General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

First class undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject and/or Distinction at Master’s level. A GRE General Test quantitative section score would be useful but not essential. Scores of around 800/166 are typical for previously successful applicants.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

99% of the Department's research was rated world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), placing the Department second in the UKLink opens in a new window. We have five separate seminar series running on a weekly basis (term time), with invited eminent speakers from around the world. MRes and PhD students are welcome and encouraged to attend. 

Areas for PhD supervision 

We have active research groups in:

• Applied Economics
• Economic History
• Development Economics
• Economic Theory
• Econometrics
• Education
• Industrial Economics
• International Economics
• Labour Economics
• Macroeconomics
• Political Economy
• Public Economics
• Experimental and Behavioural Economics

Core modules

Year One

Advanced Microeconomic Theory

The module aims to develop your skills and knowledge of, microeconomics necessary for a career as an academic economist and in all areas where advanced research skills in economics are required. Specifically, it aims to teach you the ability to understand, appreciate, and ultimately contribute to, frontier research. You will develop a thorough understanding of the main techniques of modern microeconomic theory; a detailed knowledge of recent research in key areas of microeconomic theory and be able to apply these to develop microeconomic models in your own research.

Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis

In this module you will focus on the development of the skills and knowledge of advanced macroeconomics, which are fundamental for a career as an academic economist. You will develop a thorough understanding of modern macroeconomic theory; and the ability to read and understand ground-breaking research in macroeconomics published in top journals. For those intending to pursue a career in macroeconomics, the course provides the basic tools required to pursue their own research agenda.

Advanced Econometric Theory

In this module you will focus on another important area of advanced research skills: advanced econometrics. You will develop an advanced understanding of the main aspects of modern econometric theory and techniques used in research at the forefront of the field.

The Practice of Economics Research

The principal aim of this module is to serve as a bridge between theoretical material taught in other year-one core modules and the practical application of theory and methods to concrete research questions, informed by other considerations (such as institutional structures). The focus is on development of the skills needed to conduct research, including identifying and formulating research questions informed by current debates both in academia and outside it (for example in public policy). You will learn to identify appropriate sources and methods, deal with the practical aspects of deploying those methods, and communicate/disseminate research results effectively.

By comparison with the other core modules taken by students in the first year of the MRes programme, this module is distinctive in its emphasis on learning by example and on learning by doing.

Year Two

MRes Dissertation

This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to autonomously investigate and carry out novel research in your chosen area of economics, at PhD level.

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• Macroeconomics
• International Economics
• Development Economics
• Advanced Economic Theory
• Economic History
• Political Economic Theory
• Labour Economics
• Advanced Econometrics
• Industrial Organisation and Data Science

Teaching

You will be taught by leading academics in the major fields of Economics using a combination of lectures and classes.

You will also be heavily involved in developing your own research under the supervision of one of our leading academics in the form of your MRes dissertation.

Class sizes

Lectures and classes typically have 15-20 students in year one.

In year two class sizes vary between 3 and 15 students.

Typical contact hours

In year one you will have 9 hours of lectures per week and 4-5 hours of seminars. In year two, teaching is mainly on a seminar basis (6 hours per week).

Assessment

Assessment is a mixture of class tests, exams, presentations, and referee reports and the MRes dissertation (maximum of 20,000 words).

Pre-Sessional Advanced Mathematics

You are recommended to attend the pre-sessional course in Advanced Mathematics which will be taught in the two weeks before the University’s main term begins. The course is designed to ensure that your maths knowledge and skills are at the standard required for you to succeed on the MRes/PhD course.

Reading lists

Most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library. If you would like to view reading lists for the current cohort of students you can visit our Warwick Library web pageLink opens in a new window.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

PhD Programme

If you pass the MRes at a sufficiently high level of performance, you will then proceed to the PhD programme. You will have a maximum of four years to complete the PhD, but are expected to be ready to go on the job market at the beginning of your fourth year and to be ready to submit your thesis in the following spring. We aim to provide you with professional training in modern economics, including tools and techniques of analysis as well as knowledge, and an opportunity to apply this in extended research. Our objective is to produce doctoral students who are able to pursue driven careers at the highest level in academia, government agencies or consultancies.

Find a supervisor

Please do not write to members of faculty regarding supervision or entry to the PhD, as we do not recruit PhD students in this way.

All of our PhD students must either complete the MRes Economics at Warwick or demonstrate they have completed a two-year MRes at another institution (with a syllabus closely matching that taught at Warwick) and achieved excellent results.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Taught course fees  Research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information, however we are awaiting guidance from the UK government regarding fee status for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members living in the UK for academic year 2021/22 onwards. We are not able to confirm the fee status for these students until the relevant eligibility criteria have been confirmed. Once we have received further information from the UK government, we will provide you with an update on your fee status and let you know if any additional information is required. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.

Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Your career in Economics

Most of our Economics PhD job market candidates are successful in finding academic placements at prestigious universities across the world.

The 2020 cohort of students secured academic positions as Lecturers, Assistant Professors or Post-doctoral Fellows at the following Higher Education Institutions: Bocconi University in Milan, the European University Institute in Florence, University College Dublin, University of Bristol, Ashoka University in India, Stockholm University, Tilburg University and the University of Tübingen.

Some of our PhD graduates choose jobs in non-academic fields which require advanced research skills, for example, central banks, regulators, think tanks or international organisations, including:

• The Institute for Government
• Government Economic Service
• The United Nations
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• World Trade Organisation
• International Monetary Fund
• The World Bank Group

Economics at Warwick

We're an inclusive, diverse community committed to the highest quality research which informs our teaching on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Many of our experts are leaders in their field.

We hold regular live chats for prospective students and offer holders. Please see the live chat schedule for Economics.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate courses

• Behavioural and Economic Science (Economics) (MSc)
• Economics (Diploma plus MSc)
• Economics (MSc)
• Economics and International Financial Economics (MSc)
• MRes/PhD in Economics