Finance and Economics (MRes/PhD) (2025 entry)

two students look at a computer as part of their MRes/PhD Finance and Economics course

Course code

P-N3P5

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

2 + 4 years full-time

Qualification

MRes/PhD*

Led by

Warwick Business School

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-N3P5

Start date

6 October 2025

Duration

2 + 4 years full-time

Qualification

MRes/PhD*

Led by

Warwick Business School

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

Download our prospectus Link opens in a new window

Apply now

Find out more about our Finance and Economics MRes/PhD degree at Warwick

Make your mark on the financial world through impactful research with our Finance and Economics MRes/PhD at the University of Warwick. Study at the internationally renowned Warwick Business School, where you will have the opportunity to research key financial factors affecting businesses.

*Please note that, for Visa purposes, this is considered a Taught course which means that students requiring Student Visa sponsorship will not be able to bring dependants to the UK unless they are government sponsored.

Course overview

Please note applications for this course are now closed for 2025 entry.

Our fully-funded MRes/PhD Finance and Economics programme combines highly relevant and structured training with close mentorship from a team of supervisors to embed you in our culture of curiosity and help you in developing and deepening your chosen area of research. We value our doctoral researchers and aim to attract students from across the globe who are independent thinkers, restless to learn more and challenge themselves. We particularly welcome applicants whose ambition is a career in academia.

Jointly run with the Department of Economics, we aim to establish our MRes programme as one of the leading programmes in Europe, supporting you to pursue a future career in top academic positions, international organisations and central banks. This programme will provide you with a thorough understanding of state-of-the-art research techniques and in-depth appreciation of principal areas of interest for researchers in finance and economics.

Teaching and learning

You will study four compulsory modules in Year One, and five compulsory modules plus a dissertation in Year Two. You will then continue on to our PhD Finance programme, and complete your doctoral thesis. The overall course structure is 2+4 years (MRes/PhD).

Our excellent library and superb teaching and learning facilities provide the perfect place for you to commit to your studies, and enable you to expand and deepen your knowledge in your chosen area of research.

Reading lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platform.

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogue.

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

Competition to join our Doctoral programme is very strong; you will need to demonstrate you have the intellectual capabilities, stamina, drive and commitment to complete a ground-breaking piece of work through independent study.

Academic requirements for our MRes/PhD Finance and Economics programme

An honours degree from a UK university or equivalent from an overseas university; plus a Masters degree, in economics or Finance (with a significant quantitative finance component). Accounting or Financial Mathematics may be considered with a significant finance component. A first-class degree and a distinction at Masters level is recommended but serves as a guideline only
A GMAT or GRE score is required and should be provided as part of your application. However, we have no defined threshold and the score provided will be indicative to merely supplement and strengthen applications
You should have strong academic references and excellent potential for research.

English language requirements

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

If English is not your first language, you must meet a minimum overall standard in a recognised test of English. You must show a good balance across all sections of the test and it must have been taken within two years of starting the course. We will require your certificates as evidence.

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
PTE academic - 70 with 51+ in every section
CPE – grade C (CEFR level C2) or above
CAE - Grade C scoring 60+, no worse than 3 component results at borderline and 1 at weak.

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.

Research themes

Our research

Our vision is to develop cutting-edge research that leads debate and deepens our understanding on the practice of finance and economics. Research is undertaken in partnership with policy and practice, to ensure both relevance and practical application. Our desire to respond and contribute to varied societal issues, provides a vibrant and creative environment for research to flourish.

Our research strengths include:

Asset Pricing
Behavioural Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Governance
Financial Econometrics
Investments
Mergers and Acquisitions
Risk Management.

Supervisors and proposals

Find a supervisor

During the second year of the MRes, you will be allocated a supervisor. A second supervisor will be allocated if you are admitted into the PhD, at the end of the MRes. The two supervisors will have appropriate research expertise and interests.

Please do not contact potential supervisors when completing your application, as we do not recruit PhD students in this way.

Research proposals

Initial applications to the Business School PhD programmes do not require submission of a research proposal.

About the Department

Warwick Business School

If you’re interested in the bigger picture, comfortable challenging assumptions and want a degree that will open doors, then WBS is the place for you. We will give you the foundation for change and prepare you for your future career. Are you ready to make your mark in the world of business?

Find out more about us on our website.

The vision of WBS is to be Europe’s leading University-based Business School, developing transformational ideas and people that shape how we do business. We recognise that rankings are one way to profile our progress towards fulfilling this vision, and are proud to participate in the major global business education rankings.

MSc Finance

6^th in the UK and 21^th in the world - Financial Times Masters in Finance Pre-experience Ranking 2024
4^th in the UK and 19^th in the world - QS Business Masters Rankings 2025

MSc Management

3^rd in the UK and 28^th in the world - Financial Times Masters in Management Ranking 2024
4^th in the UK and 18^th in the world - QS Business Masters Rankings 2025

MSc Marketing & Strategy

2^nd in the UK and 7^th in the world - QS Business Masters Rankings 2025

MSc Business Analytics

3^rd in the UK and 17^th in the world - QS Business Masters Rankings 2025

MBA

2^nd in the UK and 3^rd in the world - Financial Times Online MBA Ranking 2024
4^th in the UK and 30^th in the world - Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking 2024

Our Postgraduate Taught courses

MSc courses

MBA

Executive Diplomas

Our Postgraduate Research courses

Tuition fees

Our MRes/PhD Finance and Economics programme is fully funded. All students accepted onto the programme will have their full fees paid and will receive an annual stipend of approximately £21,000 per annum throughout their course, subject to satisfactory progress.

Students do not need to apply separately for this funding. It will be included as part of the offer onto the programme.

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

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

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Department specific funding and support

Our MRes/PhD Finance and Economics programme is fully funded. All students accepted onto the programme will have their full fees paid and will receive an annual stipend of approximately £18,000 per annum throughout their course, subject to satisfactory progress.

Students do not need to apply separately for this funding. It will be included as part of the offer onto the programme.

How to apply

Applications for 2024 entry are now closed. Applications for 2025 entry will open in October 2024.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

Meet us

Explore ways to connect with us

We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
Live chats
Talk and Tours
Department events

2024 entry

Department content block about careers

See 2024 entry »

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Page updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

StudyStudy Postgraduate Postgraduate

Finance and Economics (MRes/PhD) (2025 entry)

Find out more about our Finance and Economics MRes/PhD degree at Warwick

*Please note that, for Visa purposes, this is considered a Taught course which means that students requiring Student Visa sponsorship will not be able to bring dependants to the UK unless they are government sponsored.

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

After you’ve applied

Applicant Portal

Admissions statement

Join a live chat

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

Page updates

About the information on this page

Connect with us

Talk to us

Find us