Financial aid for PhD students
Scholarships are awarded each year on a competitive basis to the strongest applicants to the doctoral program. These scholarships provide both a stipend and fee waivers. Students who proceed to the second year of candidature may also have the opportunity to work as teaching assistants or research assistants.
Current PhD students
Our PhD students are working on a range of topics from swing voters' behaviour in Bangladesh to a framework for managing fiscal risks in Indonesia.
Confirmation of candidature (defence of thesis proposal)
All students are required to:
- pass written examinations in the six coursework units
- confirm their supervisory team during the third trimester of their first year of candidature
- successfully defend their thesis proposal by their first year of candidature
- attend weekly research seminars held within the Department of Economics
Dissertation
The second and third years of candidature are devoted to the formulation, development, and completion of the doctoral thesis, which will include the student’s job-market paper.
Students who have passed their confirmation of candidature are also expected to present their research to the Department of Economics on an annual basis. We expect students to submit their job-market paper to a top-ranked general interest or field journal by the first trimester of their third year of candidature.
The thesis is written under the supervision of a committee of at least two faculty members: a Principal Supervisor and one or more Associate Supervisors. The thesis is approved after it has been successfully examined by two or more external academics.
As in any PhD program, the ultimate time to completion can vary. However, students should expect to complete the degree within 3 to 3.5 years of full-time study.
Admissions
To be considered for entry into our program, applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong background in economics, mathematics and statistics at either honours or masters levels.
We also welcome applications from other rigorous fields, like physics, engineering, or computer science.
The requirements for entry into the program are outlined on the Faculty of Business and Law’s PhD page.
Applicants who believe they meet these entry requirements should complete an EOI form and submit it to the faculty.
If you have any questions about the application procedure or the Department of Economics’ doctoral program, please contact the Economics PhD Director.
Please note that the Economics PhD program only accepts students in Trimester 1 (March) of each year. You'll be able to find further information about the EOI submission dates on the faculty's PhD page. Successful students must report to the Department of Economics by 20 February.
Additional requirements
The Research Integrity Training Program
PhD students can face ethical issues that arise over the course of their professional practice and writing their scientific discoveries. It is of utmost importance therefore to be aware of what responsible research and scholarship entails.
To this end, all students must complete a Research Integrity Training Unit prior to their confirmation of candidature.