MSc in Mathematics – Economics

The Master’s degree program in mathematics–economics is taught at the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the School of Economics and Management and counts as 120 ECTS credits. You specialize by participating in course activities and projects and by writing a thesis. During your very first week, you structure your own individual study program with the help of a teacher by choosing courses from a course catalog. Your program is based on your academic qualifications and interests and the subjects you studied for your Bachelor’s degree. The plan must be approved by the Board of Studies before you can enroll for examinations.

Forms of Teaching

At the University of Aarhus, you are in close contact with researchers in a way that you rarely experience at other universities. The door to the professor’s office is always open if you need clarification of the study material, and you are encouraged to ask questions at lectures and during project work. We make heavy demands on your academic skills and independence. In return, you gain considerable benefits in the form of academic challenges and scientific knowledge, in addition to broad competencies.

The teaching at the university focuses on independence, critical thinking, and collaboration. Part of the teaching is in the form of lectures that introduce new angles to the material compared with the textbooks and give you a general overview of the subject. You also receive extensive guidance when working with examples and projects.

The varied forms of teaching, collaboration in groups, and the opportunity for close scientific dialogue with the researchers provide you with general competencies that are in great demand in the global job market. These competencies include abstract, critical, and independent thinking, analytical skills, and strategic planning. You can use these skills in many contexts – even in jobs you didn’t know you were qualified for.

With a Master’s degree in mathematics–or economics, you have the following competencies:

• You have general knowledge of mathematics–economics and detailed knowledge of key disciplines, methodologies, theories, and concepts within mathematics–economics
• You can independently plan, manage, and implement projects and apply the results in scientifically relevant decision processes
• You can assess the applicability and appropriateness of theoretical, experimental, and practical methodologies for the analysis and solution of scientific questions and issues
• You can structure your own competence development independently and critically
• You are able to systematically and critically familiarise yourself with new subject areas
• You can communicate academic questions and issues to both a scientific and a general audience
• You can collaborate constructively to solve subject-related issues.

Job prospects for mathematics-economists are extremely positive and career opportunities are many. A large proportion of our graduates find work in the private sector. Banks and insurance companies are the major workplaces for mathematics–economists, with many being employed as problem-solvers in consultancy and telecommunications companies. Planning departments in large industrial or manufacturing companies also represent a relevant job market. In the public sector, there are jobs in administration and planning at universities and other educational institutions, on supervisory boards, and in ministries. The degree program also qualifies graduates for a career as a researcher.

Job Profile

A large part of mathematics–economics graduates work in the private job market. In recent years, many graduates have been employed in consultancy firms or telecommunications companies. The tasks here mainly consist of analyzing problems for a company, for example, in order to subsequently develop a model that can be used to solve the specific problem at hand. In that way, you act as both a supervisor and a problem-solver.

Virtually all graduates who specialize in finance get work in the financial sector, such as banks, insurance companies, or other financial institutions.

Planning departments in large industrial or manufacturing companies also represent a relevant job market for mathematics–economics graduates. The increased focus on maximizing or minimizing areas such as cost structures is just one of many examples of a field where you can apply the tools you learn when studying mathematics–economics.

Another area of employment is teaching, typically at a business college. A number of graduates find work in public administration and planning – at universities and other educational institutions, for example, or on supervisory boards and in ministries.

Some mathematics–economics graduates go abroad, where they are employed in private sector companies. In recent years, several graduates from the University of Aarhus have been employed by banks in the UK, for example. Another trend worth mentioning is the increasing number of graduates who are employed in research positions abroad, either in the private business sector or at public research institutions, such as universities in Europe or the USA.

Employment opportunities for mathematics–economics graduates are extremely good – both in Denmark and internationally. You therefore have many career options after completing your degree.