Public Economics

Entry requirements

Application Deadlines

We aim to have a diverse student body and recognise that we can only offer places to a finite number of applicants. To help achieve our aim, we look to ensure we offer places to applicants from all nationalities and close applications when we receive the allocated numbers.

The University is under no obligation to make any offer of a place on the programme to any applicant, nor is the University obligated to fill all spaces available on the programme.

The Masters in Economics is designed for new or recent graduates. You should have a strong background in a related discipline.

What do I need first?

The equivalent of a UK first or upper second class honours degree with evidence on your degree transcript of strong grades in statistical modules in your second, third or fourth year and that your programme contained an Economics component.

Check the full list of equivalent qualifications.

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

NB Chinese Applicants: Applications will be accepted from students who have graduated from a prestigious university in China. Entry requirements may vary depending upon the reputation of the university you have graduated from and the academic programme you have applied for. As a guide, applicants are expected to have achieved an overall average of 85%.

How do I apply?

You will need to complete an online application form.

Please note you can only apply for one Masters Economics programme.

Fill out the online application form

To support your online application form, you will need to provide the following documents.

• Official transcript of marks
• Copy of degree certificate (if available)
• Copy of English test results (if available).

You can either upload your supporting documents with your online application or email or fax them to the Postgraduate Admissions Office using the contact details below.

Note:

Only files of type .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpg, .pdf, .png, .rtf are permitted to be uploaded.The maximum file size is 5MB.

Application fee

Once we receive your online application form, you’ll get an automatic email within 48 hours asking you to pay the £60 application fee* which is required to progress your application.

You’ll need to follow the link in the email to the webpage where you can confirm your details and make the payment using a debit or credit card. This is a secure website operated by Secpay, which will send you an automatic receipt of payment.

Once we receive confirmation that your application fee has been paid, we’ll be able to progress your application. If you do not pay the application fee your application will be automatically withdrawn.

*Please note you will only be able to make a payment for one programme in each suite i.e. one MSc Finance programme, one MSc Management programme, one MSc Marketing programme, one Islamic Finance programme.

College membership

All students of Durham University will become a member of one of our Colleges. Here is more information about what college membership means to our students. Once you have accepted your postgraduate offer, the Accommodation and Allocations Office will contact you with further information regarding how to express college preferences. You can also apply for college accommodation, if you wish to.

Admissions process

Here are the steps in the admissions process:

1. We will let you know when we’ve received your application.
2. Once we’ve received all of your supporting documents, we will email you to let you know our decision.
3. If the decision is to make you an offer of a place on the programme we will let you know by email. Please note we do not issue hard copy offer letters as these are not required to obtain a student visa.
4. You should confirm the acceptance of your offer as soon as possible. In order to secure your place, you are required to pay a deposit within six weeks of the date of your original offer (check your offer documents for details of payment methods).
5. International students requiring a student visa will receive a CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Studies) via email once all offer conditions are met, acceptance and deposit have been received and you are within five months of the start date of your programme.

Please note: You must let us know your own personal email address when applying. Please do not use a university-linked email which may stop working once you complete your bachelor degree.

Contact us

Postgraduate Admissions Office, Durham University Business School, Mill Hill Lane, Durham, DH1 3LB, UKTel: +44 (0)191 334 5295Fax: +44 (0)191 334 5136

Months of entry

October

Course content

Our MSc programmes in Economics will give you the opportunity to equip yourself with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in economics and related disciplines.

The programme consists of a set of core and elective modules, culminating in a practice-based business project or a research-based dissertation.

Core and elective modules:

Core modules provide a foundation of essential knowledge and understanding.

• Advanced Macroeconomics
• Advanced Microeconomics
• Public Choice
• Public Economics

You'll also study one of the following pairings:

• Econometrics I and Econometrics II
• Econometrics I and Microeconometrics
• Econometric Methods and Microeconometrics
• Econometric Methods and Financial Modelling and Business Forecasting

You will then choose two elective modules.

The list of modules may vary from year to year, but has typically included: Behavioural Finance and Economics; Development Economics; Econometrics II; Environmental Economics and Policy; Experimental Economics and Finance; Industrial Organisation; International Economics; International Finance; Market Microstructure; Microeconometrics; Money and Banking; Natural Resource Management.

View module overviews

Dissertation/Business Project or Placement

In the third term, you will carry out an original research project. This may be an independent piece of work or, alternatively, you may decide to develop a more applied project with an appropriate organisation. Supervised by a faculty member with relevant experience, you’ll investigate in greater detail a subject that you’ve already studied as part of your programme. This is an opportunity for you to develop your business insight and present your analysis and ideas in a scholarly and professional manner.

Additional Resources

The School has made a significant investment in database resources to give you access to both live and historical data from providers which include Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, Datasteam and Orbis. These state-of-the-art databases give you the opportunity to interrogate the financial records of millions of companies worldwide and add valuable insight to your research.

Adding to your experience

International Opportunities

We’re proud of our strong international connections. Helping you get an inside perspective on global business is a key part of the programme. That’s why we offer a range of opportunities to help you immerse yourself in a country’s business and academic environment, make new contacts and stand out in a competitive job market. These include:

• Dissertation Abroad

  If your ambitions lie beyond the UK, we offer a number of places on our unique Dissertation Abroad scheme. This will involve writing a dissertation at one of our international partner institutions in the period June to August. A number of scholarships are available.

• International Study Tour

  We organise an optional International Study Tour to a European destination, typically Switzerland. This intensive programme takes place over several days, normally in March/April, and offers you a great opportunity to get an ‘inside perspective’ on international business, and to network with key staff within organisations.

Guest Speakers

As part of your programme, you have the opportunity to enjoy presentations by academics and practitioners within your chosen area of interest. Past speakers have included representatives of major global multinationals and leading academics , providing an ideal opportunity to gain practical knowledge and progressive insight.

Fees and funding

Scholarships available for 2022 entry will be determined in September 2021. Over 60 scholarships are available, each year. Some scholarships are awarded to more than one person. For further information see the course listing.

durham.ac.uk/study/pg/finance