Master of Philosophy in Economics
1. The course shall be under the supervision of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of Economics.
2. Each candidate will be required to follow a course of instruction in Economics for six terms.
First-year examinations
3. All candidates will take three compulsory papers: Macroeconomics, Microeconomics and Econometrics, each examined by an unseen written examination at the beginning of Trinity term. Candidates will normally take the “Core” versions of the papers, but may take one or more of the “Advanced” versions with the permission of the Graduate Studies Committee.
4. Details of the content of the three compulsory papers (“Core” and “Advanced”) will be published on the Department’s VLE site at the beginning of Michaelmas Term each year.
5. All candidates must take either Core Empirical Research Methods or Further Mathematical Methods in their first year examined by submitted coursework. With the permission of the Economics Graduate Studies Committee, candidates may take both papers in their first year.
6. To progress to the second year candidates must achieve an average mark of at least 50 in the compulsory subjects {Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Econometrics} at either Core or Advanced level; or pass two of the compulsory subjects {Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Econometrics} at either Core or Advanced level. Candidates that progress to the second year, but fail one or more first year papers, may re-sit the failed paper(s) when next offered. Candidates who fail to progress to the second year must re-sit the failed papers when next offered. Candidates who fail an “Advanced” compulsory paper may re-sit the “Core” version. The Graduate Studies Committee reserves the right to exercise discretion in exceptional cases.
Final Examination
7. All candidates must offer four papers (except where they have taken both Core Empirical Research Methods and Further Mathematical Methods in the first year, in which case they must offer three papers), and a thesis. These papers must be chosen from {Field papers, Advanced Empirical Research Methods, Advanced Macroeconomics, Advanced Microeconomics and Advanced Econometrics} excluding any papers already taken in the first year. A maximum of two of the papers can be chosen from the set {Advanced Empirical Research Methods, Advanced Macroeconomics, Advanced Microeconomics and Advanced Econometrics}. Students wishing to offer any of these four Advanced papers need the permission of the Graduate Studies Committee. Achieving a Distinction in the corresponding Core paper in the first year, or a Pass in the corresponding Core Empirical Research Methods, will grant this permission automatically. The definitive list of Field papers together with information on content, structure and assessment method will be published on the Department’s VLE at the beginning of Michaelmas Term of the year in which the examination is to be taken.
8. All candidates must offer a thesis of no more than 20,000 words which must be submitted using the University approved online submission system by noon on Wednesday of week 3 of Trinity Term in which the final examination is taken. Technical information on the requirements for online submissions is provided in the Course Handbook. Candidates must submit their thesis title and outline to the MPhil Director by Friday of week 0 of Hilary Term in which the final examination is taken.
9. Candidates who fail the final examination will be permitted to retake the failed second-year examination paper(s) or resubmit the failed thesis on one further occasion, which will normally be within one year of the initial failure.
10. Candidates are reminded that work submitted for the MPhil in Economics may subsequently be incorporated into a thesis submitted for the DPhil in Economics.
11. The examiners will not provide calculators, but will permit the use of a hand-held pocket calculator in the examination room, both for the first year examinations and for the final examination, subject to the conditions set out under the heading ‘Use of calculators in examinations’ in the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations. A list of permitted calculators will be reviewed annually in the week 0 of Michaelmas Term and published on the Department’s VLE.
