Full Time: 12 months | Part Time: 24 months
Start date: September 2020
Gain the fundamental tools of a professional economist with our MSc Economics.
On this course, you’ll learn how to assess a wide range of theoretical, empirical and policy-related economic issues.
You will work with academics from the Department of Economics, and your training will emphasise interactive and applied learning as you study a number of key areas. These include:
- micro-principles of economic behaviour
- macro-outcomes of national and global importance
- combining methodological, theoretical and applied issues of prime relevance to the study and practice of economics and economic policy
- building a strong working knowledge of current statistical software and other applications used in economic analysis, both in the public and private sectors.
We are one of the top 25 highest-ranking UK universities for Economics and Econometrics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2018), and our teaching is supported by our academics’ research. For example, many of our economists conduct applied research that influences economic policy formation at the local, national and international levels – and this work directly informs what you’ll study. This ensures that what you learn is topical, relevant and has practical implications.
Here at Reading, you will be just a 30-minute train journey from London, a major hub of financial activity. Reading itself is home to a number of financial services businesses and has the highest density of digital tech businesses of any UK town or city. Our location makes it very easy for us to arrange trips to relevant organisations and institutions during your studies.
You will typically spend six to eight hours a week in lectures and supported classroom seminars, studying alongside academics, industry professionals and postgraduate colleagues. Our classes are small in size to allow for active participation, and lecturers include economists and other real-life practitioners who actively put economic principles into practice.
This master’s course is for people who have studied undergraduate economics. This includes joint degrees in which economics accounts for around half or more of the programme.
Flexibility in your studies
You will have the opportunity to specialise your degree by choosing from a range of optional modules. Examples of optional modules are listed under the 'What will you Study?' section below.
You will also have the opportunity to do a Capstone project as one of your optional modules. This involves working within a team to deliver a project for an external organisation, and applying your academic knowledge in a practical way. You will then submit an individual report after the project is complete.
You can attend the course on a full-time basis over one year, or part-time over two years.
Entry requirements
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £7,735 per year
New international students: £16,450 per year
Part-time
New UK/EU students: £3,868 year one
New international students: £8,225 year one
Fees and funding information
The fees listed are for full-time study, unless otherwise stated, and relate to courses starting in the 2020/21 academic year. Fee information will be confirmed in offer letters sent out to successful applicants. You can find further information on fees and funding, including for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Scholarships and financial support
We have a number of scholarships available for students studying MSc Economics or one of the other courses offered by our School of Politics, Economics and International Relations. These include:
- 6 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students
- 4 scholarships of £1,500 each for UK/EU students
For more information about these scholarships, as well as the University of Reading’s other master’s scholarships, please visit our master’s scholarships page.
You can apply for a scholarship once you hold an offer of admission for your course. If you are eligible for a scholarship, we will contact you to guide you through the process.
What career can you have?
Careers for MSc Economics graduates
MSc Economics provides graduates with specialist expertise in economic analysis, and is designed for people who want to work within:
- government
- international organisations
- business
- banking
- economic research, including PhD studies.
A master’s degree in economics also develops skills in writing, maths, econometrics and computing, which means that economics graduates have a number of transferable skills that are sought by employers.
We are committed to your employability, and have dedicated careers resources available for master’s students.