This programme is now closed. No more applications will be accepted.

By joining Queen Mary's School of Economics and Finance you will become a member of one of the top Economics faculties in the UK, ranked joint sixth in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. Our faculty members are top quality economists who publish in the best academic journals, act as consultants to the Government, and sit on the editorial boards of the major academic publications. The breadth of the School's research expertise offers a wide range of opportunities for those wishing to embark on a programme of doctoral research.

 

Why apply for the PhD programme in Queen Mary's School of Economics and Finance?

• We are a top-ten RAE School recognised for the excellence of both its teaching and research. Over 30 research active staff are involved in a broad range of research areas, including theoretical and empirical finance, financial econometrics and time series analysis, econometric theory, macroeconomics, labor economics, microeconomic theory and game theory, applied microeconomics, environmental economics, health economics, economics of crime, among others. We have a vibrant community of PhD students involved in most contemporary research topics that push the boundaries of knowledge in their chosen fields of research.  We invite you to take a look at the research pages of our current PhD students.
• Excellent career opportunities are open to our graduates. First destinations of our graduates include some of the most prestigious universities in UK, continental Europe and Asia; many governmental research departments and regulatory bodies, such as the Antitrust authorities and the financial regulatory agencies; some international institutions such as the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• We offer competitive financial support programmes for our PhD students. Entering PhD students (both domestic and international) are routinely offered teaching assistantships whose monetary value is unmatched among the top economics departments in UK, such as LSE, UCL, Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick and Essex, among others.
• The School collaborates with governmental and non-governmental agencies, including UK & Italian Treasury, the Office for National Statistics, the Bank of England, the Society of Technical Analysts, among others.

 

Entry: two routes

There are two routes for PhD entry, depending on which of the following applies to you:

1. I have an MSc: Holders of an MSc in Economics or a related discipline from a recognised University can apply directly for PhD. Normally we do not consider applications from those students whose average mark is less than 65% across all modules including the MSc thesis.
2. I do not have an MSc: Students who do not hold an MSc degree may register for the MSc Economics or MSc Finance and Econometrics offered by the School as the first year of a PhD programme. Transition to the registration as PhD student is subject to satisfactory performance in the MSc degree and the successful allocation of supervisor(s) related to the proposed research topic. The compulsory summer dissertation may form the first step towards the development of a PhD research topic.

 

Structure of the PhD Programme

A PhD degree normally requires three to four years of full time study.

In the first year a research student receives training in the form of PhD level taught courses, Topics in Advanced Economics and Finance. It covers topics in the frontiers of academic research, including quantitative methods for macro research, non-parametric econometrics, empirical policy evaluation, empirical finance microstructure, networks and experimental economics. The course is two semesters long and it is taught by senior members of the academic staff.

The School organises an annual PhD students' conference, where research students present their current research output. The evaluation of the research work presented at this annual conference is one of the elements employed in the assessment of research students' performance.

The School also organizes weekly Economics and Finance Seminar series where PhD students have an opportunity to meet renown scholars from all over the world. All PhD students are encouraged to attend either the weekly Economics or Econometrics Reading Groups. Both PhD students and faculty use the reading group sessions to present their ongoing research work. In an informal atmosphere, discussions during the reading groups are lively and help to improve individual research work.

Studying for a PhD is a very challenging enterprise: we want to make sure you can get the most out of it! So please do take your time to browse through our pages, and if you still have any questions, just ask. We welcome informal enquiries about any aspect of our programme. You can get in touch with the Programme Manager and above all feel free to contact our current PhD students.

 

How to apply

The admission is only for the entry in September 2013. We have PhD vacancies in the following fields:

• applied economics: labor, crime, education
• economic theory
• econometrics
• macroeconomics
• finance: financial econometrics, asset pricing, international finance
• any field

The application deadlines are: 

• 31 January for applicants who wish to be considered for ESRC research scholarships
• 30 April for applicants who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships or who do not apply for financial aid. 

 

Application procedure

Please fill the online application here (see also the guidance notes). Make sure that the following supporting materials are included with the application:

• a full academic transcript (a record of courses taken and grades achieved)
• evidence of your proficiency in English
• resume / Curriculum Vitae
• a statement of purpose (one side of A4 where you explain why you want to study at Queen Mary's School of Economics and Finance and how it will help your life and career)
• a research proposal, up to 500 words (about 2000 words if the applicant wishes to be considered for the ESRC research scholarship)

In addition, please ask two academic referees to send confidential reference letters to econ-postgrad@qmul.ac.uk

Applicants who wish to be considered for ESRC research scholarships must fill an additional ESCR application form (see also the guidance notes).  There is no separate application for teaching assistantships, however, applicants should indicate in the application their wish to be considered for financial aid. 

 

If you have any questions, please contact:

Sandra Adams
Postgraduate/Research Programme Manager
School of Economics and Finance
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road
London E1 4NS
United Kingdom

Email: econ-phd-enquiries@qmul.ac.uk
Tel: +44 20 7882 7356

 

Financial Support

The School is pleased to offer Teaching Assistantships to all incoming PhD students. A Teaching Assistantship covers the tuition fees and provides maintenance per annum that includes:

• £14000 as the research grant
• £4000 for compulsory teaching of 60 hours per annum
• up to 3 optional 20-hour teaching packages with rate £100/hour that are available on competitive basis (thus, each 20-hour package provides £2000, with total Teaching Assistantship stipend reaching £24000 when all three additional packages are taken).

The Teaching Assistantships are offered for the first three years of study, subject to satisfactory academic performance and satisfactory teaching for the teaching package. The policy of the School is normally to give a fourth-year extension on the same basis.

There is no separate application form for Teaching Assistantship. Applicants for the PhD programme who wish to be considered for the award should indicate this in the PhD application form.

The School also offers ESRC research scholarships funded by the ESRC through the Queen Mary - Goldsmiths joint doctoral training centre. To be considered for the ESRC research scholarship, the application must be received by 31 January and an additional ESCR application form must be attached. More details are available here: http://www.londonsocialscience.org.uk/studentship.html