The MPhil in Economic Research is the first year of a four-year route to a PhD and runs from mid-September to the end of July. The MPhil in Economic Research is the foundation year for the PhD programme and involves a thorough study of the core areas of economics and the requirement to explore one area in detail in order to begin the process of choosing a PhD research topic. However, please note that it is not necessary to have a detailed proposal for PhD research at the time of applying.