Economics – (M.Sc.)

Contents

The Masters degree consists wholly of courses examined at the end of the year. An appropriate level of performance in these degrees enables students to proceed to write and submit a thesis for the award of a PhD. Students in the initial year of the PhD, and students undertaking the Masters degrees, follow a common curriculum. All students are required to take three core courses, and to choose three options from the range that will be on offer. Each course is designed to ensure that students are familiar with the main elements of the relevant theory, and to introduce students to a range of the more advanced and recent topics in the area. The courses also focus on the problems that arise in making the transition from theoretical models to empirical and other applied work.
All students are required to attend a preliminary course in mathematics, statistics and econometrics that takes place in the two weeks prior to the beginning of term:
Compulsory Preliminary Mathematics, Statistics and Econometrics Course
The course comprises three compulsory core courses:
Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Quantitative Methods
and a selection of three optional courses from the following list:
Advanced Topics in Macroeconomics
Advanced Topics in Microeconomics
Advanced Topics in Quantitative Methods
Development of Economic Thought and Methodology
Economic Transformation in Eastern Europe
Energy, Environment, and Resources
Financial Economics
Health Economics
International Money and Finance
Industrial Organisation
International Trade
The Economics of the Labour Market
All options will not necessarily be run in each year.

Assessment

These courses are examined in May/June of each year. Following a satisfactory performance in the examination, students are required to write a dissertation on a topic related to their optional subjects, and agreed with the Board of Examiners, for submission by the end of August. Progress to the PhD is contingent on obtaining a good pass in the MSc.
Proceeding to a PhD
From June to August at the end of the first year of course work, those students proceeding to a PhD are required to identify the topic of their research. The subsequent two years are spent undertaking research towards the preparation and submission of a thesis. Each student is, in consultation with the Executive Committee, allocated at least two individuals to supervise this research.