What is good about the MSc in Economics and Policy Analysis?
The programme has a public policy focus but aims to foster analytical, communication and quantitative skills that are transferrable to a wide range of employment areas. Our students benefit from small class sizes and dedicated teaching/student space that has recently been renovated to become an active learning classroom to maximise collaborative learning. Students in the programme engage with excellent external speakers such as those that visited recently from the University of Murcia, The Central Bank of Ireland, The Department of Finance and The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. Furthermore, in conjunction with our partner institution in HEC Liege in Belgium, we have the only double degree option available to postgraduate economic students in Ireland.
What kind of skills do you get from doing the programme?
We put a lot of thought into the learning outcomes of the MSc with some examples below of the types of competencies and skills we hope to foster in our students -
- “Apply the skills required to undertake professional academic research in the field of economics”.
- “Demonstrate confidence, interpersonal skills and professional competency in communicating research findings”.
- “Analyse economics data with the aid of a number of research methodologies”.
- “Critically evaluate economics aspects of public policy”.
We hope to achieve outcomes such as these for our students through the variety of modules delivered, the different forms of assessments provided as well as the range of delivery methods we use in our teaching.
What’s new about the MSc in Economics and Policy Analysis?
The course content and delivery methods are constantly evolving within the programme. More recently we have made some substantial changes to the programme structure to now include modules such as Health Economics, The Economics of Global Challenges, Data Analysis for Economics and Microeconomics for Policy-Making. We made these changes after consultation with employers, alumni and other stakeholders. These changes will help our students better understand some of the key challenges facing society and policy-makers in the future.
For example, within the Economics of Global Challenges, the aim is to develop students understanding of important societal challenges as well as providing them with insights into the work of multilateral institutions around these challenges. These include, but are not limited to, the Economics of Climate Change, the Economics of European integration, the Causes and Consequences of Economic Inequality and the Economics of an Aging Population. Students will cover one such challenge in any given semester and learn through a combination of classroom-based content and guest talks from economists working in international institutions. The latter element is designed to bring the themes discussed in class to life and should develop the student's understanding of global economic institutions.
Where can I learn more?
You can learn more about the programme structure, fees and other relevant information on the specific course website here or alternatively contact the Course Director at Darragh.flannery@ul.ie
