Applications are processed centrally through the Graduate Admissions Office. There is a strict application deadline for the MRes/PhD Economics 2017 entry. All applicants are advised to read the LSE 2017 Graduate Prospectus as well as the Economics Department 2017 prospectus page.
For Entry in 2017
When is the application deadline for the MRes/PhD Economics?
For direct entry to the MRes/PhD programme there is an application deadline of 14 December 2016. Complete applications must be received by the LSE Graduate Admissions Office by 23.59hrs (UK time) on 14 December 2016. We will not be able to accept any materials that arrive after the deadline; only complete applications supplied with all required supporting information by 14 December 2016 will be considered.
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When will I get a decision on my MRes/PhD Economics application?
Admissions decisions will be made by a committee in the Economics Department.
Applicants will be informed of the decision by early March 2017. If your application is successful, we expect you to let us know by 15 April 2017 whether you are planning to enrol.
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How should I apply?
Applications must be submitted via LSE’s Online Application System and are processed through the LSE’s central Graduate Admissions Office. All applicants are advised to read the Economics Department 2017 prospectus page (for entry in 2017).
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What are the entry requirements?
Entry requirements for the MRes/PhD Economics are stated on the departmental prospectus page. See also the LSE Minimum Entry Requirements including information for international students.
For details about the programme itself, see the Economics Department Research Programmes and the prospectus pages. See also details of the MRes/PhD Economics coursework requirements.
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What should my application include?
Your application should include:
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An application form
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Application fee
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Personal statement
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Transcripts
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Two academic references
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GRE scores
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Research proposal
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A separate list of all the courses you are currently taking and/or will be taking (if you are currently undertaking a degree programme)
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English language test scores (if applicable - see English language requirements)
For a full explanation of what you need to supply, please see Graduate Admissions advice on How to Apply and guide to Supporting Documents.
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How can I get help with the application process?
Questions about the mechanics of the application process should be submitted to LSE’s central Graduate Admissions Office and not to the Department. Please see the LSE website index for graduate applicants as well as Graduate Admissions Office’s tailored
guidance for prospective applicants, applicants in progress and applicants under consideration. You can also track your application and find out how to carry out the most common tasks online using the “How Do I” page. See also the Admissions Enquiries
system.
For any additional queries please get in touch with the Graduate Admissions Office. To email Graduate Admissions, please first try to find the answer to your question by running a search on the online enquiries system where you are given the option to 'send a written
enquiry' directly to Graduate Admissions.
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Do I need to submit a Written Sample?
No, applicants to the MRes/PhD Economics are not required to submit a sample of their written work. We will, however, require a Research Proposal.
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What should my Research Proposal contain?
For the content of your personal statement and research proposal, please see Graduate Admissions advice on How to Apply and guide to Supporting Documents. Your research proposal is an indication of your research interests, how you developed and how you intend to pursue them. We recognise that your research interests will continue to develop while you complete our taught courses, so the proposal does not entail a commitment and you will be able to refocus and redefine your proposal later on in the programme before you begin work on the first chapter of your PhD thesis. The admission committee will judge the proposal purely on its potential to produce high quality research, regardless
of the field or topic.
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Can I contact faculty in advance, with a request to be my PhD supervisor?
Applicants must submit a complete application by the published deadline. There is a formal review process whereby the Department will decide if we can offer candidates a place on the programme. The allocation of a supervisor is done after completion of Year 1 of the programme, based on each student's area of interest and availability of faculty. There is no presumption that a student will be allocated the supervisor of their own choice, or any member of faculty they may have contacted before/during the application process.
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Do I need to submit a GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score?
All applicants must have taken the GRE General Test and must include the test score with their application. For details of how to take the test, see the ETS website. The GRE has three sections: Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical. High GRE scores, especially in the Quantitative section, will further strengthen a good application. Most successful MRes/PhD applicants have scores of 166/800 or more in the quantitative section. Applicants must enter their full and percentile GRE scores for all three sections. The test scores should be less than five years old on 1 October 2017.
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Can I request an exemption on the GRE score requirement?
No. The GRE score requirement is irrespective of academic background and cannot be waived for anyone applying to the MRes/PhD Economics.
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Should I submit an English Language test score?
If English is not your first language or if the language of instruction for your entire first degree is not English, you will need to provide evidence of your command of English. You do not need to have the required test scores when you apply, but they will form a condition of any offer that you receive and would have to be achieved before you register to commence your studies at the LSE. The Graduate Admissions Office provides detailed information for international students including English language requirements.
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What are my chances of admission?
Applicants who have questions about their eligibility for applying to research programmes at the LSE should consult the LSE Minimum Entry Requirements and the programme-specific page for the programme to which they intend to apply.
Also see additional information for international students.
We regret that we cannot provide any further information prior to receiving a complete formal application which should be submitted online to the central Graduate Admissions Office.
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Can I submit an application solely for the MRes?
No, the MRes is an integral stage of the PhD programme, and may only be taken by
students who are committed to completing a PhD, subject to satisfying progression requirements.
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Can I progress to the MRes/PhD Economics via an MSc programme at the LSE?
If you apply for, and receive an offer of, a place on the MSc Economics or the MSc
Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, your offer will include a conditional offer of
progression to the MRes/PhD Economics, subject to the attainment of a Distinction grade in the MSc.
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Is the MRes/PhD Economics offered on a part-time basis?
The MRes/PhD Economics is only offered on a full-time basis.
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Is there a separate process to apply for MRes/PhD Economics funding?
There is no separate process to apply for any funding which is administered and awarded by the LSE - as a matter of normal procedure, all applicants who are offered a place on our MRes/PhD Economics would be considered for all types of funding at our disposal and for which they are eligible, on the basis of the information submitted in their application - see Costs & Financial Aid (please check regularly for 2017 information updates).
As competition for places is very high and competition for funding is even more intense, we may not be able to offer funding to all MRes/PhD students, hence applicants are advised to actively explore all sources of potential funding – see information in the School's Financial Support Office pages (please check regularly for 2017 information updates). Students are expected to take up a place on the MRes/PhD Economics only if they have funds in place to finish the degree.
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Will my financial status be a factor in the selection process?
Admissions decisions are made on the basis of academic merit alone, without any reference to an applicant’s financial situation. Applicants who are able to fund themselves or succeed in securing a scholarship or sponsorship from any source will be considered for entry to the programme in exactly the same way as applicants who have no funding in place. The same procedures and standards apply to all applicants competing for entry.
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Whom should I contact for further information and advice?
If you have a query about our postgraduate Economics programmes that is not addressed above, or on the departmental website, contact the Economics Department postgraduate admissions team. Please note that we are not able to reply to questions that constitute a request for an informal assessment. Applicants who have questions about their eligibility should consult the Economics Department prospectus page. See also the Entry Requirements.
All enquiries about the application process must be addressed to the LSE’s central Graduate Admissions Office.
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