Key Information
- Duration: Full-time: 36 months; Part-time: 72 months
- Start Dates & Application Deadlines: Starting September 2027; Apply before Jun 2027
Overview
Through the Economics programme from SOAS University of London normally a high level Masters degree in Economics or equivalent is a prerequisite. In general, such an MSc as precondition of entry is sufficient to satisfy admission conditions without need for further coursework requirements, especially as far as formal examinations are concerned.
Why study MPhil/PhD in Economics at SOAS?
- We are ranked 27th in UK for economics (QS World University Rankings 2023)
- We are top 20 in the UK for student satisfaction with teaching (Complete University Guide 2023)
- We are top 40 in the UK for economics (Complete University Guide 2023)
- The Department offers unique research training opportunities both through its dedicated research student seminar series and the wide-ranging set of courses taught on its MSc programmes. These range from economic theory to political economy of development and are oriented around a range of theoretical, empirical and policy issues. Its special subject options provide the highest level of expertise on a large number of topics.
- First year research students benefit from a programme of research student training in political economy, different schools of thought, methods and methodologies, and receive formal training sessions on how to do fieldwork.
Students of this Economics programme from SOAS University of London are required to participate in a workshop/seminar in which research topics and results are presented and discussed by staff and students. In addition, there is a regular Departmental Seminar, to which members of the Department and visiting speakers present papers. There is a strong interdisciplinary basis for research and teaching, and SOAS can claim to be the leading institution in the world researching and teaching in political economy, development economics and area or specific-country studies.
Programme Structure
Courses include:
- Research students will take the 'Research Student Seminar 1' course in the Economics Department.
- Students will normally be expected to pass an upgrade from MPhil to PhD status within 9 months of commencing the degree.
- Core research undertaken: primary and secondary data collection as appropriate, draft thesis chapters finalised.
- If necessary a fourth year can be taken to write the final thesis. Examination of the thesis will take place after submission within the 4th year
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English Requirements
- TOEFL iBT: 100 OR new TOEFL iBT score: 5 (CEFR-aligned, equivalent to the 0-120 score)
- PTE Academic: 70
- IELTS: 6.5
Other Requirements
- Admission and thesis requirements. A good Masters degree in Economics plus one reference is usually required. Students are normally registered for the MPhil degree in the first instance.
- Once approval of the Research Student's Supervisory Committee has been received, the student's registration is upgraded to PhD status (and backdated to the commencement of the MPhil registration), usually at the end of the first year of study, for which the minimum registration period is double that of full-time study.
- Candidates are expected to present a thesis of not more than 55,000 words for the MPhil, while for the PhD the maximum length is 100,000 words.
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
- International: 44,191 AUD / year (approximately 23,390 GBP / year)
- Domestic: 9,551 AUD / year (approximately 5,055 GBP / year)
Living Costs
London, United Kingdom: 2,148 - 4,075 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.