Our four-year PhD programme provides rigorous training for careers in professional and academic economics. It offers 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 School of Economics is dedicated to excellence in both teaching and research, as demonstrated by our results in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 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.
A typical student will have studied for an MSc in Economics (or a closely-related discipline) in the UK with an average grade of 65% or above. We welcome applications from students who do not fit this norm, however, it is essential that students have a strong background in quantitative work.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.
Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage.
Examples:
IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test
A degree from a UK university
A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
Postgraduate research is a fantastic opportunity and significant investment in your future, enabling you to expand your knowledge, skills and career options – all while making a meaningful impact and contribution to an area you are passionate about.
At Kent, we also recognise the significant financial investment that comes with postgraduate study, and we offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate researchers, to help keep your mind on your studies, and off your finances.
Scholarships can be broad, or specific to your situation, background or even country – so please do use our scholarships finder to discover the options available to you.
We also have research partnership funding with research councils and government schemes in specific areas of interest that can help you take your research to the next level with additional financial support.
Find out more on our fees and funding page and discover what option is right for you.
We provide an environment in which you can both develop as an economist and complete a high quality thesis, plus the appropriate resources to achieve this.
All our PhD students are given dedicated office and computer facilities and have full access to the University’s excellent resources. Our location, on the University’s Canterbury campus, gives easy access to both London and continental Europe.
You receive committed supervision, with regular appointments with your supervisor(s) to discuss your work, receive timely and constructive feedback on all the work that you do, and advice on how to present your work externally.
Over the last few years, the School has scored highly in the Postgraduate Research Student Survey, underlining our commitment to creating an excellent environment for our research students.
In addition to the provision within the School of Economics, as a postgraduate student you also have the support of the Graduate and Researcher College, which is a focus for all graduate activity at Kent and provides specialist academic and personal advice and guidance. The Graduate and Researcher College co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme and facilitates cross-disciplinary interaction and social networking. The Graduate and Researcher College also provides formal training and development for research students who are required to teach.
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.
The School of Economics has a strong research culture and an international reputation in several fields, particularly applied microeconomics (labour and agri-environmental), quantitative macroeconomic theory, macro and microeconometrics and economic development.
The School is home to two research centres and one research group:
CEAS has a long history of participating in agri-environmental research and policy debate. Founded in 1974 to conduct research into the implications of the UK's entry to the European Economic Community, CEAS has developed into a centre of research excellence, focusing on food and agri-environmental policy in the UK and Europe.
MaGHiC brings together a large number of researchers at the School whose main interests lie in the wide area of macroeconomics. MaGHiC is the focal point for macroeconomic research, impact and training at the University of Kent. The centre's main focus is on the analysis of macroeconomic issues, including productivity and growth, labour markets, income distribution, business cycles and macroeconomic phenomena from a historical perspective. The group also has technical strength in computational economics, macroeconometric modelling and forecasting, and expertise in building long-run macroeconomic time series and reconstructing historical national accounts.
In addition to the two research centres, the School has an active microeconomics research group, whose members' research spans applied and theoretical microeconomics, and microeconometrics. The group's research covers a wide range of areas with the main focus being on development economics, labour and education economics, microeconometrics, games and behavioural economics, the economics of food, economic geography, industrial organisation and the economics of tax.
Many of our academic staff serve as academic advisers and experts to UK and international agencies, including the World Bank, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), HM Treasury and the Bank of England.
Staff publish regularly and widely in top academic journals, conference proceedings and books. Recent contributions include: Econometrica; American Economic Review; Journal of Political Economy.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
A postgraduate degree in the area of economics is a particularly valuable and flexible qualification that can open the door to exciting careers in many professions. Our PhD programme provides rigorous training for careers in professional and academic economics. Our graduates have gone on to work as economists in international organisations, the financial sector, business, UK and overseas governments, and to academic careers at Kent, UK and overseas universities.
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This is ordinarily announced in February. As a guide only for the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2024/25 is £4,786. The equivalent part-time fee for these courses is £2,393.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
All applications should include:
Please note that students are not required to state a proposed supervisor as supervisors will be allocated during the PhD. The relevant question on your application can be left blank.
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
Supporting your success
Kent ranked top 40 in The Times Good University Guide 2025.
Fees and funding
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
Accommodation
