Master of Science
MSc Economics and Data Science
Due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with multiple selection deadlines throughout the year, to maintain a fair and transparent approach.
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Overview
Course overview
- Study a master’s in Economics and Data Science at a university ranked top 10 in the UK and top 40 worldwide for Economics and Econometrics (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
- Benefit from core training in economics, data science, machine learning, and programming. Take advantage of optional course units to specialise in a variety of areas of economics and econometrics.
- Get hands-on training to analyse real-world economic issues by thinking through the economic theories and applying the right empirical methods.
- Obtain highly desirable skills in a rapidly expanding field and prepare for a career as an economic data analyst in diverse sectors such as government, central banks, the private sector, and academia.
- Join a leading centre for economics which has been home to four Nobel Prize winners for the subject.
- Seamlessly transition from master's to PhD study through a fully-funded 1+3 pathway with our prestigious ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).
- Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).
Open days
The University hosts many opportunities for you to find out more about your degree, meet academics, tutors and admissions staff, ask questions, and explore everything that a postgraduate degree at Manchester has to offer.
You can attend an online information session, meet us at a study fair in the UK or meet us at one of our overseas events. See our meet us page for more information. You can also look at our Virtual Open Day content to help you learn more about the University.
If you’re interested in visiting our campus in-person or setting up a one-on-one with an advisor or member of academic staff, please contact us on pgt-economics@manchester.ac.uk .
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- School/Faculty overview
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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 or another quantitative subject, such as mathematics, physics or computer science. This training must include a significant number of mathematical, econometrics and/or statistical courses, including advanced options in which top-level marks have been achieved, and a solid background in a statistical programming language such as R, Python, Julia or MATLAB.
For applicants with a degree in subjects other than economics, a significant exposure to economics courses is required.
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
Pre-Sessional English Courses
We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you will 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
Fees and funding
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:
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MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £17,300
International, including EU, students (per annum): £35,200
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
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
For information on available funding, please see fees and funding or search the University's postgraduate funding database .
Application and selection
How to apply
Staged admissions
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 to avoid a delay in processing.
Applications for 2026 entry:
Stage 1:Application received by 7th December 2025 ; Application update by 20th February 2026
Stage 2:Application received by 1st March 2026 ; Application update by 1st May 2026
Stage 3:Application received by 3rd May 2026 ; Application update by 19th June 2026
Stage 4:Application received by 5th July 2026 ; Application update by 31st July 2026
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 £2,500 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
If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.
Course details
Course description
The global demand for economics graduates with advanced data science skills continues to grow rapidly in the modern economy. Public and private sector organisations are increasingly relying on data science to offer new insights on issues in economics, econometrics, and finance. At the same time, governments and central banks use data science techniques to inform the formulation and evaluation of economic policy.
Our MSc Economics and Data Science offers comprehensive training in the use of data science methods to analyse economic issues. You will cover economic and data science theory, methods and techniques, and applications to real-world problems.
The course combines rigorous training in key principles with some flexibility to tailor your studies to specific areas of interest in economics. Your core training will cover:
- Economic theory;
- Econometric methods;
- Data science and machine learning;
- Programming and other data science skills.
Areas of specialisation through optional course units include:
- Financial econometrics;
- Healthcare economics;
- Economics of environmental policy.
See a full list of mandatory and optional course units below.
With hands-on training and a focus on practical application, this course is designed to prepare you for a successful career in a variety of roles, for example as an economist, data analyst, researcher, or consultant, in leading organisations across government, banking / finance, or the private sector.
This course is eligible for the 1+3 studentship offered by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC) North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP), offering a unique, fully-funded route into postgraduate research. If your application is successful, you’ll be able to seamlessly transition from master's-level study to a PhD. Find out more on our 1+3 ESRC NWSSDTP webpage .
Aims
This course will:
- Examine key theories regarding the economic behaviour at aggregate, sectoral and individual level.
- Examine the mathematical theories behind the statistical models used in econometric and data science analysis.
- Explore the key issues in the processing of information for the creation of data sets for statistical analysis.
- Support you in the development of the computer-programming skills needed to implement data scientific analysis.
- Support you to develop the skills needed to implement data scientific methods in order to contribute to the formulation and evaluation of economic policy.
- Prepare you for post-graduation employment or PhD research, through the development of digital, group-work, data-handling, presentational and writing skills.
- Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:
- Analyse economic and/or policy problems using in-depth knowledge of economic theory.
