Postgraduate research 

Economics PhD

PhD programmes are offered in Economics, Finance and Quantitative Finance.

  • PhD: normally 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time;

Overview

As an Economics PhD student, you will have opportunities to:

  • present and discuss your work in progress with colleagues and staff members as part of the Economics workshop programme for PhD students
  • take advanced MSc courses to develop your skills where appropriate
  • benefit from the College of Social Sciences Graduate School Research Training programme, where appropriate

As a research student you may have the opportunity to become a Graduate Teaching Assistant, delivering tutorials to first and second year undergraduate students and help with assessment of undergraduate assignments and examinations. Teaching is payable at a University-wide hourly rate and it is anticipated that an active GTA, subject to suitability and availability, should be able to earn up to £1,500 per annum. GTAs undergo compulsory training. PhD researchers may have the opportunity to become GTAs from their second year.  Vacant posts are advertised towards the end of semester 2.

Supervisors and students are required to complete an Annual Progress Report in April/May of each academic year. All Progress Reports are reviewed by the PhD Convenor and by the College's Graduate School. A satisfactory progress report is a prerequisite for student registration in the following academic session. Final assessment involves the submission of a thesis of between 70,000 and 100,000 words and an oral examination (viva voce).

Contact

Initial programme enquiries to business-pgr-applications@glasgow.ac.uk

Study options

The Economics PhD programmes are full-time and research-based. Our PhD normally takes 3 years (full-time) to complete, although the maximum is 4 years.

PhD programmes are offered in

  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Quantitative Finance

Entry requirements

Applicants for the PhD in Economics should normally have a good Masters in the area of Economics or Finance. Applicants who are currently studying for their Masters would be expected to complete this before embarking on a PhD.

Applicants for the PhD in Quantitative Finance should normally have overall merit or above in our MSc Quantitative Finance or in a comparable Masters degree.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

  • 7.0 with no sub-test under 6.5
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test
  • IELTS One Skill Retake accepted.

Common equivalent English language qualifications

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission to this programme:

TOEFL (ibt, my best or athome)

  • 94; with Reading 19; Listening 20; Speaking 20; Writing 21
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements , this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

  • 66 with no subtest less than: Listening 59;Reading 60; Speaking 59; Writing 74
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

  • 185 overall, no subtest less than 176
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

  • Oxford ELLT 8
  • R&L: OIDI level no less than 7 with Reading: 25-26 and Listening: 18-19
  • W&S: OIDI level no less than 8.

Trinity College Tests

Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Pass with Pass in all sub-tests.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

  • Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
    • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have complete their degree in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years
  • Undergraduate 2+2 degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
    • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Fees and funding

Fees

2025/26

  • UK: To be confirmed [24/25 fee was £4,786]
  • International & EU: £26,580

Fees are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Tuition fees for part-time study will be charged at half the full-time annual fee.

Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.

Alumni discount

We offer a 20% discount to our alumni on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Junior Year Abroad, Exchange programme or International Summer School with us. The discount is applied at registration for students who are not in receipt of another discount or scholarship funded by the University. No additional application is required.

Possible additional fees

  • Re-submission by a research student £540
  • Submission for a higher degree by published work £1,355
  • Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed £350
  • Submission by staff in receipt of staff scholarship £790

Depending on the nature of the research project, some students will be expected to pay a bench fee (also known as research support costs) to cover additional costs. The exact amount will be provided in the offer letter.

Funding

Support

Resources

We provides financial support for PhD students to attend international academic conferences to present their co-authored research.

eSharp is an international online journal for postgraduate research in the arts, humanities, social sciences and education. It is run entirely by graduate students and aims to provide a critical but supportive entry into the realm of academic publishing for emerging academics.

The School hosts seminars, workshops and conferences open to staff and research students. 

