Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
A UK 2:1 honours degree (or overseas equivalent) in economics, finance, mathematics or a related subject in which you have achieved a high level of performance. You should normally have a good training in the core areas of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory (up to at least intermediate level) and a strong background in mathematics and statistics.
When assessing your academic record, we consider the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Gain solid training in microeconomic and macroeconomic principles as well as quantitative methods
- Understand how applied and policy-oriented research of economic data has relevance for real-world economists
- Focus on a career after your master's or develop the requirements for our more advanced MSc in Economics
Open days
The University organises open days every year in June, September and October.
These are an opportunity to find out more about the School of Social Sciences and our resources, as well as meet academics and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.
Fees
Fees for entry in 2024 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2023 were as follows:
-
MA (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £14,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £28,500 -
MA (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £7,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £14,250
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and merit awards to outstanding applicants and international students.
In addition, the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a first-class bachelor's degree and are progressing to a postgraduate taught master's course.
For more information, see fees and funding or search the University's postgraduate funding database .
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 804 9198
- pgt-economics@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- http://www.manchester.ac.uk/economics
- School/Faculty
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
A UK 2:1 honours degree (or overseas equivalent) in economics, finance, mathematics or a related subject in which you have achieved a high level of performance. You should normally have a good training in the core areas of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory (up to at least intermediate level) and a strong background in mathematics and statistics.
When assessing your academic record, we consider the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:
- IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
- TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70
You are not required to submit an English language certificate at the time of application, however if you are eligible for an offer it will be subject to meeting our English language requirements.
Pre-Sessional English Courses
We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you may be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.
To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:
6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.
10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill
If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries
If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our country-specific information page for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
As there is a high demand for our courses we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.
Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application before the application deadline to avoid a delay in processing.
Applications for 2024 entry:
Stage 1: Application received by 8th December 2023 ; Application update by 22nd February 2024
Stage 2: Application received by 3rd March 2024 ; Application update by 25th April 2024
Stage 3: Application received by 5th May 2024 ; Application update by 8th June 2024
Stage 4: Application received by 1st July 2024 ; Application update by 25th July 2024
Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.
Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
Please note: All places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.
Tuition fee deposits
If you are successful in receiving an offer, you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit of £1,000 by the deadline stated in your offer letter to confirm your place. We ask for the deposit as competition for places is high and there is limited availability. The deposit amount is then deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
The University of Manchester is a leading centre for economics and research-led teaching. Many famous names from the world of economics have worked here at Manchester, including three Nobel Prize winners. Graduate students from across the globe come here to study economics, attracted by our first-class postgraduate training and supervision in the core and specialist areas of economics.
Interdisciplinary study is also actively pursued here with many course units involving a number of different Schools at the University.
The MA Economics course is designed to meet the growing demand for those who seek a degree combining a solid training in microeconomic and macroeconomic principles with quantitative methods and research informed applied economics units.
This course is different from the existing MSc Economics course at The University of Manchester because of its focus on mainstream but less theoretical units that need to be completed.
If you choose the MA Economics course, you will take compulsory course units in both microeconomics and macroeconomics; you will further advance your quantitative skills and techniques in the core units:
- introduction to econometrics;
- mathematics for economists;
- further econometrics;
- as part of your dissertation, you will focus on applied and/or policy-oriented research of economic data as relevant to policy makers and economics professionals.
The course suits students who are interested in a career straight after the MA. If you are interested in postgraduate research, you may find our MSc Economics course more appropriate.
Aims
The course will:
- Provide instruction and rigorous training in economics and the relevant methods of mathematics for economists and econometrics research in this area.
- Develop your powers of inquiry, critical analysis, logical thinking, and your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to current issues of policy and practice in economics.
- Encourage initiative, independent learning, awareness of analytical and theoretical approaches in the field of economics, exposure to recent research and state-of-the-art tools in applied work in economics.
- Train you in research methods and core skills in microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, mathematics for economists, problem-solving, written and oral expression, communication and presentation skills.
- Equip you with the intellectual and practical skills necessary for an economist working in private or public organisations.
- Enable you to apply advanced research skills to a relevant research area in economics, via course units and a dissertation.
Special features
Quantitative methods preparation for the MA:
1. Please visit our Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Economics website for information about the minimum level of knowledge of mathematics and statistics that you should possess from your current or previous training.
2. The website also provides details and content of our Introduction course on Quantitative Methods in Economics which builds on the knowledge gained in (1) and is designed to equip you with further technical skills that you will require before starting the MSc.
3. You are strongly advised to attend this course which is offered free of charge. The course will run during induction week and we recommend that you spend some time between July and September studying and familiarising yourself with the course material on the website, especially if you might not be able to attend the course. The importance of the course is illustrated by the fact that the marks contribute 10% towards the Maths Methods and Econometrics compulsory units of semester one.
Teaching and learning
Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time course.
You must first check the schedule of the compulsory course units and then select your optional units to suit your requirements.
Updated timetable information will be available from mid-August and you will have the opportunity to discuss your unit choices during induction week with your Course Director.
Course unit details
ECON60901 0 credits Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Economics.
Semester 1
Four mandatory units:
- ECON60411 Macroeconomics
- ECON60391 Microeconomics
- ECON60081 Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis
- ECON60611 Introduction to Econometrics
Semester 2
One mandatory unit:
- ECON60622 Further Econometrics
Three optional units:
- ECON60432 Topics in Economics of Health
- ECON61902 Topics in the Economic Development of China
- ECON60022 Development Microeconomics
- ECON60782 Economics of Environmental Policy
- ECON60422 Environmental Valuation
- ECON60212 Poverty, Inequality and Government Policy in Less Developed Countries
- ECON60762 Agriculture in Economic Development
- ECON60472 Labour Macroeconomics
- ECON60482 Topics in Applied Economics
- ECON60462 Numerical Methods for Economists
- ECON6XXX2 Labour Economics
Please note that not all options may be available every year.
Also, other options (not listed in 'Course unit list') may be selected subject to approval of the Programme Director and unit lecturer.
These include a 15-credit taught master's interdisciplinary unit offered by the University College (UCIL) to taught master's students from all disciplines.
Please talk for to your Programme Director first who can advise you on the list of other options available.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microeconomics | ECON60391 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Macroeconomics | ECON60411 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Econometrics | ECON60611 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Further Econometrics | ECON60622 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Mathematics for Economists | ECON60811 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Economics | ECON60901 | 0 | Mandatory |
| MA Dissertation | ECON73000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Development Microeconomics | ECON60022 | 15 | Optional |
| Poverty, Inequality and Government Policy in Less Developed Countries | ECON60212 | 15 | Optional |
| Healthcare Economics | ECON60432 | 15 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 17 course units | |||
| Display all course units | |||
What our students say
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
The demand for economists continues to grow worldwide. This demand exists across a host of institutions ranging from the public sector (like universities, central banks, international organisations) to the private sector (commercial banks and insurance providers). With the range of applied economics skills provided in the MA Economics course, you are perfectly placed to seek a career in business and position yourself ahead of the competition. At the same time, this degree is ideal if you wish to continue into further education via MSc research degrees across the UK and the world.
The University also has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. You will also have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .