PhD in Economics

About the department

The Department of Economics at Royal Holloway, University of London is a centre of research and teaching excellence. The department consists of approximately 30 academic staff members whose research interests include theoretical and applied microeconomics, labour economics, development economics and experimental economics, as well as multidisciplinary topics in collaboration with colleagues from the Computer Science and Psychology departments (see here ). Over 98% of our research was rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” in the most recent UK research assessment (REF2021 ). Research activity is organised around the department’s research centres .

About the programme

The department has an active PhD programme which consists of approximately 25 PhD students. We offer a stimulating research environment where postgraduate research students become an integral part of our research community and enjoy a consistently high level of interaction with academic staff. During the four years of the programme, students take PhD courses that provide advanced economics training, attend research seminars from external speakers, present their work in the PhD seminar and PhD conference and, generally, participate in the academic life of the department.

The department has a great placement record for PhD students and our graduates have been successful in getting jobs in academia, research organisations, governments, international bodies, and the private sector. Furthermore, 97% of our PhD students were happy with their supervisor and 87% were satisfied their overall experience in their research programme according to the most recent Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (2022).

Applying for admission and choosing a research topic

We offer full-time (4 years) and part-time (8 years) PhD programmes, that can start in September, January, or April. Applicants should have an MSc in Economics or a related field. Applicants should consult the website of the PhD programme under “how to apply”. 

For a successful PhD experience, it is important to find a good match between your research interests and those of your supervisors. You can find a list of potential supervisors on our directory and potential topics of study on our website under “research topics” . 

Funding opportunities

Generous scholarships and graduate teaching assistantships are available on a competitive basis to cover tuition fees and stipends for 4 years for Home students.