MSc in Applied Economics

Economics as a discipline has become more relevant than ever as a means of understanding contemporary trends in the global economy and in providing the tools and techniques for businesses and governments to analyse, interpret, and respond to the local and global challenges they face. Students develop the ability to understand contemporary economic problems in micro and macroeconomics, development economics, and finance, as well as learning to apply advanced knowledge to analyse policy measures and their impact on government, businesses, and citizens’ welfare. Additionally, students learn to effectively communicate the outcomes of econometric analyses and give advice to policymakers and business leaders to assist them in making better decisions.

In a fast-changing global environment, the course seeks to provide students with the specialised knowledge needed to pursue professional careers in the private, public or institutional sectors as economists or consultants, who exhibit an extensive knowledge of both economic theories and their applications in the real world.

The philosophy of the course places much emphasis on the application of economic theories and methods to solve economic problems and analyse behaviour of economic agents. A variety of learning and teaching methods aim to enable students to master the key concepts in economics. The programme is focused on developing students’ policy appraisal and evaluation skills, as well as using the skills to advise governments and business on what actions they might want to take (i.e. appraising alternative strategic options, using econometrics to evaluate the effectiveness of decisions made previously, to evaluate the effectiveness of previous decisions).