| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-05-06 | - |
| 2023-09-18 | 2023-07-31 |
| 2024-01-15 | - |
| 2023-09-25 | 2024-09-23 |
Program Overview
Overview
We aim to produce economists who are sought-after by leading economics departments and research institutions around the world. Recent PhD students have been highly successful in securing internships and employment in academia and the private sector.
Our Economics faculty includes leading researchers in several fields, including macroeconomics, labour and development economics, microeconomic theory and agri-environmental economics. All students will receive expert supervision by a research-active member of staff. PhD students also have the opportunity to contribute to the teaching and research activity of the School and are encouraged to participate in seminars and present their own work.
Program Outline
Course structure
The Economics PhD programme is studied over four years full-time or six years part-time.
The first year of the Economics PhD programme is dedicated to PhD-specific training courses across microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics. The content, structure and level of these courses provide the skills needed for independent economic research. By the summer term, students will have developed a set of detailed research questions and written a comprehensive literature review. A poster session is held within the School in which students present their research ideas.
Modules
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
There are three compulsory modules in the Autumn term:
Advanced Macroeconomic Theory
Advanced Microeconomics and Game Theory
Computational Methods with Matlab
Students then choose at least two optional modules in the Spring term:
Topics in Advanced Macroeconomics
Macro-Econometrics
Topics in Advanced Microeconomics
Micro-Econometrics
All first-year modules involve assessed coursework and you are required to pass at least five modules in order to progress to the second year of the PhD.
Independent research
The final three years of the PhD are devoted to independent research, under the guidance of a supervisory panel. Throughout the academic year, there are regular reading groups, workshops and seminars in which students are encouraged to attend and participate. In the summer term, PhD workshops are held in which all students must present their work. At the end of four years, the student will submit a thesis that is examined by viva voce. Research generated during the PhD can result in the publication of papers in top economics journals.
PhD students are assessed on the basis of a thesis of between 60,000 and 80,000 words.
Research
Research areas
The School of Economics has a strong research culture and an international reputation in several fields, particularly applied microeconomics (labour and agri-environmental), quantitative macroeconomic theory, macro and microeconometrics and economic development.
The School is home to two research centres and one research group:
Centre for Agri-Environmental Studies (CEAS)
CEAS has a long history of participating in agri-environmental research and policy debate. Founded in 1974 to conduct research into the implications of the UK's entry to the European Economic Community, CEAS has developed into a centre of research excellence, focusing on food and agri-environmental policy in the UK and Europe.
Macroeconomics, Growth and History Centre (MaGHiC)
MaGHiC brings together a large number of researchers at the School whose main interests lie in the wide area of macroeconomics. MaGHiC is the focal point for macroeconomic research, impact and training at the University of Kent. The centre's main focus is on the analysis of macroeconomic issues, including productivity and growth, labour markets, income distribution, business cycles and macroeconomic phenomena from a historical perspective. The group also has technical strength in computational economics, macroeconometric modelling and forecasting, and expertise in building long-run macroeconomic time series and reconstructing historical national accounts.
Microeconomics Research Group
In addition to the two research centres, the School has an active microeconomics research group, whose members' research spans applied and theoretical microeconomics, and microeconometrics. The group's research covers a wide range of areas with the main focus being on development economics, labour and education economics, microeconometrics, games and behavioural economics, the economics of food, economic geography, industrial organisation and the economics of tax.
Careers
A PhD in the area of economics is a particularly valuable and flexible qualification that can open the door to exciting careers in many professions. Our PhD programme provides rigorous training for careers in professional and academic economics. Our graduates have gone on to work as economists in international organisations, the financial sector, business, UK and overseas governments, and to academic careers at Kent and UK and overseas universities.