BES Admissions and Applications

Our application dates and deadlines can be found on our webpage for this course. Link opens in a new window

Which track should I apply for?

The two tracks of the MSc in Behavioural and Economic Science are very similar, and differ mostly in the Term 1 modules students take, depending on their undergraduate background. Both tracks offer modules on the design, conduct and analysis of behavioural experiments and the analysis of large-scale datasets, and provide the opportunity to complete an empirical research project.

Science Track Economics Track

Key Facts

Start date - 6th October 2025 (Science Track)
Duration - 1 year
Format - Full time taught course
Degree - Master of Science
Routes - Science Track (C8P7) or Economics Track (C8P8)

We are committed to equality of opportunity, as stated in our Equal Opportunity Policy. We welcome applications from anyone with the potential to succeed in higher education. The University aims to avoid unfair discrimination on whatever grounds, including gender and ethnic background.

Entry Requirements (Science Track)

The Science Track is ideally for those with a first degree that is quantitative, i.e. primarily in a subject like Psychology, Sociology, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics, etc., but we welcome applications from any applicant with a degree of first or 2:i honours standard, from a British university or the overseas equivalent. Students whose degree specialises primarily in Economics should consider applying for the Economics Track instead. Previous experience of Psychology, Behavioural Science, or Economics is not necessary.

English Language Requirement: Band B

Entry Requirements (Economics Track)

For the Economics track, you must have, or expect to obtain, a degree specialising mainly in Economics that is of first or upper second class honours standard from a British university or the equivalent from an overseas university. This means you should have achieved a good standard in undergraduate courses in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics/Economic Statistics at an intermediate level. We also expect a good standard achieved in Mathematics taken at undergraduate level.

English Language Requirement: Band A

Maths Background

The MSc in Behavioural and Economic Science is a quantitative degree and students should feel comfortable taking a mathematical approach to their thinking. On the MSc we cover the use of statistics to make sense of behavioural data (e.g., regression and t-tests). We introduce the R and Matlab programming languages for statistics and mathematical modelling (though we do not assume you have previous experience of these languages). We use maths in economic and psychological models.

You should be familiar with some of: elementary calculus, basic geometry, really basic knowledge of sets, functions like logarithms, exponentials, powers, probability and probability distributions. You don't need to know all of these things, but you should not be frightened about learning about them! Such a quantitative approach is a really great way to understand data from field studies and experiments, and big data sets and surveys. It's also a great way to formalise and think about ideas about how people behave and the aggregate consequences of this behaviour.

All students on the Economics track attend a short pre-sessional mathematics and statistics course before the term starts.

Application Process

Places on taught postgraduate taught courses are limited, so you should submit your application as early as possible. If you are an international applicant and need to obtain a student visa, you will need to leave plenty of time for this process. For this reason international applicants must submit their application by 30th June for courses that begin in September.

Apply Online

Applications are made through the university's application portal:

Online Postgraduate Application System

Applications are considered as soon as references and transcripts have been submitted. You can usually expect during normal times to hear if your application has been approved within four weeks. The MSc in Behavioural and Economic Science (Science Track) is listed under Psychology with the code C8P7. The Economics Track is listed with the code C8P8.