The duration of this programme is 3 years and in the first year, all students are admitted to the MPhil programme and are registered as MPhil students. During the first year, each student is assigned a supervisor and a small group of other staff in a related field (Thesis Advisory Board). The student is also expected to attend a Research Methods Course and a number of other specialist Masters courses totalling 25 credits. Students also complete an advanced research proposal during the first two semesters.

The student is entitled and encouraged to transfer to the PhD programme in year 2 if he/she obtains a pass grade in all courses and at least an honours grade in the presentation of an advanced research proposal, normally between 5000 and 7000 words in length. During year 2 and year 3, the student continues to write his/her thesis; he/she is also expected to undertake annual assessments of their progress, that include a presentation of their work to fellow students and staff during the PhD (normally three presentations over three years) and an internal review board.

There are many employers of Economics PhD graduates. In addition to academic teaching and research positions, graduates are employed in Government agencies, "think-tanks", financial services companies, and in business. As a numerate discipline, employers value the analytical expertise of PhD graduates. One of the advantages of doing a PhD is that you become an expert in your area. On completion of your thesis, very few people in the country and sometimes in the world will know as much about your specialist area as you. Therefore as many areas of Economics are commercially applicable, you will have a valuable skills base.

The priority research areas of the Economics faculty at NUI Galway are as follows:

• Health Economics

• Sustainability, Rural Development, and Environmental Economics

• International Finance and Macroeconomics

• Mathematical Economics, Methodology of Economics, and Political Economy.

Most of our PhD students are working in one of these areas although we also welcome enquiries from people with other research interests.

For more information on current research and research opportunities, please check the Research section of this web site.

To be admitted to the MPhil/PhD programme, you must complete an MPhil application form through the Postgraduate Applications Centre. The application form includes details of coursework completed, and a research proposal. The Department needs to ensure that your coursework and research proposal form an appropriate basis for research, and that a suitable supervisor is available.

The minimum entry requirement is the completion of a taught Master’s degree in a cognate subject to an honours standard or equivalent. Whether a subject may be considered cognate is determined by the Head of Department. Occasionally exceptional students with an undergraduate degree alone will be allowed entry. Students must also have identified a supervisor for their dissertation and secured their agreement to supervise.  Overseas applicants may be required to submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (T.O.E.F.L.).

Students are advised to:

1.    Contact a supervisor and discuss a potential topic. The department can only accept students for a MPhil/PhD if an appropriate member of staff is available to supervise them. Initial informal enquiries can be made to individual staff directly, or to the MPhil/PhD director. See the personnel pages for staff research interests. Prospective students must have identified a supervisor before they apply through the Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC). Students can have one or more supervisors, with joint supervision involving staff from other disciplines in the university.

2. Develop a research proposal. Prospective students should formulate a proposal with their supervisor. The proposal must be submitted as part of the PAC application. Please follow the format outlined in the proposal form. As a guide a number of past PhD proposals are available (proposal 1, 2, 3).

3.   Apply for funding. There are a number of sources of funding for research degrees at NUI Galway, including university studentships and fellowships from external agencies. Several of the research centres in the department offer studentships. Fees are set annually by the Governing Body of the University and therefore vary from year to year. Further information is available on the 'Fees and Funding' web pages. Your supervisor should be of help in preparing a proposal to the funding agency. The MPhil/PhD research proposal is often used as the basis as a submission for funding.

4.  Complete an MPhil Application Form through the Postgraduate Applications Centre and submit the relevant documentation to the Postgraduate Admissions Office, NUI Galway.

5.  Your application will be considered by the Economics PhD Committee as well as the School of Business and Economics Board for final approval.

6.   It is possible to start studying for the MPhil/PhD at any point during the year, although for administrative purposes students normally register from 1 September. If you expect your registration to start on 1 September, you should aim to submit your application to PAC by the 30th of April.

The application steps are explained in this document. Further details of the application procedure are also available online on the Master of Philosphy (MPhil) School of Business and Economics site

Most students on the PhD program secure some form of funding. Potential areas of funding include Government of Ireland Fellowship,  Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences, Environmental Protection Agency, Teagasc Walsh Fellowships. The Office of the Dean of Research of the University also keeps a database of funding sources.

Other sources of financing include the European Union Marie Curie Fellowships, Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and departmental project funding sources. For the latter source, contact individual staff members. Remember, as many of the deadlines for these funding sources are early in the year, you should start thinking about the application process in September/October of the year before starting the PhD.

Fees are set annually by the Governing Body of the University and therefore, vary from year to year. Details of the current fee can be obtained from the Fees office of the University. A higher rate of fee is payable by students who, as defined in the University regulations, come from outside the EU (details available on request).

Dr. Tom Van Rensburg, MPhil/PhD Director.

Recent Ph.D. graduates from the discipline of Economics include:

Conal Duddy (2011)
Essays on Social Choice Theory

Darragh Flannery (2011)
Essays on the economics of tertiary education in Ireland

Richeal Burns

Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill

Topic of Research: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Prostate Cancer Screening In Ireland

Professor Ciaran O'Neill

Paddy Gillespie (PhD in Economics)

Supervisor: Professor Eamon O’Shea

Topic of Research: Secondary Prevention of Heart Disease in General Practice - An Economic Evaluation

People with heart disease have a high risk of future cardiovascular incidents such as heart attack and mortality. As a result these people are targeted for specific health care interventions called secondary prevention services. The Irish Cardiovascular Health Strategy identified General Practice as the appropriate setting for secondary prevention in Ireland. This research compares two alternative approaches to providing secondary prevention in a general practice setting. Economic evaluation compares alternatives on the basis of patient health outcomes and costs incurred by both the health service and the patient. The overall objective is to inform health care policy makers as to the most cost effective means of providing secondary prevention in general practice in Ireland

John Cullinan (Ph.D. in Economics)

Supervisor: Dr. Cathal O’Donoghue

Topic of Research: Using Spatial Microsimulation and GIS in Benefit Transfer: A New Approach to Recreation Demand Modelling

John’s research considers how spatial microsimulation modelling techniques and geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to help model the demand for, and value of, non-priced, open-access outdoor recreation activities.  The approach involves using simulated population microdata estimates and statistical matching techniques to generate synthetic, spatially-referenced populations of recreationalists.  These datasets are then linked to a range of spatial data and recreation-related behavioural models in order to estimate total visitor numbers to individual recreation sites in Ireland.  GIS network analysis facilities play an important role in this spatial interaction modelling.

Dr. Cullinan was conferred with his PhD in June 2009. He has joined the discipline of Economics at NUI, Galway

Dr. Cathal O'Donoghue
t: 353 91 493043
e: Cathal.odonoghue@nuigalway.ie