Who can do a Master's Degree and what does
it involve?
Who can do a PhD and what does it involve?
What sort of financial support can the Department
provide?
How to apply to do a Masters or PhD
What sort of topic areas are suitable for Master's
or PhD research?
Who can do a Master's
Degree and what does it involve?
If you have a good ordinary Bachelor's degree in Economics you
can study for the MCom
or MA by papers and thesis. In the first year you take papers
worth 48 points for a Postgraduate
Diploma, normally including ECON371,
ECON375 and ECON376.
The reason for requiring these papers is so that anyone undertaking
research for a Master's
degree has a solid foundation in the core areas of the subject.
This is followed by supervised individual research for the thesis
in an approved topic area. The course-work component takes one
academic year while the thesis component is likely to take at
least twelve months. If, for whatever reason, you decide to withdraw
from the MCom
or MA programme after completing the course-work component the
Pro Vice-Chancellor (of Commerce
or Humanities,
as appropriate) can recommend the award of a Postgraduate Diploma.
If you have a good Honours degree or a Postgraduate Diploma in
Economics (with, normally at least a B+ average) you can take
an MCom
or MA Degree by thesis only. This involves supervised individual
research in an approved topic area. If you have not included ECON371,
ECON375 and ECON376
(or their equivalent) in your earlier Degree or Diploma you will
be required to take the balance of the three 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, preferably in one of the broad areas listed below. 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 Master's
degree or a good four-year Honour's Degree (normally a 2.1 or
higher).
More information on the requirements for a PhD
can be found on the University's
web page.
What sort of financial support can the Department provide?
The Department as such does not normally provide full scholarships
for Master's
or PhD students.
The University awards some scholarships each year, but these are
highly competitive and are only awarded to students with excellent
grades. For information on scholarships awarded by the University
of Otago, see the Scholarships
web page. The University has one scholarship (the McAndrew-Stout
Postgraduate Scholarship in Economics) which is available
only for students doing postgraduate study in economics.
Students from some countries can apply for Overseas
Development Assistance (ODA) scholarships. More information
on NZAID scholarships can be found on the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
web site. The New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committe (NZVCC) and
FRST also award some scholarships to outstanding candidates. Information
on these can be found on the NZVCC and FRST web sites.
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.
The Department currently has the policy of providing a $3,000(NZ)
per year top up to any students who obtain University or ODA scholarships,
or funding from other sources.
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 PhD
You need to make a formal application to the University. If 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.
If you are interested in applying to do a PhD
or Master's
by Thesis in Economics please contact Dr Stephen Knowles, email
sknowles@business.otago.ac.nz, who will make sure the relevant
information is sent to you by the University.
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. For information on current research programmes within
the Department click here.
The Department has particular strengths in the following areas:
