MSc Applied Economics

By thinking rigorously about costs and benefits, incentives and human behaviour, you’ll consider the likely consequences of the choices made by individuals, businesses and policymakers. 

Throughout the course, you’ll develop the technical skills to inform economic decisions and predict possible outcomes. You’ll be taught how to make informed evidence-based decisions to assess economic situations, and the impact of key public policy questions in real-world circumstances. 

This masters is designed to directly prepare you to work in a professional economist role - with core modules on policy analysis, quantitative modelling and data analytics, it’s about the practical application – not just theoretical and mathematical study.  

With the emphasis on how the theory has a practical application, you’ll start by covering the foundations of both macroeconomic policy and microeconomic analysis. You’ll then go on to develop the core practical skills in applied economic analysis that are highly valued by employers, enabling you to solve an economic problem for a real-world client. 

Using specialist statistical software, you’ll get to grips with the quantitative skills that are fundamental to applied economics. By learning about the application of economics to specific policy areas, such as tax, local economic development, health and education, you’ll gain specialist knowledge to develop further in your dissertation, and your future career aspirations. 

The course culminates in you drawing together your learning into a self-directed piece of research. We’ll provide you opportunities to design your project in conjunction with an external organisation, including, in particular, government organisations and Health Innovation Manchester – providing insight into practical economics that few universities can offer. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to pursue further areas of interest from a range of optional units from with the department of economics, policy and international business.

As the home of the Future Economies research centre, we boast a teaching staff that offer a wealth of expertise producing research that shapes and leads policy and business change nationally, globally and across Greater Manchester. Crucially, our approach also offers a more practical focus than many similar courses, letting you learn from experienced practitioners and explore the institutions, processes and methods that underpin the real-world of applied economics.