Training opportunities

  • Information technology services - core computer skills and also specialist training, such as Finding and Using Library Special Collections Material and use of quantitative data analysis software.
  • Staff development service - Personal effectiveness, working with people, business skills.
  • English language unit - English and study skills.
  • Learning and teaching centre - compulsory training for Graduate Teaching Assistants and also a more in-depth training course, 'Approaches to Teaching, Learning and Assessment', useful for students considering an academic career.
  • Researcher development - personal development planning, effective research skills, business skills.
  • Research skills and professional development - a single website for research students to find out about college-based and university-wide training initiatives, resources and courses which develop their generic research and employability skills, and support their professional development.
  • Careers service - one-to-one guidance interviews, careers workshops, practice job interviews with recruitment experts, networking opportunities with a variety of potential employers.
  • Student employability - access to a range of resources designed to help students get the most out of their University careers and to give them the best possible head-start when they enter (or re-enter) the job market.

A PhD in Economics offers a number of different sources of training:

  • Economics MSc and MRes (Level 5) courses - Economics PhD students may be able to attend relevant Economics MSc and MRes courses. 
  • Scottish Graduate Programme in Economics (SGPE) - as an Economics PhD student you may be able to become an affiliate of the SGPE who provide a number of training opportunities.
  • Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE) - occasionally SIRE runs PhD classes which are typically advertised by the SGPE.  It also runs workshops and conferences.
  • In addition to the above possibilities, our economics subject area also regularly offers intensive courses or workshops in different areas of economics and finance, such as courses in Matlab, Panel Data and other topics in Microeconometrics, and topics in Finance.  These are typically offered on a 2-year cycle.

Graduate School

The College of Social Sciences Graduate School draws together internationally recognised scholars and respected practitioners to offer a range of research programmes.

Our programmes are based on thorough training in research methods and we encourage you to take part in numerous exciting seminars, conferences and events. We offer modern library, IT services and a wide-range of support services. You will be living in one of Europe’s most exciting cities which has a vibrant cultural and social life. 

Our Graduate School Researcher Development Programme will support you to plan your professional development over the course of your PhD and ensure your employability.

For more information get in touch with us at  socsci-gradschool@glasgow.ac.uk.

Our PhD students

Career prospects

Recent PhD graduates of the University of Glasgow have secured employment at universities and central banks in the UK and other countries. Examples include:

University placements in the UK

  • Bournemouth
  • Dundee
  • Durham
  • Lancaster
  • Kent
  • Nottingham

University placements outside the UK

  • American University in Bulgaria
  • University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands)
  • University of Bari (Italy)
  • Catholic University in La Paz (Bolivia)
  • University of Napoli (Italy)
  • Quaid-i-Azam University (Pakistan)
  • Shandong University (China)

Central Banks

  • Deutsche Bundesbank (Germany)
  • Central Bank of Ireland
  • Reserve Bank of Malawi

How to apply

Identify potential supervisors

All Postgraduate Research Students are allocated a supervisor who will act as the main source of academic support and research mentoring. You may want to identify a potential supervisor and contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please note, even if you have spoken to an academic staff member about your proposal you still need to submit an online application form.

You can find relevant academic staff members with our staff research interests search.

Also see our Research Clusters & members:

Gather your documents

Before applying please make sure you gather the following supporting documentation:

  1. Final or current degree transcripts including grades (and an official translation, if needed) – scanned copy in colour of the original document.
  2. Degree certificates (and an official translation, if needed): scanned copy in colour of the original document.
  3. Two references on headed paper and signed by the referee. One must be academic, the other can be academic or professional. References may be uploaded as part of the application form or you may enter your referees contact details on the application form. We will then email your referee and notify you when we receive the reference.  We can also accept confidential references direct to rio-researchadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk, from the referee’s university or business email account.
  4. CV
  5. Name of potential supervisor
  6. Research proposal.  Candidates are required to provide a single page outline of the research subject proposed (approximately 1000 words). This need not be a final thesis proposal but should include:
    • a straightforward, descriptive, and informative title
    • the question that your research will address
    • an account of why this question is important and worth investigating
    • an assessment of how your own research will engage with recent study in the subject
    • a brief account of the methodology and approach you will take
    • a discussion of the primary sources that your research will draw upon, including printed books, manuscripts, archives, libraries, or museums
    • an indicative bibliography of secondary sources that you have already consulted and/or are planning to consult
Apply now

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