For our PhD Survey Methodology, we offer supervision in quantitative survey methodology, particularly: sampling; weighting; non-response; response maximisation techniques; mode effects; data linkage; and measurement error. We especially welcome those interested in sampling and non-sampling issues using cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys, such as our British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society. You will be supervised by some of the world’s leading experts in their field.
Studying with us will open doors to an academic career for you, as well as to a professional life in government departments, international organisations and statistical institutions. Several of our PhD students now work at: Department of Economics, University of Chicago, USA; Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia; Department of Economics and Public Finance, University of Turin, Italy; Department of Economics, University of Linz, Austria; Centre for Research on Social Dynamics, Bocconi University, Italy; Applied Microeconomics Research Unit, University of Minho, Portugal; and School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Canada.
We also offer an Mphil in this subject.
Please note, part-time research study is also available.
- Our Institute for Social and Economic Research enjoys an outstanding reputation at both a national and international level for cutting-edge and high profile research
- We contribute to our University’s outstanding Research Assessment Exercise ratings for economics and sociology
- We receive a consistently high level of support from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Our expert staff
Within our Institute for Social and Economic Research, you will be allocated a supervisor whose role is to guide you through the different stages of your research degree. In some cases, you may have joint supervision by two members of our staff.
The support provided by your supervisor is a key feature of your research student experience and you will have regular one-to-one meetings to discuss progress on your research. Initially, your supervisor will help you develop your research topic and plan.
Twice a year, you will have a supervisory board meeting, which provides a more formal opportunity to discuss your progress and agree your plans for the next six months.
Specialist facilities
Our Institute for Social and Economic Research is home to the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change, an interdisciplinary centre with a prestigious team of staff who have a wide range of expertise in social science disciplines, including economics, sociology, demography, geography, health research and statistics.
We are also home to the UK Longitudinal Studies Centre (ULSC), funded by the ESRC, which aims to promote longitudinal research. Our experienced and talented team support users of longitudinal data through the provision of advice, information, training in longitudinal analysis and resources to make data easier to use. Methodological research is carried out to improve longitudinal survey methods and to ensure the production of high quality data for users. We run the British Household Panel Survey, which has interviewed the same sample members since 1991, and Understanding Society, the world’s largest longitudinal survey with 100,000 sample members from 40,000 households.
Our PhD students are provided with their own desk, usually in a shared office, and have access to specialist resources such as The Hilary Doughty Research Library, with significant holdings of published and unpublished material on longitudinal and panel data methodology, and its application to economic and policy issues. In addition, you can use our variety of longitudinal and panel data sets, including the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and Understanding Society. Access to such unique materials enhances and furthers your individual research.
Your future
Some of our PhD students now work at:
- Department of Economics, University of Chicago, US
- Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Economics and Public Finance, University of Turin, Italy
- Department of Economics, University of Linz, Austria
- Centre for Research on Social Dynamics, Bocconi University, Italy
- Applied Microeconomics Research Unit, University of Minho, Portugal
- World Bank, US
- School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Canada.
Entry requirements
UK entry requirements
You will need a good Masters degree, or equivalent, in a related subject.
\You are also required to submit a well developed research proposal
You will normally be required to attend an interview/Skype interview for acceptance, and acceptance is subject to research expertise in the department.
