Job market candidates
Our Economics job market candidates are listed below. Visit PhD job market candidates for a full list of LUMS candidates.
For further details, please contact the Doctoral Office.
9th for Research quality for Economics
The Complete University Guide (2026)
10th for Economics
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)
11th for Research Quality for Economics
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)
As the most research-intensive business school in the UK, according to the latest Research Excellence Framework, there really is no better place to gain a deeper insight into economics.
In our triple-accredited, world-ranked Management School, you can benefit from excellent academic supervision, interact with respected economists and be part of a thriving research community of staff and students. We aim to prepare you for a successful research-driven career in academia, government, research organisations, or business.
Our main specialisms are Behavioural and Experimental Economics; Labour, Education and Health Economics; Macroeconomics and Financial Markets; Political Economy and International Trade, and Industrial Organisation and Economic Theory. We also host LExEL (a modern experimental lab) and the UK Housing Market Observatory. Please read our research and supervisor pages to match your research interests with those of available supervisors.
As well as a traditional four-year PhD programme, we also offer an integrated PhD of a one-year master's followed by four years of doctoral study. Management School and Economic and Social Research Council scholarships are available.
As a student in our department, you will have access to advanced research training courses delivered by us and the ESRC-funded North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). These courses are continually updated to remain at the forefront of research.
You will benefit from close research supervision and feel an active member of the department’s research environment by attending a vibrant weekly seminar series, research workshops and conferences. You will also have access to state-of-the-art databases, dedicated office space, scientific computing facilities and IT support. In addition to your thesis, an oral examination will form an integral part of the assessment of your doctoral research.
This is a four-year programme. The first year includes a range of advanced modules, which are delivered by the Department or by our ESRC NWSSDTP partners at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool.
The final three years of the PhD programme are dedicated to full-time research to ccomplete your doctoral thesis. Upon completing the programme, you will have a comprehensive understanding of economic theory and its applications, as well as the ability to think critically and apply quantitative methods to economic problems.
Typical PhD modules
After completing the taught component of the programme, those students who perform well and pass qualifying coursework and examinations proceed to develop a substantive research proposal (ECON880) under the guidance of their supervisory team. The research proposal is essentially a preliminary draft of your first research paper, which builds upon the advanced research training undertaken throughout the year. You will defend your research proposal in an upgrade/confirmation panel that takes place in September.
Research focus
During your final three years, you will focus almost entirely on research and work on your research papers/chapters. You will be encouraged and financially supported to present your work in seminars, conferences and workshops to obtain feedback, interact with other researchers and establish research networks. If deemed beneficial by the supervisory team, you can also participate in NWSSDTP Economics modules, which you didn't take in the first year, and attend courses, masterclasses and workshops outside the NWSSDTP Economics pathway.
In your final year, you will be expected to complete your main research paper, the job market paper, and start preparing for the following year’s job market. The Department supports you during this stage through introductory talks, mock interviews and job market presentations.
Departmental seminars, workshops and conferences
The Department runs three weekly seminar series: an internal, a PhD, and an external. These seminar series provide an invaluable opportunity for PhD students to be exposed to cutting-edge research in their field, present their work and obtain feedback. The Department also organises conferences and workshops that PhD students are invited to attend. Visit our events for more information.
NWSSDTP PhD Conference in Economics
Every year in May, the Departments of Economics of the Universities of Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester organise the NWSSDTP PhD Conference in Economics. This two-day event consists of keynote speeches by prominent economists, presentations from PhD students from the three institutions, and a conference dinner. Past keynote speakers include Professor Jeffrey Wooldridge from Michigan State University, Professor Daniel S. Hamersmesh from the University of Texas at Austin, Professor Rachel Griffith from the University of Manchester, and Professor Ed Karni from Johns Hopkins.
NWSSDTP Summer School in Economics
The NWSSDTP Summer School is an intensive, one-week event that consists of a series of lectures and seminars/labs taught by world-leading academics. It provides an excellent opportunity for PhD students to further enhance their skills and knowledge in a specific area of economics/econometrics, and it facilitates interactions across PhD students, faculty and course lecturers.
The Department has strong links with non-Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and several of our PhD students have worked on research projects in collaboration with these organisations. Below is a list of our non-HEI partners together with current and past PhD projects.
A relevant UK Master's degree with a minimum of 65% overall and 65% in the dissertation, or a non-UK Master's degree, graded at the equivalent level.
We may also consider non-standard applicants; please contact us for information.
As part of your application, you also need to provide a viable research proposal of up to 5000 words, which has the potential to make a significant contribution to prior literature. Guidance can be found on our writing a research proposal webpage.
We require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test.
We also consider other English language qualifications and if your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.
If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.
We also have more details on our website about:
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master's pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master's degrees. Visit INTO Lancaster University for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
For most taught postgraduate programmes starting in 2025 you must pay a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.
There is no application fee if you are applying for postgraduate study starting in 2026.
For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
Find all fees and funding information for students at Lancaster University.
Details of our scholarships and bursaries for 2026-entry study are not yet available, but you can use our opportunities for 2025-entry applicants as guidance.
Check our current list of scholarships and bursaries.
The information on this site relates primarily to the stated entry year and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
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