PhD in Economics

Durham University

The PhD in Economics at Durham is a rigorous three-year programme of supervised study and research, followed by an additional continuation year dedicated to writing up your thesis. It is designed to equip you with the intellectual and technical skills required to become a confident, independent researcher and to thrive in an increasingly knowledge-intensive global economy.Over the course of your studies, you will develop deep expertise in a specialised area of economics aligned with your chosen topic, while also building strong competencies in data science and/or advanced modelling techniques. You will further refine your written and oral communication skills, with particular emphasis on presenting work to academic and policymaking audiences. Together, these abilities prepare you for careers in academia, government, industry and other policy-making organisations, and form a highly transferable skillset that is valued by a wide range of employers beyond the university sector.Graduates of our PhD programme go on to a wide range of careers. Most of our PhD graduates have found employment in academia both in the UK and abroad. Some of our alumni have worked in respected academic institutions such as Durham University, University of Warwick, University of Bristol, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, Royal Holloway, King's College London, Newcastle University, University of St. Gallen, Monash University and Deakin University. Others pursue careers as analysts, consultants and economists in government, central banks, research and policy institutes and industry.As a Durham PhD student, you will join an international community of researchers and practitioners and benefit from strong supervision. Our vibrant research environment offers PhD students direct exposure to cutting-edge work and opportunities to collaborate with scholars working at the frontier of their fields. The faculty’s research spans experimental and behavioural economics, climate and environmental economics, macroeconomic theory, economic growth and development, monetary economics, international trade, industrial organization, microeconomic theory, econometrics and applied microeconomics.