Master in Economics and Development
Florence, Italy
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
Blended, On-Campus
Introduction
The MSc in Economics and Development offers lessons and research projects in the heart of Florence. With its interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of economics and an excellent student to staff ratio, this MSc offers an international environment thanks to its students which come from all over the world, and its teaching staff from the Department of Economics and Management, the Department of Statistics, the Department of Law, and the Department of Political Science of the University of Florence together with visiting professors from other universities around the world.
The MSc in Economics and Development provides two curricula: a curriculum in Development Economics and a curriculum in Economics. Each curriculum prepares students for different careers, and it is a worthy experience which equips students with advanced tools to conduct theoretical and applied research in the fields of economics or economic development, to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative information from local, national and international datasets, and to use economic and econometric methods to evaluate and formulate global and sectoral economic policies.
Both curricula provide students with a competitive advantage in any profession that requests a diversified spectrum of skills to analyse and possibly solve socio-economic problems within international organisations, companies or governments. Key competences acquired by graduates and which are highly valued by employers include solid economic knowledge, problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and economic intuition. A sound background in economics and quantitative methods is matched with a multidisciplinary approach (legal, business, finance, historic, etc.) to allow students to develop other useful skills for the job market.
Ideal Students
Development Economics Program:
For whom?
The program is designed for students interested in:
- Understanding the economies of less developed countries.
- Exploring why some countries have succeeded in reducing poverty and achieving economic growth while others have not.
- Investigating the drivers of successful economic development as well as the causes of stagnation.
- Engaging in the design and evaluation of policies that promote sustainable and inclusive growth.
- Focusing on areas like education for all, global health, food security, reducing income inequality, addressing gender inequality, and managing conflicts.
Economics Program:
For whom?
The program is designed for students interested in:
- Acquiring skills for a successful career as a professional economist.
- Learning quantitative tools to analyze major current economic issues and policies.
- Using theoretical and empirical techniques to analyze market competitiveness.
- Forecasting macroeconomic and financial variables.
- Evaluating programs for private and public institutions.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available, please visit the university website for more information.
Curriculum
Year 1
- Development Microeconomics
- Development Macroeconomics
- Statistical Inference
- Economics of Innovations
- Health and Education Economics
- Human Development and International Cooperation
- Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis
- Measurement and Causes of Poverty
- Firms’ Financing, Bank Management and Sustainable Finance
- Corporate Governance, Firms’ Financing and Financial Markets
- Corporate Governance, Bank Management and Sustainable Finance
- Joint Seminar Florence-Goettingen
- Stata Lab. I: Software
- Stata Lab. II: Models and Applications
- Policy Evaluation Methods and Practices Lab
- Econometrics Lab.
- Economics Lab.
- English for Economics
- French
- German
- Spanish
Year 2
- International and Financial Economics
- International Trade
- Economic Law
- International law
- Agriculture Development and Poverty
- Agri-food Economics
- Anthropology and Development
- Economic History of Globalisation
- Environment and Development
- History of Economic Thought
- International Conflict Transformation
- Labour economics and Gender
- Local and Industrial Development Economics
- Microeconometrics
- Politics of Globalisation and Human Rights
- Agriculture Development and Poverty
- Agri-food Economics
- Anthropology and Development
- Economic History of Globalisation
- Economic Law
- Economics of Innovations
- English for Economics
- Environment and Development
- French
- German
- Health and Education Economics
- History of Economic Thought
- Human Development and International Coop
- International and Financial Economics
- International Conflict Transformation
- International Law
- International Trade
- Labour Economics and Gender
- Local and Industrial Development Economics
- Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis
- Measurement and Causes of Poverty
- Microeconometrics
- Politics of Globalisation and Human Rights
- Spanish
- Elements of Policy Evaluation Methods
Program Outcome
The curriculum in Development Economics of the MSc in Economics and Development provides an ideal background for pursuing a PhD programme (in Development Economics and related topics) at leading universities around the world or for work as a professional development economist in national and international agencies, civil service appointments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private sector companies with interests in developing countries.
The curriculum in Economics of the MSc in Economics and Development provides an ideal background for pursuing a PhD programme (in Economics and related topics) at leading universities around the world or for work as a professional economist in a wide range of positions in private economic consultancy agencies, business, finance, national and international organisations and governments.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Graduates will be able to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative information from local, national and international datasets. They will also be able to apply decision methodologies and analysis within full or incomplete information frameworks. Their knowledge of economic phenomena will enable them to relate micro and macro phenomena and to use theoretical and applied (including econometric) tools to analyse economic systems, evaluate and formulate economic policies. Courses aim at providing a sound background in economics and quantitative methods, but also allows a multidisciplinary approach (Historic, legal etc).