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
ALBANIA
ALGERIA
ANDORRA
ANGOLA
ANTIGUA AND BARBUADA
ARGENTINA
ARMENIA
ARUBA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
AZERBAIJAN
BAHAMAS
BAHRAIN
BANGLADESH
BARBADOS
BELARUS (BYELORUSSIA)
BELGIUM
BELIZE
BENIN
BERMUDA
BHUTAN
BOLIVIA
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
BOTSWANA
BRAZIL
BRUNEI
BULGARIA
BURKINA FASO
BURUNDI
CAMBODIA (KAMPUCHEA, KHMER R)
CAMEROON
CANADA
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP
CHAD
CHILE
CHINA
COLOMBIA
COMOROS
CONGO
CONGO (DEM REB, ZAIRE)
COSTA RICA
CROATIA
CUBA
CYPRUS
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
DJIBOUTI
DOMINICA
DOMINICAN REP
EAST TIMOR
ECUADOR
EGYPT
EL SALVADOR
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ERITREA
ESTONIA
ETHIOPIA (ABYSSINIA)
FIJI
FINLAND
FRANCE
GABON
GAMBIA
GEORGIA
GERMANY
GHANA
GIBRALTAR
GILBERT ISLANDS (KIRIBATI)
GREECE
GRENADA
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GUIANA, FRENCH
GUINEA
GUINEA BISSAU
GUYANA
HAITI
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ICELAND
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INDONESIA
IRAN (ISLAMIC REP)
IRAQ
IRELAND, REP
ISRAEL
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IVORY COAST
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KENYA
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LAOS
LATVIA
LEBANON
LESOTHO
LIBERIA
LIBYA
LIECHTENSTEIN
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
MACEDONIA. ALSO SKOPJE
MADAGASCAR (MALAGASY REP)
MALAWI
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MALI
MALTA
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MAURITANIA
MAURITIUS
MEXICO
MOLDOVA
MONACO
MONGOLIA, OUTER
MONTENEGRO
MONTSERRAT
MOROCCO
MOZAMBIQUE
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NAMIBIA
NAURU
NEPAL
NETHERLANDS (HOLLAND)
NEW ZEALAND
NICARAGUA
NIGER
NIGERIA
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OMAN (MUSCAT AND OMAN)
PAKISTAN
PALESTINE
PANAMA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PARAGUAY
PERU
PHILIPPINES
POLAND
PORTUGAL (MADEIRA, AZORES)
QATAR
ROMANIA
RUSSIA
RWANDA
SAMOA (WESTERN)
SAN MARINO
SAUDI ARABIA
SENEGAL
SERBIA
SEYCHELLES
SIERRA LEONE
SINGAPORE
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
SOMALI REPUBLIC
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH GEORGE & STH SANDWICH IS
SOUTH SUDAN
SPAIN
SRI LANKA (CEYLON)
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
ST. LUCIA
ST. VINCENT
SUDAN
SURINAM
SWAZILAND
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
SYRIA
TAIWAN
TAJIKISTAN
TANZANIA
THAILAND
TOGO
TONGA
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
TUNISIA
TURKEY
TURKMENISTAN
TUVALU, ALSO ELLICE ISLANDS
UGANDA
UKRAINE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UNITED STATES
URUGUAY
UZBEKISTAN
VANUATU
VENEZUELA
VIETNAM, SOC REP
YEMEN (PDR,ADEN,SOCOTRA)
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, then we will require you to have IELTS 6.5 or equivalent
Structure
Course structure
A research degree doesn’t have a taught structure, giving you the chance to investigate your chosen topic in real depth and reach a profound understanding. In communicating that understanding, through a thesis or other means, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. A research degree allows you to develop new high-level skills, enhance your professional development and build new networks. It can open doors to many careers.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY
Assessment
Within our Institute for Social and Economic Research, our students invest time mainly working on their thesis under the supervision of one or two researchers. Most of the theses in ISER are organised in three main chapters, plus introduction and conclusions. Ideally, you should produce a complete draft of a new main chapter by the end of each academic year. If your chapter is judged of enough good quality, you can progress to the following year. You can decide to structure your thesis differently, if needed, but you should discuss and agree the structure with your supervisor.
We encourage our PhD students to attend training courses whenever their research requires acquiring new skills. You are also invited to take part in our Institute for Social and Economic Research group meetings and to attend research seminars. You should also present your research work at our research student seminar series at least once per year.
Dissertation
Within our Institute for Social and Economic Research, our students are supposed to have a supervisory board meeting every six months to discuss progress, training needs and other issues. Any potential issue is considered at the Student Progress Research Committee.
You can enter into completion if, by the end of your third year, you have a complete draft of all thesis chapters (excluding introduction and conclusions) and these are of good quality.”
Fees and funding
Home/UK fee
£4,786 per year
International fee
£18,750 per year
Fees will increase for each academic year of study.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
Find out more The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
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