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Postgraduate Research Degrees in Economics
Who can do a Master's Degree and what does it involve?If you have a good Honours degree or a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics (normally with at least a B+ or 2.1 average and research experience equivalent to the ECON480 dissertation) you can take an MCom or MA Degree by thesis only. This involves supervised individual research in an approved topic area (candidates must demonstrate that they have the background required to carry out the proposed research). If you have not included ECON 371, ECON 375 and ECON 376 (or their equivalent) in your earlier Degree or Diploma you will be required to take the balance of these papers as part of your Master's programme. Normally, research at the Master's level is likely to take at least twelve months. More information on the requirements for a Master's Degree can be found on the University's web page.
Who can do a PhD and what does it involve?The PhD is a programme of supervised individual research in an approved topic area. The PhD is by thesis only, although you may be advised to take some papers to strengthen your background in relevant areas. The likely completion time for a PhD is about three to four years (note that the scholarships discussed below are only tenable for three years). The PhD is an essential qualification for an academic career, but is also very useful for any professional research-oriented economist. To be accepted for a PhD you either need to have a good Master's degree with a research component or a good four-year Honour's Degree (normally a B+ or higher) with a research component. More information on the requirements for a PhD can be found on the Universities web page. What sort of financial support can the Department provide?The University awards several scholarships each year, but these are competitive and are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Please note that in order to be considered for a scholarship, the absolute minimum required is an "A-" grade average (13 out of 20 for France; 1.6 for Germany; 3.25 out of 4 for ECE), aside from other academic achievements. For information on scholarships awarded by the University of Otago, see the Scholarships web page. Also, the Department requires that all applicants meet the English language requirements when formally applying, unless someone holds a degree from a university in an English speaking country. Please see http://www.otago.ac.nz/international/postgraduate/index.html#englishlanguage for details. Students from some countries can apply for NZAID scholarships. Information on these scholarships is available from the International Scholarships web page. For information on fees for international students see the web page on Fees For International Students. Domestic students wanting information on fees should see the Tuition Fees Guide. From time to time individual staff within the Department obtain research grant funds that include funding for PhD students. Such funding, when available, will be advertised on our web pages. Please note that no such funding is currently available.
How to apply to do a Master's or PhDIf you are an international student, the application procedure is outlined on the International Office's web site (look under Postgraduate Information, Application Process). Your application will then be forwarded to the Department of Economics for consideration. In your application to do a Master's or PhD you need to include a topic proposal. We encourage you to discuss your proposal with us before making a formal application to the University. This will enable us to comment on whether it is a topic we can supervise. In making a decision about whether to accept you as a postgraduate student, the Department will not only take into account your academic record and potential for research, but whether your topic is one for which we can find appropriate supervisors. For more information on suitable topic areas see below. What sort of topic areas are suitable for Master's or PhD research?The key factor is the availability of appropriate supervision. For information on the current research interests of staff in the Department, see the Faculty Profiles. Information on current research programmes within the Department is available elsewhere in this website.
Where our recent PhD graduates have been employedElodie Blanc: postdoctoral position at MIT
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