Costs and funding
Costs of the MSc and PhD
Fees for the MSc at Edinburgh depend on your nationality. In 2009/10, the fees for EU and UK citizens will be GBP4850 whereas for non EU overseas students they will be GBP11250. You can check fees at the University Registry website. Of course living costs vary according to lifestyle and tastes but in 2009/10 students might be expected to spend somewhere between GBP9000 and GBP11,000 during the year in order to enjoy a reasonable standard of living.
Fees for PhD study vary according to which of the eight participating universities the student in question is located. However the above figures for the MSc provide a reasonably accurate benchmark for the annual fees you would expect to pay on the Programme. Most departments offer some kind of financial assistance particularly for very good students. For example, the Heriot-Watt University department waive fees, the department at the University of St Andrews have a scholarship competition and the University of Edinburgh have periodic financial PhD scholarships. For further details of department specific financial support contact the economics department at the relevant University. Living costs also vary according to location with Edinburgh perhaps being marginally the most expensive of the eight locations. Again the figures given above for the MSc provide a good benchmark for annual living costs.
Funding Sources for the MSc and PhD
It is the postgraduate student's responsibility to secure funding for his or her study. The details given below are an indication of some of the possible sources. In some cases awards are made by the institution and in others students apply directly to the funding body.
Royal Economic Society (Msc)
The Royal Economic Society offers competitive scholarships each year to outstanding students. These awards only cover course fees and do not provide for living expenses. More details may be obtained from the Royal Economic Society.
Economic Social Research council studentships (MSc+PhD or PhD only - UK and EU nationals)
The SGPE has been awarded "Advanced Course Research Training" status by the ESRC. This is explicit recognition by the ESRC that the MSc Programme offers excellent and full research training. The SGPE has a number of ESRC "1+3" (1 year MSc followed by a 3 year PhD) and "+3" (3 year PhD) quota awards which are allocated to applicants by the Programme in April of each year. Only UK and EU citizens may apply and to be eligible for the full award (fees plus approximately £12,000 living expenses) applicants must have been resident in the UK for three years prior to application otherwise the award pays fees only. Students who fail to obtain a quota award from the SGPE will be told early enough to enable them to enter the Open Competition section of the ESRC - each of the eight SGPE University Economics Departments may submit one applicant to the Open Competition but for obvious reasons successful Quota applicants must not be submitted. They are intended solely for students either starting a PhD or intending to start a PhD following their MSc. Students wishing to apply for an SGPE "1+3" or a "+3" quota award must submit a written and credible research proposal for their PhD.
Explicitly, applicants should email Mark Schaffer at m.e.schaffer@hw.ac.uk (copied to sgpe.admissions@ed.ac.uk) no later than March 2010 to register their interest. Applicants who register their interest will receive detailed instructions by email on how to apply. In brief, these instructions will ask students to identify a research topic and specific supervisor within the SGPE, provide details of their relevant degree and degree courses and write a short research proposal.
University of Edinburgh scholarships
The following are six international scholarships offered by the University of Edinburgh Scholarships and Financial Aid Office:- The University of Edinburgh Canada Master's Scholarship
- The University of Edinburgh China Master's Scholarship
- The University of Edinburgh China / Hong Kong Master's Scholarship
- The University of Edinburgh India Master's Scholarship
- The University of Edinburgh US Master's Scholarship
- American Friends of The University of Edinburgh Scholarship (AFUE)
Further details on these and other schemes can be found at the following page:
http://www.scholarships.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/internat/other.htm#can
Career Development Loans (MSc - British Residents)
These awards are available for British residents from major banks, such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and Barclays. Students should consult with the relevant bank.
British Council (MSc, PhD - Overseas Students)
The British Council offers a number of scholarships to overseas students. Availability is dependent upon your home country and students are advised to contact their local British Council office or to access http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-funding-your-studies.htm for further information.University studentships /Teaching Assistantships (PhD)
Each member university offers its own research and teaching awards. Details may be obtained from the postgraduate section of each respective participating university (see contacts).
World Bank Graduate Scholarship Programmes. (MSc, PhD)
The World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (WBGSP) supports graduate studies in subjects related to economic development. Each year, the Program awards scholarships to individuals from World Bank member countries to undertake graduate studies at renowned universities throughout member countries of the Bank. Now in its sixteenth year, the Regular Program has awarded 1,842 scholarships, selected from nearly 39,000 applicants. In addition, 649 scholarships have been awarded in the various JJ/WBGSP Partnership Programs for a total of 2,491 awards. For further details see http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/scholarships