Behavioural and Economic Science (Science Track) (MSc) (2025 Entry)

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Course code

P-C8P7

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time

Qualification

MSc

Led by

Psychology

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-C8P7

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time

Qualification

MSc

Led by

Psychology

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

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Explore our Behavioural and Economic Science (Science Track) taught Master's degree at Warwick

Our MSc in Behavioural and Economic Science (Science Track) combines multidisciplinary expertise from the departments of Psychology and Economics, as well as Warwick Business School. This course offers you training in basic psychology and behavioural economics, whilst allowing you to focus on the cognitive science of judgement and decision-making.

Course overview

This innovative course in the growing area of decision science and behavioural economics combines multidisciplinary expertise from the Department of Psychology, Department of Economics and Warwick Business School (WBS). The course emphasises both theoretical foundations and real-world application of core and advanced areas of behavioural economics, and the cognitive science of judgement and decision making.

The Science Track variation of the course is designed for students with a first degree in a science-based subject, such as Psychology, Maths, Biology, etc. or a subject with a strong quantitative element, such as Business, Finance, etc.

A variation of the course is offered by the Department of Economics and is available if you have a first degree in Economics.

Skills from this degree

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

Gain a deeper understanding of how and why people make the choices they do
Understand how influencing such choices is important across a variety of domains, from public policy (e.g. encouraging people to save for pensions), through to industry (e.g. how to place a new product in the market), and individual behaviour (e.g. why people drink and eat too much).
Develop a theoretical understanding of key models and results in behavioural economics and judgment and decision making
Design, conduct and analyse behavioural experiments
Implement models of choice
Access and analyse large-scale datasets
Initiate economic enquiry and test economic models
Assess and deploy potential behavioural interventions

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

The MSc Behavioural and Economic Science is a quantitative degree and you should feel comfortable taking a mathematical approach to your thinking.

On the MSc we cover the use of statistics to make sense of behavioural data (e.g. regression and ANOVAs). We introduce the R programming language for statistics and mathematical modelling (though we do not assume you have previous experience). We use maths in economic and psychological models.

You should be familiar with some of: elementary calculus, basic geometry, a really basic knowledge of sets, functions like logarithms, exponentials, powers, probability and probability distributions. You do not 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 is also a great way to formalise and think about ideas about how people behave and the aggregate consequences of this behaviour.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Modules

Core modules

You will usually study three core modules across Psychology, Economics, and WBS, as well as complete a Behavioural and Economic Science project during the summer.

The three modules usually include:

Behavioural Microeconomics

The aim of this module is to examine the foundations of microeconomic analysis from a behavioural perspective and introduce basic microeconomic concepts to non-economists. It will achieve this objective by subjecting many of the fundamental assumptions made in standard undergraduate degree courses to close critical scrutiny. It will familiarise you with recent research developments in behavioural economics and the possible implications for theory and policy raised by these developments.

Issues in Psychological Science

This module covers core psychology and behavioural science content relevant to later modules in the degree, including memory, attention, perception, personality and individual differences, choice, and subjective well-being. It will provide you with the psychological background to enable you to understand and critically evaluate material on those later modules. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, and laboratory-based sessions, you will learn about both models and data in the relevant areas of psychology.

Methods and Analysis in Behavioural Science

The purpose of the module is to introduce you to experimental design and statistical programming. Behavioural scientists need statistical analysis of experimental data and of large data sets. This module covers these topics to allow you to understand how to test hypotheses, plan experimental design and perform statistical analysis using R.

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

Experimental Economics
Behavioural Economics
Principles of Cognition
Psychological Models of Choice
Behavioural Change: Nudging and Persuasion
Bayesian Approaches in Behavioural Science
Neuroeconomics
Behavioural Ethics

You will choose a number of optional modules to complete.

Teaching and learning

Teaching

You will have a combination of lectures, seminars, and practical classes/workshops, depending on the module. Lectures introduce you to a particular topic, seminars build on that knowledge, and practical classes/workshops allow you to put what you are learning into practice alongside tutors knowledgeable in the topic.

Class sizes

Class sizes will naturally vary, however this course typically has around 25-30 students.

Typical contact hours

Teaching occurs throughout the week, with an average of 8-12 hours of lectures and 5-7 hours of workshops, practical classes and/or seminars per week. You will also have meetings with your personal tutor at regular intervals throughout your course.

Assessment

We typically assess modules through a mix of assessment types, which include worksheets, essays, research reports, modelling and data analysis, class tests, exams, and presentations.

Reading lists 

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogueLink opens in a new window.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department.  

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Careers

Your career

Graduates from this course have gone on to work at places including: Decision Technology, the Commonwealth Bank, the Bursara Center, the Behavioural Insights Team, and Cowry Consulting.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. We also encourage you to attend a number of networking events held each year, and we hold a series of careers-focused workshops which have previously included topics such as:

Careers in Behavioural Science
Applying for PhDs in the Behavioural Science

About the Department

Psychology at Warwick

A playground for the mind

Our research-driven department can offer you the kind of physical and intellectual environment that’ll inspire you to succeed. We pride ourselves on being a friendly, inclusive academic community offering a stimulating, intellectual environment to students and staff. We’re large enough to provide excellent resources and education, but also small enough to know who you are and provide one-to-one support.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate courses

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

How to apply

Applications are now open for courses that start in September and October 2025.

There are three application deadlines for the course: 

The early deadline is 31 December 2024. All applications received by this date will be considered in January 2025 and a decision returned soon thereafter. 
The middle deadline is 31 March 2025. All applications received between 1 January 2025 and 31 March 2025 will be considered in April 2025 and a decision returned soon thereafter. 
The late, and final, deadline is 30 June 2025. All applications received between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2025 will be considered in July 2025 and a decision returned soon thereafter.

Applications will close on 30 June 2025 and no applications received after this date will be considered. 

How to apply for a postgraduate taught course

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Admissions statement

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We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

Warwick hosted events
Postgraduate Fairs
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2024 entry

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

See 2024 entry »

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK

in the Guardian University Guide 2025

6th Most Targeted University

by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

69th in the World

out of 1,500 institutions across 104 locations (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Page updates

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Behavioural and Economic Science (Science Track) (MSc) (2025 Entry)

Explore our Behavioural and Economic Science (Science Track) taught Master's degree at Warwick

Scholarships and financial support

Living costs

After you’ve applied

Applicant Portal

Admissions statement

Join a live chat

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

Why Warwick

8th in the UK

6th Most Targeted University

69th in the World

5th best student city in the UK

Gold standard teaching

92% of our research

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