MA in Economics of Family Policy and Public Policies for Human Development

• Department responsible for the program: Institute of Economics and Public Policy
• Program instructor: Mike Károly
• Bachelor's degree program: Economics of Family Policy and Public Policies for Human Development
• Specialization: Economic Science
• Program time in semesters: 4 semesters
• Program language: Hungarian, English
• Site/Location: Budapest
• Division: Full time, Correspondence
• Program Type: Normal

This master’s program will introduce students to the theory and practice of family policies and public policies for human development. Students will learn to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to address complex socio-economic problems concerning the lives of families, such as a rapidly aging population and decreasing fertility trends. Students will not only benefit from daily interactions with faculty at the Department of Public Policy and Management, including specialists in family and care policies, aging, and inter-generational relationships research but will also have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects while writing their dissertation. Graduates acquire skills that will prepare them for jobs in international organizations, research institutes, NGOs, public administration, and EU institutions.

Tuition fee: 680 000 HUF (≈2000 EUR) per semester for EEA applicants, 2600 EUR per semester for non-EEA applicants.

The level of qualification attainable in the Master's program, and the title of the certification

• Qualification level: master (magister, abbreviation: MA-) degree.
• Professional qualification in Hungarian: okleveles közgazdász nemzetközi gazdaság és gazdálkodás szakon.
• Professional qualification in English: Economist in Family Policy and in Public Policies for Human Development.

Degrees accepted for admittance into the Master's program

• Accepted with the complete credit value: from the economic sciences field, Applied Economics, Economics and Management, Human Resources, International Business Economics, Finance and Accounting, Economic and Financial Mathematical Analysis undergraduate programs.
• May be primarily considered with the completion of the credits defined from the economic sciences field, the Public Service, Commerce, and Marketing, Tourism and Catering; from the social sciences field the International Relations, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, from the legal field the Employment Relations and Social Insurance Administration, from the state sciences field the Administration Manager, International Public Management, Public Administration Manager undergraduate programs.
• May also be considered with the completion of the credits defined: undergraduate and Master’s courses and courses as defined as per Act LXXX of 1993 on higher education that is accepted by the higher education institution’s credit transfer committee based on a comparison of the studies that serve as the basis of the credits.

The number of credits to be completed for the Master's degree: 120 credits

• Degree orientation: balanced (40-60 percent).
• Thesis credit value: 15 credits.
• The minimum credit value of the comprehensive extra-institution practical training: 6 credits.
• The minimum credit value of optional courses: 6 credits.

International Standard Classification of Education field of education code: 314/0311

Master's degree training objectives

The objective of the program is the training of economist experts who know the types of family policies and how they affect individuals and families. Economist experts who understand the multidimensionality of family policy changes. With their attained competences, they are capable of classifying the different types of family policy in a macro-social environment and reflect their various social impacts as well as analyzing family and population policies, child protection and youth policies, equal opportunities policies, and related human policies in public and non-state, domestic and international organizations on professional grounds, in order to develop scientific responses to the demographic and public policy challenges of an aging society and to undertake planning and management tasks related thereto, as well as public policy issues strengthening and supplementing the functions of the family, and the impact of policies and measures affecting families. They are prepared to continue their training at the Ph.D. level.

Professional properties

1. Scientific fields that lead to the specialization, and fields of expertise that make up the program:

• Economic and research methodology studies for social sciences [microeconomy, macroeconomics, and econometrics (statistics)] 18-30 credits;
• Professional skills specific for the program 66-90 credits;
• Economics: public economics, fiscal policy, family decisions, and consumer behavior, the economics of education, social policy, health and the pension system, labor economics, economics of consumer protection regulation, economic analysis of equal opportunities matters, behavioral and experimental economics 24-36 credits;
• Public policy: public policy process, public policy analysis (advanced), public policy theories, methods of managing human policy services, political economics of the European Union, public policies of the European Union and human policies, 18-24 credits;
• Social sciences: population matters, economic and demographic correlations from the public policy perspective, general and territorial social policy, employment policy, child protection, and children's rights, family assistance, Hungarian political and governmental system, political economics and welfare systems, social psychology, family sociology, public policy, and equal opportunity aspects of gender equality 18-24 credits;
• Legal: family law, legislation on equal opportunities, children’s rights, consumer protection 6 credits;
• Internship 6 credits.

2. Optional specialization modules for sectoral policy expertise (economic, public policy, and social sciences) or methodological expertise (evidence-based policy-making methods, research methodology, and social sciences).

Foreign language requirements

To obtain a master's degree, the student must have at least one intermediate (B2) complex type state-recognized English language examination, or an intermediate (B2) complex type language examination in another living foreign language accepted by the relevant field of study, or a state-recognized upper level (C1) complex type general foreign language examination or an equivalent high school graduation certificate or diploma is required.