With an established tradition of developing next generation economists, our Economics PhD provides the skills and knowledge to answer pressing economic questions facing the world.
If you have a master’s degree in economics or a related field, the University of Liverpool Management School offers the perfect environment to become a world-class specialist researcher in this area.
Our Economics PhD gives you the opportunity to explore your own ideas while you receive thought-provoking advice from our academic staff.
We offer tailored training with modules designed to develop your research skills in economics. The modules cover:
You’ll also receive additional training via workshops, seminars and conferences.
To ensure you are fully supported during your thesis, you’ll work with a primary supervisor who is a leading expert in their field, and a secondary supervisor, who is a promising early career researcher specialising in your area of study.
Although you can start this PhD at the beginning of any month, we recommend doing so in October or January where possible. This coincides with the start dates of our training modules.
Our Economics PhD covers a wide range of topics for investigation in micro and macroeconomics, as well as the economics of sports.
We welcome research proposals in topics including:
In addition to the research topics highlighted above, you’re also welcome to suggest your own theme for a potential research project.
One of an elite group of institutions worldwide to hold the gold standard ‘triple-crown’ accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS, the Management School is a research powerhouse.
Home to six specialist research centres, you’ll be joining a school where you can actively participate in current research activities. There’s also the chance to attend seminars where prominent international speakers present their latest ideas and research.
International experts from the Economics Group lead pioneering research and shape academic thought by producing real-world impacts in business practice, policymaking and society.
You should suggest potential supervisors in your application. To find academics that align with your intended research project, please check our list of Economics experts.
If you need advice on appropriate supervisors, you are welcome to contact:
You may need the following documents to complete your online application:
Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Full-time place, per year - £5,006
Part-time place, per year - £2,503
Full-time place, per year - £24,600
Part-time place, per year - £12,298
Fees stated are for the 2025-26 academic year.
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this degree, as well as general student living costs.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.
There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding. These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition fees and living expenses.
If you’re awarded this prestigious scholarship, you’ll receive significant funding to support your postgraduate research. This includes full payment of your PhD fees and a cash bursary of £17,000 per year while you study. One award is available in each academic year.
If you’re a UK student, either born in or with strong family connections to Merseyside, you could be eligible to apply for financial support worth up to £12,000 per year for up to three years of full-time postgraduate research (or up to five years part-time pro-rata).
Apply to receive tailored training support to enhance your sporting performance. Our athlete support package includes a range of benefits, from bespoke strength and conditioning training to physiotherapy sessions and one-to-one nutritional advice.
The Management School’s facilities for PhD students include two computer suites and dedicated hot-desk spaces, allowing for plenty of interaction with leading researchers and other students.
As a PhD student in the Management School, you’ll enjoy free access to professional statistical and econometrics software (eg Stata, R, SAS, Python and Matlab,). A range of globally recognised journals and databases for economics research are also available via the University Library.
Completing this PhD gives you the opportunity to transition into a variety of career destinations in academia, policymaking and business practice.
Alongside a deep understanding of economic theory, you’ll develop strong analytical capabilities in data interpretation, economic modelling and policy evaluation, to help you address real-world challenges.
In addition to gaining a substantial level of specialisation, you’ll graduate with a wide range of skills, which are highly sought after by employers and transferable to careers in business consultancy and policymaking. These skills include dissecting problems, gathering and analysing data, writing papers and presenting information.
As an Economics PhD graduate, you may wish to follow many of our previous PhD students into a career in academia, working at leading research-oriented universities in the UK or overseas.
During the programme, you will receive ample advice and feedback to prepare you for the academic job market via seminars, mock interviews and presentations.
Beyond academia, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of professional opportunities in:
You’ll be ready to apply for a variety of roles, including:
Once you graduate after completing your PhD, you’ll gain free access to Prosper to help you unlock your potential and kickstart your postdoctoral research career.
Prosper provides structured career development and support, designed specifically for postdocs, in close collaboration with employer partners and principal investigators.
Opportunities include coaching, workshops, webinars and a buddy scheme designed to help you realise the next step in your career journey.
You can also access online resources including the Prosper portal so you can manage your personal and professional development at your own pace.
As a postgraduate researcher at the University of Liverpool, you have access to an exciting portfolio of development opportunities, designed to support your ongoing success and help you realise your ambitions.
These development opportunities, available through The Academy’s PGR Development Hub, are suitable for all subject specialisms. You might be just commencing your research or in the final stages of completing your PhD.
An initial Development Needs Analysis will encourage you to reflect on your abilities. This exploration of your personal, professional and career development needs will form the foundation of a bespoke development plan you’ll agree with your supervisor.
The aim is to immerse yourself in new experiences, engage in development opportunities designed exclusively for postgraduate researchers, and reflect on your progress.
Our campus Career Studio is a space for students and graduates to drop into and talk to a career coach. Career coaches are highly trained to help no matter what stage you are at in planning for your future career.
You can access tailored guidance and support to find and apply for full-time and part-time roles, placements, internships and graduate schemes. You will also find the help you need if you have a start-up idea or want to create a business plan. You can explore the world of work, prepare for job interviews, and access careers events and workshops.
The Career Studio is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm, simply drop in at a time that works for you.
These are the trailblazers, the leaders, the true originals. Our postgraduate researchers are shaping their future, and the future of the world we live in, advancing knowledge with each discovery.
Want to find out more about studying a PhD with us? Chat with our postgraduate research student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
Discover the qualifications you'll need to apply for this course.
You’ll need a UK master’s degree, or international equivalent, in economics or a related discipline, preferably at merit or above, plus demonstrable quantitative and programming skills.
To discuss the entry requirements for this programme please contact the Management School’s Postgraduate Research Team.
You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.
We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
| Qualification | Details |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5 |
| TOEFL iBT | 100 overall, with minimum scores of listening 21, writing 21, reading 21 and speaking 23. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted. |
| Duolingo English Test | 130 overall, with no component below 120 |
| Pearson PTE Academic | 69 overall, with no component below 61 |
| LanguageCert Academic | 75 overall, with no skill below 70 |
| PSI Skills for English | C1 Pass in all bands |
Do you need to complete a Pre-sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?
The length of Pre-sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.
If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests, to determine the length of Pre-sessional English course you require.
Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.
| Your most recent IELTS score | Pre-sessional English course length | On campus or online |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.5 | 6 weeks | On campus |
| 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0 | 10 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 6.5 overall, with no component below 5.5 | 12 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5 | 20 weeks | On campus |
| 5.5 overall, with no component below 5.0 | 30 weeks | On campus |
| 5.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.0, and no component below 4.5 | 40 weeks | On campus |
If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-sessional English course length you require.
Please see our guide to Pre-sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5, for further details.
Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.