About Economics
Department Profile
The Department of Economics is one of the largest departments at the
University of Essex. It was founded with the University in 1963
when Professor Richard G. Lipsey left the London School of Economics
with Chris Archibald to begin teaching and research in economics at Essex.
Since that time many eminent economists have held appointments in the
department including Michio Morishima,
Tony Atkinson,
Peter Phillips, Oliver Hart,
Peter Hammond,
Ravi Kanbur, amongst others.
There are currently 29 full-time faculty members, whose research interests
cover all the major fields of economics. The department regularly hires new
faculty. In the most recent review of the quality of university research, known
as the
2008 Research Assessment Exercise
the Department was ranked joint 3rd among all UK economics departments.
Furthermore, in the
2001 Research Assessment Exercise the
Department was awarded the highest possible grade,
5-star, along with
just three other economics departments, those at the London School of
Economics, University College London and University of Warwick.
The Department provides, or has recently provided,
homes, editors and associate editors for many leading journals including
the Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Industrial Economics,
International Economic Review, and the Review of Development Economics.
The department offers a full range of
undergraduate,
taught postgraduate
and research degrees. Currently about
270 undergraduates are registered for specialist economics degrees and there are
normally about 150 postgraduates in residence (including some 60 research
students). The department's faculty is as cosmopolitan as its student body, with
well over half born or educated outside of the UK, and nearly three-quarters of
postgraduate students coming from overseas. In the
review of the quality of the department's teaching,
education provision and students' learning experience,
the Department was awarded the highest possible mark:
24/24.
Last, but not least, the department has a reputation among its students and
the many academics who visit from across the globe
for being a lively, enjoyable and stimulating place to study.
Further information: