Admission Requirements:

The minimum requirements for admission to the Ph.D. Programme are:

1.      A research-oriented Master’s Degree in Economics (similar in structure to the Master in Economic Analysis) and a strong background in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics.

Note: Applicants who do not meet these requirements, but have a strong background in quantitative methods and wish to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics, are recommended to apply first for admission to the Master in Economic Analysis (see here)

2.     Very good command of the English language.

Admission Process:

Documents Required for the Application: 

1.      Application through the Online Application System of the University (see here).

2.      Two letters of recommendation.

3.      Copies of university degrees or a statement of expected graduation in the month preceding enrolment in the postgraduate programme.

4.      Transcripts as appropriate.

5.      Curriculum vitae.

6.      Motivation letter.

7.   English proficiency exam (This can be certified by international standardized tests such as GCE, TOEFL or other and are determined by the Department, see here).

Optional Documents (these documents are not required for the application and not submitting them will not harm an applicant’s chances of admission, but if available they would be helpful for the committee)

8.     Results of GRE Exam (UCY Institutional Code 4189)

9.    Grades on National University Entrance Examination, or respective   international certificate (GCE, Baccalaureate etc.)

Evaluation of applications is done by the Departmental Committee of Graduate Studies, based on applicants’ performance in their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Applicants may be called for an interview if this is deemed necessary. The Committee submits their recommendation to the Departmental Council, which has the final say on offering a position in the programme.

The Committee prepares individual curriculums for each student accepted. This will ensure that all students have the necessary skills and knowledge to proceed to the research stage of their programme.

Admitted students can have the opportunity to transfer credits from similar classes taken in other universities (see relevant section)

Α. Coursework Stage

During the first two semesters, the students take two core courses in each of the three core areas of Economic Theory: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics, as well as one course of Analytical Methods and one course on Current Topics of Economic Research. During the third semester, students take one more course on Current Topics of Economic Research and three field courses that give them the opportunity to acquire expertise in the research area they are interested in. Depending on course availability, a student might also take some field courses during the fourth semester.

To be eligible for admission to the research stage of the Ph.D. programme, a student needs to achieve an average grade of at least 6.5/10 in the 6 core courses of the first year of the curriculum (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Statistics & Econometrics) without failing any class. Students cannot repeat classes in order to improve their grades. However, the Department’s Committee of Graduate Studies can, in exceptional circumstances, allow students who have failed one class to repeat it.

Students who successfully complete the coursework stage, but do not meet the requirements to enter research stage of the Ph.D. Programme can graduate with a Master in Economic Analysis.

B. Comprehensive Exam

The second important step before entering the research stage of the programme is for a student to succeed in the comprehensive exam. For the comprehensive exam to take place, the student must first reach a mutual agreement with a faculty member who will agree to become the student’s main Advisor. For students who are required to take most part of the coursework stage, this is expected to happen before the end of their fourth semester of studies. For students who are exempted from most of the coursework, this is expected to happen slightly earlier.

In its current setup, the comprehensive exam consists of a written examination focused on topics related to the research area the student plans to work on. Typically, the examined material consists of a series of relevant academic papers that the student needs to study and understand in depth. These papers are chosen by the student’s Advisor.

The exam is administered by a three-member committee, which is usually consisted of faculty members of the Department and one of them is the student’s Advisor.  The committee is also responsible for the timing of the exam which should ensure that it takes place within the required time frame. The thee-member committee is appointed by the Departmental Council after a suggestion from the Department’s Committee of Graduate Studies and the student’s Advisor. A student who fails the exam will have to repeat it during the following semester (and no later than the end of the third year of studies, as specified by the University of Cyprus rules).

C. Research Proposal

The first milestone of the programme’s research stage is the submission of the Research Proposal. The student is expected to demonstrate the ability to study a new subject in an original way and his/her knowledge of the appropriate research methods. She/he is also expected to present some supportive preliminary results.

Students are required to have prepared and successfully defended their research proposal by the end of their third year of studies, including the time spent in the coursework stage. For students who are exempted from a substantial share of their coursework, this is expected to happen earlier. A necessary requirement is that the proposal is defended between two and four semesters after the student has succeeded in the comprehensive exam.

The committee examining the Research Proposal consists of three members proposed by the student's Advisor and appointed by the Departmental Council after a suggestion from the Department’s Committee of Graduate Studies and the student’s Advisor. The committee is chaired by the student's Advisor.

D. Dissertation Submission and Thesis Defence

Upon succeeding in defending the Research Proposal, the student will conduct original research under the guidance of his/her Advisor. This research should be oriented in leading towards the writing of the student’s Doctoral Dissertation. A completed Dissertation typically consists of a series of papers that have the potential to be published in established international academic journals.

When the student considers the Dissertation to be completed, and upon the approval of the Advisor, he/she should submit it to the Department and start preparing for its subsequent public presentation. The submission of a Doctoral Dissertation and its subsequent public presentation may be completed at the earliest during the sixth semester of the student’s enrolment in the Ph.D. programme. The Doctoral Dissertation needs to be submitted at the latest during the first month of the final semester of studies.

The Thesis Defence is conducted according to the relevant rules of the University of Cyprus. The candidate presents the Dissertation in an open le cture, with duration 30-45 minutes, before a five-member Examining Committee. During the Thesis Defence, the candidate gives a brief oral summary and answers questions on the content and results of the Ph.D. Thesis. The candidates are expected to defend the Thesis, demonstrate its originality and justify deviations from previous results in the literature.

The Examining Committee is set up by the Departmental Council at the suggestion of the Department’s Committee of Graduate Studies and the student’s Advisor. The Examining Committee is made up of three members of the Department’s faculty, one of which is always the student’s Advisor and they are typically the same members that examined the student’s research proposal, and two external members. The Chair of the Examining Committee is a member of the Department’s faculty, but not the student’s Advisor.

Detailed information regarding the Rules of Postgraduate Studies can be found in the webpage of the Graduate School.

E. Additional Information:

E1. Guidance: The Coordinator of the Department’s Committee of Graduate Studies is responsible for guiding doctoral students from the time of admission up to the selection of a research Advisor. The research Advisor follows each student’s progress in research and other tasks, and provides the necessary guidance. 

E2. Student Responsibilities: Students who receive financial support by the Department are usually employed as teaching assistants. As part of their teaching duties they may be required to teach tutorials, grade quizzes, problem sets and assignments, prepare class material, help students who conduct their theses or face learning difficulties, or a combination of the above. When needed by their role, students are required to hold weekly office hours.

In addition to the above, students are required to proctor a number of partial and final exams, during both exam periods. Proctoring responsibilities are not limited to the courses a student teach.

Students enrolled in the research stage of the Ph.D. programme are required to attend in each semester at least 80% of the seminars of the Departmental Seminar Series and of the School’s Brownbag Seminar Series. Attendance is confirmed by a faculty member who needs to sign the relevant document at the end of the seminar.

Students enrolled on a full-time basis in the research stage of the Ph.D. programme are required to present once a semester in the Departmental Seminar Series.

The Coordinator of the Department’s Committee of Graduate Studies is responsible for overseeing doctoral students’ completion of these requirements.

E3. Funding sources and Scholarship Applications: The main sources of funding available to students are scholarships offered by the University, teaching fellowships offered by the Department, and participation in internally or externally funded projects.

The Department makes every effort possible to utilize all available resources that allow it to financially support its Ph.D. students. To ensure that, it requires students to apply for available internal and external scholarships and supports them in their applications. Students who are instructed to apply for a certain source of funding and refrain from doing so should not expect the Department to guarantee them a different source of financial support

The student should successfully complete the coursework stage of the programme, pass the comprehensive exam and the research proposal and then successfully defend the thesis.

Exams of courses are conducted according to the standard rules described in the Postgraduate Study Rules. For details regarding the comprehensive exam, the research proposal and the thesis defence, see the Rules of Study section.

During the coursework stage of the programme, courses are graded on a scale from 0 to 10, with 5 being the passing grade. The Comprehensive Exam and the Research Proposal are graded with Pass or Fail. For details regarding the different stages of the programme, see the Rules of Study section.