- Critically assess and engage with empirical economic research.
- Identify whether particular economic problems can be investigated empirically and if so, what strategy is to be used.
- Explain features, assumptions and estimation methods used by econometric and data science methods.
- Design, develop and conduct research on empirical economic issues using statistical and data science techniques and software.
- Analyse real life data to understand and describe empirical issues across a range of disciplines and real-world settings.
- You will also gain valuable skills in communicating economics and data science knowledge and research to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a variety of ways, identifying legal, ethical and security challenges in working with data, and working constructively and resiliently both in a team and individually to solve challenging problems.
Special features
A prestigious department
The University of Manchester is a leading centre for economics and research-led teaching. Many famous names from the world of economics have worked and studied here at Manchester, including four 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 the subject.
Real-world impact
We put theory into practice. Our academics and students are dedicated to shaping economic research, policymaking and practice nationally and internationally. We work closely with government, organisations, and businesses to advise and effect meaningful change.
Cross-disciplinary approach
Your curriculum integrates data science techniques from across several disciplines to promote state-of-the-art empirical analysis in economics.
Teaching and learning
The MSc Economics and Data Science is taught by an interdisciplinary team using a variety of delivery methods:
- lectures;
- workshops;
- student-led presentations and discussion;
- group work;
- individual research.
Coursework and assessment
Course units are assessed in a variety of ways, including:
- exams;
- presentations;
- individual projects;
- essays;
- group work.
Course unit details
Preparatory course
All of our economics master’s courses require you to complete an essential course, Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Economics, before starting your studies.
Details of this essential course, as well as the differences between our four master’s courses, can be found on our webpage, ‘How to prepare for master’s study in economics at Manchester’.
Course units, credits, and semesters
A master’s degree is formed of 180 credits.
In MSc Economics and Data Science, 135 of these credits are made up by a mix of mandatory and optional course units, worth between 15 and 30 credits each. You will need to select eight of these course units (six mandatory and two optional).
The remaining 45 credits are awarded through a compulsory research component in the form of a 7,000-word dissertation / individual project. Your dissertation must be within the area of one of the course units you have chosen.
The course is structured as follows:
- Four 15-credit course units in semester 1;
- Three 15-credit course units in semester 2;
- One 30-credit course unit (ECON62020 Programming and Other Skills for Data Scientists) across both semesters;
- One 45-credit research component (individual project / dissertation).
The availability of individual optional course units may be subject to change. Information that is sent to you in August about registration onto the course will clearly state the course units that are available in the academic year ahead.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
ECON60101 | 15 | Mandatory | |
ECON60111 | 15 | Mandatory | |
ECON60901 | 0 | Mandatory | |
ECON61001 | 15 | Mandatory | |
ECON61351 | 15 | Mandatory | |
ECON62012 | 15 | Mandatory | |
ECON62020 | 30 | Mandatory | |
ECON65000 | 45 | Mandatory | |
ECON60052 | 15 | Optional | |
ECON60332 | 15 | Optional | |
Displaying 10 of 14 course units | |||
Display all course units |
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).
The growing awareness of the gains from analysing big data has led to increasing demand from employers for recruits with data science skills. This course is designed to prepare you for employment as an economic data analyst in government, central banks or the private sector, among other exciting and lucrative careers.
Our training also provides the foundation for a research degree in quantitative analysis in economics or interdisciplinary topics involving economics.
Aside from the hard skills in economics and data science gained from your degree, you will also gain highly-valued employability skills such as digital literacy, group work, data handling, communication, presentation and writing skills.
Recent economics graduates have gone on to exciting and rewarding careers in leading organisations across a wide range of different areas, such as:
- finance and banking;
- local and central government and policy-making;
- business, management, and consultancy;
Employers of our graduates include:
- the UK Civil Service: the Government Economic Service, the Bank of England, the Department for International Development, the Home Office, the Foreign Office, etc.
- Big city firms like KMPG, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Citibank, United Assurance, HSBC, Prudential plc, Nationwide Building Society, Deutsche Bank and the Co-Op.
- Large industrial companies such as Ford, Rolls Royce, British Telecom and BP.
Another popular option is to continue specialising for a career in research and universities through a PhD in Economics or a similar subject.
The University has its own dedicated, award-winning Careers Service where you can benefit from tailored careers support, practice interviews, CV and application support, job listings for Manchester students, and much more. Better yet, you will have access to our Careers Service both during your course and for two years after you graduate, so we know you’re on the right path.
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You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.