Research Focus
Macroeconomics, international finance, monetary policy, banking and finance
Programme Structure and Funding
This is a full-time PhD programme with a duration of 3–4 years (36–48 months), and tuition fees of approximately £22,000 per year.
Training Plan
The first year focuses on research methods training and coursework, including advanced econometrics, micro/macroeconomics, research ethics and academic writing; from the second year, the focus shifts to the in-depth development of the student’s individual research topic, with regular participation in academic seminars and workshops; students are encouraged to participate in international conferences, publish in high-quality journals, and actively integrate into the global economics research network.
This programme allows applications for the China Scholarship Council (CSC) – KCL Joint PhD Scholarship, with both parties jointly funding doctoral study: details are as follows: quota of 100 people per year (for all PhD programmes at KCL); funding duration of up to 48 months; funding content: CSC: provides one international return airfare plus a full living allowance, previously approximately €1,800 per month (adjusted according to actual circumstances); KCL: waives all PhD tuition fees plus research funding support. Application process: 1. Applicants must submit their PhD application by December and obtain an unconditional offer from KCL plus a CSC nomination letter by 10 March of the following year; 2. from 10 March to 1 April, log in to the CSC online application system to submit materials, selecting the programme “Scholarship with King’s College London, University of London, UK”;
- After passing the CSC expert review, students will be dispatched to the UK from July onwards.
Entry Requirements
Academic background: a master’s degree in economics or a related field (including sufficient econometrics/theoretical economics coursework and grades in the top 10% of the class); master’s GPA of no less than 3.0 (Merit under the UK standard); Language requirements:
- IELTS overall score of no less than 7.0, with no individual component below 6.5;
- or TOEFL overall score of no less than 100, with writing no less than 25 and all other individual components no less than 23;
- applicants who have obtained a degree from a master’s programme taught in an English-speaking country may apply for a language exemption.
Admission Situations
(i) Master’s degree held at the time of application Submit application materials by December; an unconditional offer may be issued in January. (ii) No master’s degree at the time of application Submit application materials by December; a conditional offer may be issued, and after the master’s results and degree are subsequently provided, it will be converted to an unconditional offer if the standards are met; or wait until the master’s results are released and participate in the round with a June deadline, where an unconditional offer may be issued.
Application Materials
- Proof of English proficiency; 2) undergraduate and master’s transcripts; 3) academic CV; 4) research proposal (1,500 words); 5) personal statement (500 words); 6) writing sample (master’s thesis or other representative coursework essay); 7) one academic reference letter.
Application Period
First round deadline 1 December, full tuition scholarship plus living allowance, highly competitive
Application Process
December deadline round:
Timeline
From now until early September: applicants submit an English CV, master’s transcripts and language scores (if applicable); we will conduct a preliminary assessment. September–October: those who pass the preliminary screening will be invited to interview with potential supervisors. By December: after passing the interview, applicants must formally submit application materials through the KCL official website (including research proposal, personal statement, writing sample, degree certificate, language scores, reference letters, etc.); we assist with the application throughout. December to January of the following year: shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the school’s PhD admissions committee and await results. February–March of the following year: after receiving an offer, applicants may apply for China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarship support. June deadline round:
Timeline
From now until March: applicants submit an English CV and language scores (if applicable); we will conduct a preliminary assessment. March–May: those who pass the preliminary screening will be invited to interview with potential supervisors. By May: after passing the interview, applicants must formally submit application materials through the KCL official website (including research proposal, personal statement, writing sample, degree certificate, language scores, reference letters, etc.); we assist with the application throughout. June to July: shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the school’s PhD admissions committee and await results.
Career Prospects
King’s College London provides a high-quality career development platform and global alumni network support, and PhD graduates have strong international competitiveness: Academic positions: teaching at multiple universities and research centres in the UK and Europe; Industry positions: employment at international organisations, financial institutions, consulting firms and government think tanks; Path to staying in the UK: after graduation, PhD graduates may apply for the “Graduate Route” visa for up to 3 years; those who meet the conditions may switch to the “High Potential Individual” visa or the “Global Talent Visa”; Returning to China: programme graduates may apply for various “overseas high-level talent introduction” schemes, enjoying policy support such as household registration, research start-up funding and settling-in allowances.
