Prospective Students
Related links
Practicalities
What qualification do I need to apply
For direct entry to our PhD programme you should have a good quality Master's degree in economics, or a cognate area. Students who do not hold an MSc degree may register for either the MSc Economics, MSc MBF, MSc in Finance, or the MSc in ISE offered by the School as the first year of a Ph.D. programme. Transition to the Ph.D. programme is subject to satisfactory performance in the M.Sc. degree. The compulsory summer dissertation may form the first step towards the development of a Ph.D. research topic. You should also be fluent in written and oral English (eg IELTS band 7 or IELTS band 6.5 plus a 4-week pre-sessional English course at St Andrews). The TOEFL equivalents are as follows: Paper based: a minimum of 600; Computer based: a minimum of 250; internet-based: a minimum of 100. Applicant will be required to undertake at least two graduate modules in the first year of study, which they should pass with a mark of at least 16.5 in order to progress to the second year. Details of the exact modules will be contained in the offer letter, should you application be successful.How do I apply?
Just complete an application form, and supply the following supporting documentation:- full transcripts, both for your undergraduate and MSc studies;
- research proposal;
- up to date curriculum vitae;
- either a cover letter stating your reasons for pursuing a PhD and your wider research interests, or if you prefer a statement regarding your broader research interests (maximum 2 sides of A4)
- Two academic references (these must be in signed,
sealed envelopes). Templates for these can be downloaded from http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/ReferenceForm(PG).pdf
.
- (non-native-speakers only)
Evidence of proficiency in English from IELTS or TOEFL
To: pgadmissions@st-andrews.ac.uk
Cc: econpgr@st-andrews.ac.uk
With the exception of the reference letters, the application form and
supporting documents can be submitted by email in electronic
form. However, should your application be successful, we will need hard
copies of your full transcripts (both undergraduate and taught
postgraduate), and, in case your first language is not English, the IELTS or
TOEFL certificate. The corresponding address for this documentation is:
Postgraduate Admissions, University of St Andrews, 16 St Katherine's West, The Scores, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AX, Scotland, UK (e-mail:
pgadmissions@st-andrews.ac.uk).
What happens to my application after you receive it?
If, as we hope, your academic records are strong enough, we will organise an interview (either by phone or Skype if you have an internet connection available) for you (and us) to explore issues further with either your prospective supervisor or the Director of Graduate Studies, depending on which issues need additional probing. Sometimes it may not be possible to find an exact match to your research proposal, but we may be able to find a slightly different topic that is of mutual interest to you and your prospective supervisor; the interview is one way of exploring these issues further, and this is the point where your cover letter/statement of research will be useful for us to identify broader research areas which will be of interest to you.After the interview, the whole documentation will be reviewed, and all being well an offer will be issued to you, specifying the modules that you will be required to take in the first year (these will depend on your background and the recommendation of your prospective supervisor). By joining us, you will become part of a thriving research community in a very prestigious university!
Please send a completed application form (you can find it here - add link-) together with two reference letters, evidence of your proficiency in the English language and your research project.
Additional information that might be useful to prospective students can be found here
How about tuition fees?
Information on current tuition fees and grants available is available
at:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/pg/financialinformation/
Is there any funding available?
In itself, the offer of a place to undertake research or further study does not carry with it the guarantee of financial support, and you will be required to support yourself financially, or apply to a grant-awarding body. The School of Economics and Finance has funds available to support students which are awarded on a competitive basis, but these are limited. Details of full Scholarships, when available, are posted on the School’s homepage. In addition, PhD students are allowed to work as paid teaching assistants from the second year of study onwards. Further funding may be available; for more information on funding available at the University level as well as from external bodies see here.
More information on funding can also be found in this pdf
What happens after I have accepted an offer?
Congratulations: we look forward to welcoming you! Your offer letter will contain details about the practical arrangements (including accommodation): you may find the following links useful: