The PhD programme in Economics provides high-level research training in various specialisations, including Development Economics (Health, Education, Labour, Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition), Economic History of Africa, Public Economics (Fiscal Policy and Taxation), Monetary Economics, Financial Economics and Institutional Economics.
The programme is completed by dissertation only – typically by producing three publishable papers within a unified research theme or by producing a monograph – in collaboration with a qualified supervision team. Voluntary additional training may be incorporated to suit students' research skill requirements, and in exceptional cases, students may be required to complete Masters modules in subject areas where they do not yet have the required background for admission.
Graduates from the programme have historically entered senior roles in the financial and public sectors, including work at a range of African private, central and development banks, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, national and local government institutions, and management, economic consultancies and data science consultancies. Many graduates have continued as economic researchers in academia and research institutes.