Econ PhD HandbookUNSW School of Economics
Menu

Getting started

Candidature timeline

Last reviewed 17 September 2026

The PhD takes 3.5 to 4 years of doctoral research. If you enter through the Master of Pre-Doctoral Business Studies (MPDBS), you first spend one MPDBS year. Years 1 to 4 below count from the start of the PhD itself, not including the MPDBS year. For dates at a glance, see key dates.

MPDBS year

  • Meet the MPDBS coursework requirement. It matters: if you don't meet it, you may not be able to move to the PhD program. Tell the Postgraduate Research Coordinator (PGRC) as soon as you realise you may be in trouble.
  • Do 50 hours of research assistant (RA) work in Term 2: 25 hours for each of two academics.
    • The RA work gives you a chance to collaborate with potential supervisors and test-drive a longer working relationship.
    • At the end of Term 1, the PGRC tells you which two academics you will work for. If you have preferences, discuss them with the PGRC.
    • At the end of Term 2, write a two-page report on your experience as an RA and send it to the PGRC by 30 September. The Business School won't process your payment until you have submitted your report.
    • You need a tax file number (TFN) to be paid; see the Australian Taxation Office for how to apply.
  • Settle on your supervisors.
    • After confirming their availability, tell the PGRC who your supervisors are by the end of October.
    • Start discussing your thesis ideas and research topics with them. Even if you only have a vague idea of what you want to do, it is important to discuss it.
    • We recommend identifying a specific research program over the summer before your PhD starts.

Year 1

  • Meet the coursework requirement for your entry route: MPDBS pathway or direct entry.
    • Before enrolling, you must discuss your course load with your supervisors and the PGRC. You can defer some courses to your second year.
    • For courses outside the School of Economics (SOE), you also need approval from the course's Lecturer in Charge (LIC).
    • See the current UNSW timetable for Economics courses.
  • Present and take part in the PhD seminar series. It is a crucial part of your degree: it gives you a friendly audience for your research, and practice in giving meaningful, well-considered feedback to your peers.
  • Attend as many School seminars as possible.
    • Try to meet the speaker and sign up for lunch or dinner, especially if the speaker works in your area of research.
    • Besides the SOE external seminar (usually Fridays) and internal seminar (usually Wednesdays), keep an eye on seminars at other universities in Sydney, such as UTS and the University of Sydney.
  • By the end of April, meet your supervisors to agree milestones for your confirmation review.
  • By the end of the year, you should have a concrete research agenda, some preliminary results, and a literature review or a draft of the first chapter of your dissertation.
  • Hold your confirmation review in November or December. In late October, talk to the PGRC about the process.

Year 2

  • Finish taking your courses. Unless there are exceptional reasons, Years 3 and 4 are for writing your dissertation.
  • Present at least once at a conference, or at a seminar other than the School's internal seminars. This is part of the annual progress review requirements.
    • Talk to your supervisors about when and where to present.
    • Plan ahead: discuss your plans with the PGRC so that funding can be arranged (see funding available).
  • Keep presenting and taking part in the PhD seminar series, and attending School seminars.
  • Aim to have one full paper ready to submit by the middle of Year 2; it can become the first chapter of your dissertation. Your annual progress review at the end of the year requires this chapter to be ready for submission to a journal, and a preliminary draft of your second chapter.
  • If that paper is coauthored, read using publications in your thesis now, not in Year 4. Whether you can use it as a chapter depends on your share of the work and on written confirmation from your coauthors. Both are easier to get now.
  • Hold your first annual progress review (APR) by the end of the year, within 12 months of your confirmation. Talk to your supervisors and the PGRC early about the best timing.

Year 3

  • Present at least once at a domestic or international conference. This is part of the APR requirements.
    • Plan ahead with your supervisors and the PGRC, as in Year 2.
    • You are getting closer to your job market, so presenting at conferences is not just an intellectual pursuit but also a networking opportunity.
  • Keep presenting in the PhD seminar series and attending School seminars, and take these opportunities more seriously as your job market approaches.
  • Aim to have a second paper ready to submit by the middle of Year 3; it can become the second chapter of your dissertation. Your APR at the end of the year requires this chapter to be ready for submission to a journal.
  • Draft the third chapter of your dissertation by the end of the year. This work is the basis of your APR, and should also be the basis of your job market paper.
  • Hold your second APR by the end of the year. If you submit your thesis within 12 months of it, it will be your last APR, so use it to get meaningful feedback from your panel.

Year 4

  • Present at least once at a domestic or international conference. You are getting really close to your job market, and you may meet potential employers.
  • Keep presenting in the PhD seminar series and attending School seminars. Ask the seminar coordinator for a chance to meet visiting speakers and join them for lunch or dinner, especially if the speaker is an international star in your field.
  • Have your job market paper ready to submit by the middle of Year 4.
    • The academic job market for new PhDs in economics is well established and well organised, and its dates don't change much from year to year.
    • Start assembling your job market package by October, and discuss your job prospects with your supervisors and the PGRC.
  • Submit your thesis. The maximum length of a PhD is four years of full-time enrolment from the day you started, so a Term 1 start falls due at the start of Term 1 four years later. See thesis submission for the steps.
  • After you submit, your examiners report on your thesis and, if your PhD started in Term 1 2023 or later, you defend it at an oral examination, expected about eight weeks after your thesis is sent to them. Leave time afterwards for the corrections the examiners ask for.