potential are essential. The goal of the MRes/PhD Economics is to train first class researchers. We will use all available information to assess research potential.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

GRE/GMAT requirement

GRE is required for all applicants. This must be no more than five years old on 1 October 2024 and must show full and percentile scores for all three sections. Most successful MRes/PhD Economics applicants score 166 or above in the quantitative section.

Find out more about GRE/GMAT

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate  staff research interests  before applying.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - research statement - GRE/GMAT

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements  for further information.

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 14 December 2023 . However, to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must also have submitted your application and all supporting documents by this deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Research statement

An application for entry to the MRes/PhD Economics should include a Research Statement, along with other required information  (Note: A separate sample of written work is not required as part of the MRes/PhD Economics application).

What should my Research Statement contain?

Your Research Statement should be submitted in place of the Outline Research Proposal, along with your application form and other required supporting documents, via the LSE online application system.

Please answer the following questions clearly and concisely. Max 200 words per question.

• Why do you want to do research in economics?
• Can you explain how your studies and experience make you suitable to do research in economics?
• Which aspect of the PhD do you think you will like the most? Which will you dislike the most? Why?
• Tell us about your favourite paper in economics. What do you like about it? How would you improve it?
• Write a comment for a general audience on ONE of the following topics  (i) Is inequality good for growth?   (ii) Do immigrants take the jobs of native workers?   (iii) Is CEO compensation excessive?  (iv) Is universal minimum income a good idea?  (v) Overall, has central banks' move to inflation targeting has been a success?  (vi) Is culture an important determinant of differences in income per capita across countries?  (vii) Markets function well as information is aggregated efficiently through prices.  (viii) Elections are effective at disciplining politicians who do not have the public interest as their main goal.

How can I demonstrate research potential?

If you have served as research assistant for an economist please ask that person to write a letter focussing on your research skills and describe your experience – reference point 2 (above) of the research statement.

If not, please list any evidence you think would be valuable. Examples include but are not restricted to: experience working autonomously under stress without any guidance, demonstration of creativity in any form, experience of writing original research.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover  living costs  or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MRes/PhD Economics

Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional) Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships , and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline. 

For the MRes/PhD Economics, the funding deadline is the same as the application deadline for the programme: 14 December 2023

The Economics Department also has a number of scholarship packages for direct entry MRes/PhD students. After the first year of the MRes/PhD Economics, there are teaching and research assistantships available in the Department. Read more about funding opportunities through the  Economics Department .

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

Introductory course (mres).

In early September, before the academic year commences, you will begin your degree programme by taking the Introductory Mathematics and Statistics course.

First year (MRes)

In the first year of the programme you will take advanced core courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics, to equip you with the theoretical knowledge and analytical techniques necessary for research. Permission must be obtained to sit Econometric Analysis as it is intended for students with a strong econometric background and an interest in pursuing a PhD with econometrics as the primary field.

Microeconomics for MRes students Introduces the basic analytical tools that are necessary to conduct research in any field in economics.

Macroeconomics for MRes students Covers topics in advanced macroeconomics with emphasis on fundamentals and applications to recent theoretical advances. Either Econometrics for MRes students Covers inference, classical and generalised linear regression, generalised regression methods, time-series, panel-data, and microeconometric methods, and specialised econometric methods. Or Econometric Analysis Gives an advanced treatment of the theory of estimation and inference for econometric models.

Second year (MRes)

In the second year, you will typically take two PhD field courses and write a research paper in your major field. Currently, there are economics PhD field courses covering: econometrics, international, labour, public, development, industrial, microeconomics, macroeconomics, political economy. In addition, there are PhD field courses offered in Corporate Finance and Asset Pricing. From the second year onwards, you will also participate in a departmental research seminar and a work in progress seminar allied to your major research field.

Research Paper in Economics A research paper, between 5,000 and 10,000 words, related to the student's designated major field, to be submitted mid-way through the Spring Term.

Two courses from a range of options

Upon successfully completing the MRes and progressing to the PhD, you will work on your research and write your PhD thesis. You will also take one further PhD field course. You will also attend Work in Progress seminars, where you present your research, as well as the weekly departmental seminar series closest to your major field.

One course from a range of options.

Second and subsequent years of the PhD programme

You will continue to work on your research and write a PhD thesis. You will also continue to attend Work in Progress seminars, where you present your research, as well as the weekly departmental seminar series closest to your major field.

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page .

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.  

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information  page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

You will be assigned a lead supervisor (and a second supervisor/adviser) who is a specialist in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic. Lead supervisors guide you through your studies.

Progression and assessment

In order to progress to each subsequent year of the programme, and to progress to PhD registration, you will need to meet specific progression requirements, such as achieving certain grades in your coursework.

Your final award will be determined by the completion of an original research thesis and a viva oral examination.

More about progression requirements

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Student stories

Hanwei Huang MRes/PhD Economics, 2018 China

I am a PhD student studying economics in the LSE. I am also affiliated with the Centre of Economic Performance (CEP), one of the largest research centres in the LSE. My main research interest is international trade.

