Economics

Description

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We have about 50 registered research students and have full recognition by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the receipt of ESRC research studentships.
For admission to our research programmes you need to have a good Honours first degree and a Masters degree with at least UK Merit level in Economics or a related subject with relevant mathematical and statistical techniques. You will be asked to provide a detailed research proposal. We may also invite you to contact prospective supervisors in the Department in order to discuss your research proposal.
All first year students must take the module Research Methods in Economics. Depending on the level of your previous studies, you may be required to take some MSc-level courses in your first year, the aim of which is to provide an advanced training in both core and specialist areas of economics. Students are required to achieve a high standard in the examinations for the prescribed courses in order to proceed as research students.
Also in the first year, you will complete a literature survey and revise and prepare a detailed research proposal as your first task on the way to completing a thesis how much further you are able to advance your thesis will depend on your course load. A research students key relationship is with the principal supervisor (or with co-supervisors); you are, however, allocated a supervisory panel consisting of two supervisors and a mentor. Once started on research, you meet the principal supervisor regularly to discuss the thesis-related literature and research strategy. You meet your (principal) supervisor at least once every four weeks.

Support and training

Birmingham Business School provides dedicated facilities, resources and support to postgraduate students and early career researchers which includes The Midlands Graduate School and Doctoral Training Centres and Programmes.

Contents

Research interests of staff Econometrics

* Mathematical methods in economics; economic methodology and philosophy
Contact: Mr Ralph Bailey
Email: r.w.bailey@bham.ac.uk
* Modelling and forecasting economic time series
Contact: Professor Anindya Banerjee (Econometrics Group leader)
Email: a.banerjee@bham.ac.uk
* Time series econometrics
Contact: Dr Marco Barassi
Email: m.r.barassi@bham.ac.uk
* Applied econometrics cross-section, panel and time series data
Contact: Dr Marco Ercolani
Email: m.g.ercolani@bham.ac.uk
* Time series econometrics, and estimation of continuous time models
Contact: Dr Joanne Ercolani
Email: j.s.ercolani@bham.ac.uk
* Applied econometrics, in particular the currency, housing and labour markets
Contact: Mr Nick Horsewood
Email: n.j.horsewood@bham.ac.uk

Economic Theory

* Microeconomic theory, specifically economic growth; mathematical economics
Contact: Dr Martin Jensen
Email: m.k.jensen@bham.ac.uk
* Game theory
Contact: Professor Indra Ray (Economic Theory Group leader)
Email: i.ray@bham.ac.uk
* Environmental economics, in particular climate change; institutions and capital flight; voting theory
Contact: Dr Colin Rowat
Email: c.rowat@bham.ac.uk

Money, Macroeconomics and Finance

* History of 20th-century economics; economic methodology
Contact: Professor Roger Backhouse
Email: r.e.backhouse@bham.ac.uk
* Financial sector reform; financial institutional behaviour
Contact: Dr David Dickinson
Email: d.g.dickinson@bham.ac.uk
* Open economy macroeconomics; endogenous growth
Contact: Professor John Fender (Money, Macroeconomics and Finance Group leader)
Email: j.fender@bham.ac.uk
* Dynamic macroeconomics and its applications; trade blocs; crime and crime abatement
Contact: Professor Peter Sinclair
Email: p.j.n.sinclair@bham.ac.uk
* International monetary economics, in particular monetary integration
Contact: Dr Frank Strobel
Email: f.strobel@bham.ac.uk

Political Economy and Economic Policy

* International trade and industrial organisation; development economics; technology and innovation economics
Contact: Dr Facundo Albornoz
Email: f.albornoz@bham.ac.uk
* Public choice; electoral systems; crime, neighbourhood effects and rights
Contact: Dr Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
Email: s.bandyopadhyay@bham.ac.uk
* Economic growth and income distribution; public economics, pensions and education; debt and default
Contact: Professor Jayasri Dutta (Political Economy and Economic Policy Group leader)
Email: j.dutta@bham.ac.uk
* Economic development, in particular Asian economies; defence economics
Contact: Professor Somnath Sen
Email: s.sen@bham.ac.uk

Trade, Energy and Environment

* Trade and the environment; economic development and the environment; valuation of non-market goods
Contact: Dr Matthew Cole (Trade, Energy and Environment Group leader)
Email: m.a.cole@bham.ac.uk
* Empirical international trade; intra-industry trade; economic geography; European integration; trade and the environment
Contact: Dr Rob Elliott
Email: r.j.elliott@bham.ac.uk
* The electricity industry; electricity markets; economic regulation
Contact: Professor Richard Green
Email: r.j.green@bham.ac.uk
* Economics of climate change
Contact: Dr David Maddison
Email: d.j.maddison@bham.ac.uk
* Trade bloc formation under oligopoly; trade, foreign direct investment and mergers
Contact: Dr Toby Kendall
Email: t.kendall@bham.ac.uk
* Trade in financial services; trade, foreign direct investment and mergers; business cycles
Contact: Professor Cillian Ryan
Email: c.ryan@bham.ac.uk

Requirements

For admission to research programmes, students are required to have, in economics or an economics-related subject, a good honours first degree or a master's degree with a high average mark (at least at the Merit level). They are expected to be familiar with relevant mathematical and statistical techniques.

Candidates are asked to provide a detailed research proposal, and you may contact prospective supervisors in the Department in order to discuss writing the research proposal.

In admitting a research student, the Department needs to be confident that the student will be successful at the higher level. It uses the information provided, and especially the research proposal, to assess three attributes, in addition to the candidate's level of attainment in economics:

* general understanding of the nature of research in economics;
* familiarity with, and grasp of, the topic concerned;
* presentation skills.

Funding

The Department offers a few PhD scholarships. Scholarships are typically awarded to current or prospective PhD students and are very competitive.

These scholarships can be at three different levels: half-fee scholarship, full-fee scholarship, full-fee plus maintenance (£5000) scholarship. The scholarship holders are required to do some class teaching. The scholarships are not renewed automatically but are reviewed every year and may be granted a different level of scholarship (or no scholarship at all) depending on the student's performance in previous years.

The Scholarship Committee meeting is held in May and the deadline for applications is at the end of April, therefore, it is very important that you specifically mention in your application that you wish to be considered for a scholarship.

In order to gain teaching experience and supplement their incomes PhD students may undertake some of the Departments undergraduate and postgraduate classes.

There are two sources of external scholarships such as ESRC and University of Birmingham.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) offers funding on a competitive basis to Home/EU students. In the case of overseas students, this is limited to the payment of fees. An application requires the support of the Department, and is completed during the Spring Term and Easter vacation (mid-January to late April).

The University offers a very small number of scholarships for doctoral study, and an exceptionally gifted candidate can apply for one on nomination by the Department.

See the University of Birmingham Website for more details on fees and funding.