PhD In Economics

An overview of the PhD program is given in the Faculty Postgraduate Research Prospectus. Please read the Prospectus first (starting from p.10).

If you are interested in applying for admission to the PhD program, please consider the following requirements.

1. Admission Requirements
   1. The usual minimum academic requirement for admission is a four year course of study in economics (at least equivalent to a four year honours degree at the University of Melbourne). This may consist of a three year undergraduate degree followed by a masters majoring in economics/econometrics.
   2. Sufficient studies in economics and econometrics to satisfy the prerequisites for the PhD coursework.
   3. Grades: an average over the honours/masters year of at least 75% (2a class honours) .
   4. Research requirement: the successful completion of a research project worth at least 25% of the final year of honours/masters.
   5. English language requirement, as detailed in the Prospectus.
   6. Submission of GRE scores (in particular the Quantitative score).
2. Scholarship Requirements

   An applicant who is eligible for admission to the PhD may be eligible for a scholarship (which provides a living stipend, and for international students, a fee waiver). A minimum requirement for a scholarship is a weighted average grade of 80% (1st class honours) over the most recent two years of study, with the most recent year of study receiving twice the weight of the previous year.

3. Research Proposal

   A PhD application requires a statement of at least 500 words of research interests and experience and the proposed area of research. This is required to assess whether the department is likely to be able to provide adequate supervision. It may be helpful to contact potential supervisors in the department, although this is not compulsory at the application stage.

Before submitting a formal application, you are welcome to email the PhD coordinators in the Department of Economics to discuss the likely success of your application for admission and scholarship. In addition to your CV and Research Proposal, it would be most useful to attach the following information to your email.

• Scans of your academic transcripts, so we can evaluate the Admission Requirements above.
• If the transcripts are not from the University of Melbourne, please provide all available explanatory notes about your grades. This will be especially important for scholarship applicants.
• Any evidence to help evaluate the research requirement (1d above). If your transcript does not include the weight given to the research component in your honours/masters program, we will require documentation from your university to verify this.
• Subject information (eg course outlines, textbook lists) to verify that you satisfy the prerequisites for the PhD coursework.

Please send your email to both of
David Harris (PhD coordinator, academic) harrisd@unimelb.edu.au
Heidi Bacher (PhD coordinator, administration) heidimb@unimelb.edu.au

If we advise that your application has a good chance of success, the next step is to submit a formal application.

• All students are advised to submit their applications as early as possible to maximise the chances of being offered a scholarship
• Applications take about 6 weeks to process. Successful applicants then receive a conditional or unconditional letter of offer. Please allow for this processing time if you plan to apply for other scholarships and require a letter of offer.
• International students must submit their applications before the end of October. This requirement is to allow sufficient time for visa processing.
• All successful applicants are required to arrive at the University of Melbourne by the end of February to participate in the induction program and to commence Semester 1 coursework.

Some useful links
School of Graduate Research: PhD applications process for Australian students
International Office: PhD applications process for international students
Scholarships