Our PhD programme provides rigorous training for careers in professional and academic economics. Overview Our four-year PhD programme provides a stimulating, supportive, and structured environment in which highly-qualified graduates can develop economic research skills that will enable them to make an original contribution to economic knowledge. We aim to produce economists who are sought-after by leading economics departments and research institutions around the world. Recent PhD students have been highly successful in securing internships and employment in academia and the private sector. Our Economics faculty includes leading researchers in several fields, including macroeconomics, labour and development economics, microeconomic theory and agri-environmental economics. All students will receive expert supervision by a research-active member of staff. PhD students also have the opportunity to contribute to the teaching and research activity of the School and are encouraged to participate in seminars and present their own work. The first year of the Agri-Environmental Economics PhD programme is dedicated to PhD-specific training courses across microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics. The content, structure and level of these courses provide the skills needed for independent economic research. By the summer term, students will have developed a set of detailed research questions and written a comprehensive literature review. A poster session is held within the School in which students present their research ideas. The final three years of the PhD are devoted to independent research, under the guidance of a supervisory panel. Throughout the academic year, there are regular reading groups, workshops and seminars in which students are encouraged to attend and participate. In the summer term, PhD workshops are held in which all students must present their work. At the end of four years, the student will submit a thesis that is examined by viva voce. Research generated during the PhD can result in the publication of papers in top economics journals. About the School of Economics The School of Economics is dedicated to excellence in both teaching and research, as demonstrated by our results in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 and recent national student surveys. Our academic staff are active in research, and teaching and learning are informed by the School’s thriving research culture and strong cosmopolitan academic community. We currently have 35 academic staff, with about 30-40 MSc and 40-50 PhD students, which has the benefit of a good community for interaction between students and that each student receives a good deal of individual attention in classes and workshops. It also means that we are able to offer excellent facilities for research. Our postgraduate student community is global with many of the students originating from outside the UK and Europe. There are also a number of different nationalities represented within the academic staff. You will be able to integrate into this multicultural environment and build yourself an international professional network for the future. National ratings In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by the School of Economics was ranked 21st in the UK for research intensity and 84% of our research was judged to be of international quality. The School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of research of international excellence.