The Department

Welcome to the Department of Economics from the Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Degrees)

Welcome to Warwick Economics. I hope that you find your course, over the coming months, to be interesting, challenging and rewarding. We provide a stimulating research-led environment where you will work alongside leading researchers to develop the skills required to fulfil your aspirations to become a professional economist, whether as a researcher working towards a PhD, or in a public or private sector career.

We will give you professional training in modern economics, including tools and techniques of analysis as well as knowledge, and an opportunity to apply this in a piece of supervised research. The programme starts with the fundamentals: microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. After that, we offer an extensive range of optional modules.

Our teaching and learning delivery for 2024/25 will be in-person and on campus. There may be some occasions when a session needs to be delivered online.

Completing an MSc can be a great way to enhance your career prospects, and the high-quality reputation of this qualification makes our graduates highly sought after by employers. We will provide opportunities to develop your academic, personal and professional skills throughout your time with us. In addition, the courses and support provided by Student OpportunityLink opens in a new window, and the numerous events organised within the Department (such as the Warwick Economics Lecture Series) are designed to broaden the education experience and help you interpret what you have learnt in lectures and classes to interesting and important real world situations and subjects.

The MSc programmes covered by this Handbook are one year in duration with approximately eight months of taught coursework leading to an examination period, followed by four months of independent research work towards a dissertation.

At the end of your programme, you should be able to read and understand research papers and articles in academic journals, build simple theoretical models, initiate your own empirical research and evaluate its findings. The emphasis is on doing real economics, as well as demonstrating knowledge. You should be fully prepared for, and have the skills and confidence to engage in, professional work as a research economist, including being able to initiate your own exploration of economic questions.

This Handbook is intended as a reference guide for all MSc students who are based in the Department of Economics, covering all aspects of the programmes. We have included web addresses to show you where further information is available on our website.

If, after reading this Handbook, you have any queries, then please feel free to contact the Postgraduate Office by emailing economics.pgoffice@warwick.ac.uk.

I hope that you enjoy your time in the Department, and I wish you every success in your MSc course.

Professor Thijs van Rens
Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Degrees)
Department of Economics
University of Warwick