One thing that I have learned from the faculties is that economics is not just about mathematics, it should answer interesting economics questions. Over the past few years in the LSE, I have been conducting a few research related to China. This is not surprising given my Chinese origin. Given the anti-globalization current that we have been witnessing, it is also quite relevant to the academic and policy circle to understand how China has become a global manufacturing power house and the champion of global trade.

My work features a close link between theory and empirics, another lesson I have learned in the LSE. My first piece of work done in the LSE focuses on the evolving structure of Chinese production and export. My second paper, which is a joint work with my supervisor Professor Ottaviano, studies how Chinese exporter producing multiple products respond to competition due to comparative advantage. My current research project studies how the domestic infrastructure construction boom that has been taking place in China has enabled China to make better use of globalization.

The most exciting part of LSE is that we are seated near the centre of the UK policy-making. I am fortunate enough to be able to be on a team from the CEP which has been studying various issues related to Brexit. It is only by doing this bit of work that I have seen how LSE research has shaped the debate in the media and the UK parliament.

As a one of the largest economics departments in the world, with numerous seminars and visitors every week, you bump into various people all the time. You might run into a workshop introducing machine learning. You might also hear people talking about big data in the Bean Counter, where we have our coffee. And I am very glad to be one of them here.

Stephan Maurer MRes/PhD Economics, 2017 Germany

I came to the LSE in 2011 after having completed my MSc in Economics at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics. Already during my undergraduate studies in St. Gallen, I had gotten hooked to economics and to the idea of doing a PhD, and my time in Barcelona further confirmed this.

My research is in applied economics broadly, at the intersection of labour economics, political economy, and economic history. Economic history is for me both a tool and an end itself - I am interested in better understanding historical events, but I also frequently use exogenous variation provided by history to study questions in labour economics and political economy.

What I really like about research and the academic profession is that it offers a lot of freedom and allows me to work independently on a variety of issues. For example, I have studied determinants of city growth in Iron Age Europe, but also local economic effects of resource booms in the early 20 th century US South. I also enjoy teaching - during my time here, I have taught various courses and have found it very enriching. Being asked to explain concepts such that students can understand them often has deepened my own understanding. In this respect, I particularly enjoyed teaching in the MPA and MSc Programmes.

Research can also be frustrating. It involves a great deal of failed projects, ideas that do not materialize, and work that does not reap rewards. It is also very discontinuous - you can make great progress in few days, or feel like you’re banging your head against a wall for months. I was lucky to have two very dedicated supervisors to guide me through my PhD, helping me triage my ideas, strengthening my results by constantly questioning them, but also cheering me up when needed. My colleagues and friends at the LSE have also been a great help, not only but especially those from my cohort. Studying for the first year exams and going through the first research steps together has created a lot of cohesion and friendships that I am sure will continue to last for a long time.

After finishing my PhD, I will be joining the Department of Economics at the University of Konstanz as an Assistant Professor. I am very much looking forward to this new endeavour, but I will make sure to be back in London and at the LSE from time to time!

Preliminary reading

Readings are included in the respective course guides in the Calendar .

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Economics

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Financial and Professional Services              
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Government, Public Sector and Policy   
• Consultancy      
• Advertising, Marketing, PR Media, Entertainment, Publishing and Journalism

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career. See information on the placements of previous students on this programme . 

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Starting from the second year of the MRes, students are encouraged to undertake some class teaching in the Department, as this represents useful professional training. Additional information about teaching in the Department .

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, msc econometrics and mathematical economics.

Code(s) L1UB

MSc Economics

Code(s) L1U1

MRes/PhD Finance

Code(s) N4ZC

MPhil/PhD Economic Geography

Code(s) L7ZQ

MPhil/PhD Environmental Economics

Code(s) L7ZR

Request a prospectus

• Name First name Last name
• Address Address Line 1 Address Line 2 City County Postcode Country

Speak to Admissions

Content to be supplied

• University of Pennsylvania
• School of Arts and Sciences

Search Results

Graduate program.

The graduate economics program at Penn is a Ph.D. program administered by the Graduate Group in Economics, which consists of the  faculty  of the Department of Economics, and some of its secondary appointments in the  Wharton School  and the  School of Arts and Sciences . A master's program in Economics is  not  offered at the University of Pennsylvania.

The program trains students to conduct outstanding research in economics. All major areas of economics are covered, with particular strengths in theoretical and empirical microeconomics and in modern macroeconomics. Graduates of the program obtain positions at leading universities, research institutions, and government agencies around the world.

Students in this program acquire a thorough knowledge of economic theory and econometric methods before they begin their own research. They meet a series of  requirements  during their first years in the program, and thereafter devote most of their time to the writing of a  dissertation . The median length of time required for completion is 5.5 years. Almost all students are supported by combinations of fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships during at least their first five years of study.

We look forward to receiving your applications to our program this fall. Applicants are accepted only for full-time work towards the Ph.D. degree. Part-time  admissions and terminal Master's applications are not considered. The application system for Fall 2024 is expected to open on October 1, 2023.

2023-24 Job Market Candidates

Penn Ph.D. students seeking jobs during the 2023-24 academic year.

Graduate Program Information

Prospective students can learn about the graduate program here.

Graduate Requirements

Necessary requirements forms for all Department of Economics Graduate Ph.D. students.