91É«ÇéƬ

Join Us

The 91É«ÇéƬ School of Economics invites outstanding undergraduate, honours, and master's graduates to join our PhD program. We are ranked #40 globally in Economics & Econometrics (QS World University Rankings). Our faculty include world-leading economists in all major fields: applied and theoretical microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and experimental economics.

More information:

• Meet our PhD students
• Recent academic placements
• Recent faculty publications

Program Structure

Our PhD program begins with a one-year Master of Pre-Doctoral Business Studies (MPDBS), followed by 3–3.5 years of doctoral research.

Year One:ÌýMaster of Pre-Doctoral Business Studies

• Coursework in microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and applied economic analysis

• Research assistant program providing research opportunities with faculty

Year Two:ÌýAdvanced Coursework and Research

• Eight elective research courses

Years Three – Four:ÌýPhD Research

• Original doctoral research and thesis completion

Funding

All admitted students are fully funded. The package includes:

• Full tuition waiver
• Annual stipend of approximately A$35,000–A$45,000
• Up to 4.5 years of support, with an additional fellowship year for research-intensive students
• Substantial annual research funding, including conference travel

(Exception: if you already have a funding source secured, such as a full external scholarship, you can alternatively apply via our direct entry PhD pathway. See "Instructions to Applicants" for more details.)

Entry Requirements

Academic:
A four-year bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline with first or upper second-class honours, or the equivalent.Ìý

(Grading systems vary across countries. For more information, read for grade equivalencies between countries. If you are unsure, contact us at econ.hdr@unsw.edu.au and we will provide advice.)

English Language:
Citizens of English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, UK, USA, New Zealand, etc.) are exempt. All others must demonstrate proficiency via IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson, Cambridge, or the 91É«ÇéƬ Global English Course.

For details, review ourÌýEnglish language requirement.

Instructions to Applicants

Download the EOI form, complete it, and email it along with supporting documents to econ.hdr@unsw.edu.au with the subject line "Economics PhD EOI."

• Opens: 20 Mar 2026
• Closes: 15 August 2026

You do not have to contact potential supervisors before submitting an EOI form (which you can download here).

Supporting documents:
Academic CV, transcripts, GRE scores, proof of English language proficiency (if applicable), and any other relevant documents (e.g., research statement, completed research papers).

Direct Entry (Stream 2):
Candidates with a first-class Honours or Master's degree (with substantial research component) may apply for direct entry to the PhD (3 years).

Direct entry requires an independent funding source (e.g., external scholarship or supervisor ARC funding). Please select "Direct Entry PhD" on the EOI form and include a copy of your thesis and details of your funding source (e.g. external scholarship or ARC grant from potential supervisor) in addition to the above.

Where Our Graduates Go

Our PhD graduates hold positions across academia, consulting, government, and industry.

Recent placements:

• Dartmouth College — Postdoctoral Fellow

• Toulouse School of Economics — Postdoctoral Researcher

• University of Oxford — Research Fellow (now Assistant Professor, ETH Zurich)

• National University of Singapore — Research Fellow

• University of Melbourne — Lecturer

• University of Bologna — Research Fellow

• Multiple international lectureships and assistant professorships.

Research Centres and Institutes

Our faculty lead several research centres spanning economic theory, policy, and education:

Manos Institute for Cognitive Economics
The world's first institute dedicated to cognitive economics, investigating how human reasoning and computational limits influence economic decisions.

Applies game theory, experimental economics, and computer science to design better auctions, contracts, matching, and trading mechanisms.

A joint initiative with 91É«ÇéƬ Law & Justice developing evidence-based policies to strengthen democratic resilience.

Evidence-based interventions using technology and randomised controlled trials to close educational attainment gaps.

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For more information, visit the 91É«ÇéƬ Handbook or contact econ.hdr@unsw.edu.au.

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