The first year of a five-year route
UCL calls the MRes the first year of the five-year integrated MRes/PhD programme in Economics.
Doctoral · UCL Economics
UCL Economics MRes: the first year of a five-year route to the PhD, with a GRE
The UCL Economics MRes is, in UCL's words, the first year of the five-year integrated MRes/PhD programme in Economics, designed to provide the foundational training for progression to the MPhil/PhD stage. The GRE General Test is a required part of the application, except for applicants with a UCL Economics MSc or currently enrolled on it, and the English language level is Level 2. For an economics graduate, the decision is whether to enter a research route that begins with a one-year MRes. This guide sets out what UCL says for 2027/28 entry, marks Avandy's judgment separately and ends with next steps. It describes the MRes page; it does not describe a separate Economics MPhil/PhD page.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What UCL asks for in UCL Economics MRes and its route to the PhD
Taken from the UCL Economics MRes (first year of the MRes/PhD) course page (2027/28 entry), supplied as full text in the Central evidence handoff and read on 1 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; UCL's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
A required GRE for most applicants
The GRE General Test is required, except for applicants with a UCL Economics MSc or currently enrolled on it.
English Level 2
UCL gives the English language level for this programme as Level 2.
A dissertation to find a topic
The dissertation component helps students explore a potential PhD topic with a literature review and a preliminary proposal.
Assessed on overall qualifications
Applicants are assessed on their overall qualifications.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on the UCL Economics MRes (first year of the MRes/PhD) course page (2027/28 entry), supplied as full text in the Central evidence handoff, which describes 2027-28 entry. Imperial's deadline, fee and funding tables, scholarship pages, the department's research pages and the University's application guidance were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Does your degree route and plan fit what UCL lists?
This guide concerns only the UCL research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the course page says.
It fits if
you want a research route in economics and are prepared to sit the GRE General Test.
Think again if
you want the PhD without the MRes stage. The page describes the MRes as the first year of the integrated route.
Check the page
UCL's course page is the source; module and fee details change by cycle and are not stated here.
How the application is read
What UCL says about entry and applying
UCL says applicants will be assessed on their overall qualifications and that the GRE General Test is a required part of the application, except for applicants with an Economics MSc from UCL or those currently enrolled on that programme. The English language level for this programme is Level 2.
How the degree runs
Structure and working pattern
UCL says core teaching in Terms 1 and 2 is delivered through lectures and tutorial classes, with compulsory modules including Econometrics, Real Analysis and Probability with Economic Applications, Microeconomics (MRes), Macroeconomics (MRes) and an MRes Economics Research Project. The dissertation component helps students explore a potential PhD topic. For students who continue into the research degree, the following years deepen expertise in a chosen field. This is the 2027/28 page and may change.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not UCL rules and carry no probability.
Treating this as a standalone PhD page
UCL's page is the Economics MRes, the first year of the integrated route.
Assuming the GRE is optional
UCL says it is required, with the stated exceptions.
Reading the modules as the whole programme
UCL says module content and availability is subject to change.
Skipping the topic work
The dissertation is designed to help students explore a potential PhD research topic.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check your degree route
Compare your degrees with the stated entry requirement.
Define the research question
Write down the economics question you want to pursue.
Find a supervisor or group
Read the department's research pages and identify who could supervise.
Plan the application
Read UCL's application guidance for the cycle you apply in.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
UCL's course page describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules UCL has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means UCL published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the route and the application
The entry standard, the application items and the research-degree structure are described on Imperial's pages for the 2027-28 cycle. Imperial has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Imperial publishes them per cycle; read them again when they show 2028-29.
What to do now
Check your degree route against UCL's entry requirement, define your economics research question and identify a supervisor.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with University College London or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does the UCL Economics MRes/PhD ask for?
Applicants will be assessed on their overall qualifications.
How is the degree structured?
UCL calls the MRes the first year of the five-year integrated MRes/PhD programme in Economics.
Does UCL state a deadline here?
This guide states no deadline, fee or funding, because UCL publishes them per cycle. Check the course page for the cycle you apply in.
Does the degree include funding?
This guide did not use UCL's fees and funding section and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the UCL Economics MRes and its route to the PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.