Before you arrive

Before you arrive at Warwick, there are a few steps that you are required to complete to ensure your transition into the Department is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Diploma Preparation

The Diploma in Economics is a 9-month conversion course designed for graduates from other disciplines who wish to pursue postgraduate study in Economics, such as a Master's degree. It also serves as a rigorous standalone qualification.

Most students join with little or no prior background in Economics, though some may have studied it at undergraduate level and are looking to strengthen their quantitative skills or deepen their understanding before progressing to a Master's.

The programme is intensive, primarily comprising second-year undergraduate modules typically taken by students with one year of Economics study at Warwick. While additional support is provided, students are expected to engage with a fast-paced curriculum and benefit from preparatory work before the course begins.

Lecturers will assume familiarity with core concepts in mathematics, statistics, microeconomics, and macroeconomics. As students come from diverse academic backgrounds, we encourage you to assess your own readiness and make use of the summer preparation resources and guidance we’ve provided.

• As preparation for EC201 Macroeconomics 2, you can review a set of lecture notes and sample exercises from the Year 1 undergraduate Macroeconomics 1 course.
• As preparation for EC202 Microeconomics 2 you can review a set of lecture notes and sample exercises from the Year 1 undergraduate Microeconomics 1 course.
• As preparation for EC226 Econometrics 1 you can review a set of lecture notes and exercises on statistics at Introduction to EC226.
• If you have not done maths for a while, studied maths in context different from economics, or may be unfamiliar with mathematical vocabulary in English, it is essential to brush up your knowledge ahead of arriving at Warwick. You can review a set of lecture notes from the Year 1 undergraduate Mathematical Techniques B If you find these notes difficult to follow at first, you might want to start by completing the diagnostic quizzes from the Refresher Maths for EconomicsLink opens in a new window online resource ahead of going through the lecture notes.

References are provided where needed, but any maths for economists, statistics, micro or macro primer should be enough to help with the questions.