First Year: MPhil
All students registering for a programme of study leading to a PhD begin under MPhil registration. The opportunity to upgrade this registration to PhD typically comes in the second year.
The following courses are mandatory:
and one of:
Students are expected to attend courses suggested to them by their supervisor and perform well in any mandatory assessments. They should also complete any necessary training in research techniques and/or computing.
Throughout their first year students perform literature searches and become more familiar with their chosen research topic. By the end of the year they are expected to have written up an introductory chapter for their thesis, as well as any new results they may have obtained. Assessment by the supervisor is based on these. Students will be asked to present their research topics at the annual PhD presentation event.
All MPhil/PhD students at the London School of Economics have the opportunity to take advantage of research methodology courses provided by the Department of Methodology. Further courses are available at the London Graduate School in Mathematical Finance and the London Taught Course Centre (LTCC). MPhil/PhD students are encouraged to make full use of these additional opportunities.
Second year: MPhil/PhD
In the second year students become more deeply involved with their research topic, producing and writing up new results. During this time students need to meet with supervisors on a regular basis to discuss their academic development and at some stage during the year there will be a formal review their progress.
Following the successful assessment of their work, students may be recommended for upgrade to PhD. Students should also be able to present their current research at departmental seminars and will be asked to present their research findings at the annual PhD presentation event.
Third Year: PhD
The third year demands considerable and rapid progress with your research.A substantial part of the year should be spent consolidating material that you have already assembled. You may be in a position to begin writing your thesis.
Fourth Year: PhD
The final year is primarily focused on writing up your thesis. The role of your supervisor is to ensure the thesis is of a high standard. Towards the end of the year you will be required to submit your thesis.