Economics

Oxford has a thriving group of research students studying for the DPhil in Economics. The DPhil is the name Oxford gives to its doctoral degree rather than the more familiar name PhD used in most other universities, but the structure of the degree is identical to that of the PhD at leading economics graduate schools worldwide.

The interests and strengths of the department's doctoral students are many and diverse and this is reflected in the positions they take up after graduation: some take up tenure track positions in academia; others find employment in government, international organisations, or the private sector. The international reputation of Oxford’s doctoral programme also means that its DPhil graduates can be found making a contribution in many different parts of the world.

The department recognises the importance of helping doctoral students find suitable employment and its placement efforts are directed by a senior member of the faculty. The department provides advice and help on all aspects of the job application process, including limited financial assistance to cover expenses. 

There are two main routes leading to a DPhil at Oxford. The first route is the two-year Oxford MPhil in Economics course followed by a further two or three years of research for the DPhil. The MPhil provides training in economics at graduate level, comparable to the first two years of the PhD programme at the best international universities.

If you have not completed the MPhil in Economics at the University of Oxford but hold a master’s degree or equivalent in economics and wish to undertake research for the DPhil then you may apply to be admitted as a Probationer Research Student (PRS). In this case you will usually be required to take a year of coursework, roughly equivalent to the second year of the MPhil course.

You can join one or more of the department's research groups, becoming part of a vibrant educational research community with an active set of doctoral student-led events, seminars and conferences. You will have opportunities to present your work at a variety of seminars and sessions in the department.

Applicants are normally expected to have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in economics or another approved subject (such as mathematics), and demonstrate a strong quantitative preparation.

Applicants must also be predicted or to have achieved an outstanding performance in a rigorous master's course in economics as a minimum, and offers will be made conditional on obtaining a distinction grade (or an equivalent level of performance where a distinction grade is not officially awarded).

Note that a master's qualification that is only partially in economics would not be considered a suitable background. For example a master's course in development studies, public administration, or in finance lacks the required level of economics content, even if there are economics courses as part of the training.

Note also that a master's qualification in a specialised field within economics (e.g. development economics, applied economics, or financial economics) may also be insufficient background. Candidates with these qualifications should provide a written statement as part of their research proposal to demonstrate that the courses on which they have been examined covered all the core material of a rigorous master's course in economics.  

Applicants with an insufficient master's background in economics who wish to proceed to DPhil are encouraged to first apply to the MPhil in Economics. 

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

All applicants must submit the results of a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test taken within the last five years. Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants will have a GRE score of Verbal 160, Quantitative 164, Analytical 4.5.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Research proposal: Two to three pages
• Written work:One essay of 2,000 words
• GRE General Test results
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

• Global Education
• Hill Foundation Scholarships
• A number of Research Council awards are available each year from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).