Master in Economics

MSc Economics is an internationally oriented, two-year Master's program taught in English. You can choose between an Applied Track and a Science Track, select your favourite areas of specialization, and study for a semester at a renowned international partner university. The program provides students with a thorough understanding of economic theories and state-of-the-art empirical methods, applying them to a broad range of policy and business topics.

One Program, Two Tracks

The master's program is a two-year full-time program for students holding a bachelor's degree in economics or a related field. You can apply either for the Applied Track or the Science Track.

The Applied Track prepares students for careers in economic policy, society, and business. The Science Track is tailored to the needs of students pursuing a career in scientific research.

Opportunities and Choice

Our students care most about the big economic questions such as poverty, inequality, sustainable growth, globalization, or economic freedom. The program caters to these interests by offering 11 areas of specialization. Students can choose from such a broad range of subjects because WU is one of the biggest universities for economic education in Europe.

Curriculum Applied Track

During the first year, students mostly take mandatory courses providing them with the concepts and tools necessary for state-of-the-art analyses of problems in economic policy and business.

In the second year, students choose their preferred areas of specialization and write a Master's Thesis. For each area of specialization, there is a Research & Policy Seminar. Students work in small groups to develop their own research projects, closely interacting with instructors.

Mandatory Courses

• Economic Policy (4 ECTS)
• Public Economics (4 ECTS)
• Heterodox Economics (4 ECTS)
• Macroeconomic Models and Methods (4 ECTS)
• Topics in Macroeconomic Theory and Policy (5 ECTS)
• Microeconomic Models and Methods (4 ECTS)
• Topics in Applied Microeconomics (5 ECTS)
• Game Theory (5 ECTS)
• Econometrics and Empirical Economic Research (4 ECTS)
• Microeconometrics (4 ECTS)
• Macroeconometrics (4 ECTS)

Curriculum Science Track

During the first year, students mostly take mandatory courses providing them with the mathematical and statistical foundations necessary for pursuing research at an academic level. The courses in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Econometrics are equivalent to first-year PhD courses. Students applying for the Economics PhD program at WU get full credit for those courses in the doctoral program.

In the second year, students choose their preferred areas of specialization and write a Master's Thesis. For each area of specialization, there is a Research & Policy Seminar. Students work in small groups to develop their own research projects, closely interacting with instructors.

Mandatory Courses

• Advanced Macroeconomics I (4 ECTS)
• Advanced Macroeconomics II (4 ECTS)
• Advanced Microeconomics I (4 ECTS)
• Advanced Microeconomics II (4 ECTS)
• Game Theory (6 ECTS)
• Advanced Econometric Models and Methods (4 ECTS)
• Advanced Microeconometrics (5 ECTS)
• Advanced Macroeconometrics (5 ECTS)
• Mathematics I (4 ECTS)
• Mathematics II (8 ECTS)
• Probability and Statistics (5 ECTS)

Career Prospects

A WU degree is a firmly established premium brand well-known among major national and international employers. As a graduate of the WU Economics Master's Program, you find a broad range of attractive career opportunities. Typically, graduates make a quick transition from university into jobs. About 85 per cent hold a job within three months after graduation.