MSc (Applied Economics)

This masters is designed to equip you with the skills to influence and advise on the important decisions we face. It will prepare you for a career as an economic analyst in civil service, finance, and health sectors, as well as position you to move into further research programmes (such as a PhD in Economics).

As a professional economist or an economic analyst, you could be working on some of society’s biggest questions. Questions like how do we strengthen local economies, what do we need to do to alleviate poverty in the UK and developing countries, how do we decide which cancer treatments to fund, how can we understand the potential of new technologies?

Aimed at those who have studied economics and are looking to focus their knowledge toward practical application, while also open as a conversion course to graduates without a degree in economics. You might already be working in local government or devolved administrations and wish to develop your skillset in economic analysis. With this course, you can specialise in an area of your choice, such as public policy or economic methods.

You’ll learn from experts in public policy economics and finance. The course reflects the Business School’s strength in public policy research and its links with external organisations that use economic advice. If your goal is to pursue a career as an economist or analyst, and to tackle the problems that affect people’s lives using relevant economic methods, then this course is for you.

Features and benefits

• Triple accredited – our Business School holds the globally recognised trio of accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA, placing us among the best business schools in the world. 
• Practical application – develop the technical skills to be a professional economist, with a blend of policy and data analysis, all rooted in the expertise of our Applied Economics knowledge platform.
• Real-world focus – you’ll have the opportunity to interact and network with employers and undertake your dissertation or an internship with one of our local partner organisations. 
• Teaching expertise – learn from a team of experienced academics and researchers who conduct high-impact research in partnership with a variety of public, private and voluntary sector bodies in economic and public policy analysis.
• Rise programme – all students are eligible to take part in curricular activities with Rise. These might include volunteering, project work and certifications. Find out more
• Location – Manchester is at the heart of big innovative new ideas in public policy, including city region devolution, high speed rail as well as having a booming health and life sciences sector.
• Career support – throughout your studies, we’ll help you boost your employability and secure graduate employment through our Careers and Employability Service. Opportunities to advance your career in policy and research are built into the course.

Year 1
You’ll study several core modules, covering topics such as macroeconomic policy, applied economic analysis and policy evaluation. From there you’ll complete your dissertation or final project.

• In addition to your core modules, you’ll also study advanced finance and the political economy of climate crisis as option modules.

Core modules

• Macroeconomic Policy
• Microeconomic Analysis
• Applied Economic Analysis
• Public Policy Economics
• Quantitative Modelling
• Policy Evaluation
• Dissertation/Final Project

Option modules

• Advanced Finance
• The Political Economy of Climate Crisis

Career prospects

• There is an increasing trend towards greater economic autonomy at the local and regional level, particularly in Greater Manchester – and the topics you’ll study reflect this. The course has been designed to fulfil the academic requirements of graduate schemes for organisations that recruit into professional economist roles; it will equip you with the technical skills highly sought-after by employers – ensuring you’ll be ready for a career as a professional economist when you graduate.
• During the course, you’ll analyse a topical economic issue for your dissertation, giving you an opportunity to make a practical impact in the real-world. 
• Once you graduate, you can apply for professional economist roles in government, research institutes and consultancies. We also incorporate content within the course that prepares students who may want to pursue graduate degrees in economics or other related disciplines.