MSc Economics

Gain the fundamental tools of a professional economist with our MSc Economics degree, including how to assess a wide range of theoretical, empirical and policy-related issues.

Led by experts from the University of Reading’s Department of Economics, you’ll benefit from interactive, applied learning across a number of key areas. These include:

• micro-principles of economic behaviour
• macro-outcomes of national and global importance
• methodological, theoretical and applied issues critical to the study and practice of economics and economic policy
• current statistical software and other applications used in economic analysis, both in the public and private sectors.

You will also have the opportunity to specialise your degree – aligning it to future career aspirations or interests – by choosing from our range of optional modules.

The modules you’ll study throughout your degree are aligned with our research clusters, keeping you abreast of the latest developments within the field of economics. This learning is complemented and enhanced by guest speakers from outside the University.

Choose economics at the University of Reading

• Established for more than 50 years.
• 100% of our research impact has been classed ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Business and Management Studies, and Anthropology and Development Studies).
• Ranked among the top 200 universities in the world for Economics (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).

Connect with industry while you study

We are one of the few universities to offer an optional Capstone Project module, designed to give you hands-on, real-world experience. Working in small groups and overseen by a faculty member, you will contribute to your degree by completing a project on behalf of an external organisation, such as:

• business companies
• government agencies
• not-for-profits organisations
• nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

Past projects have included: impact assessment of policy and business options, cost benefit analysis and advice to a local economic partnership on how to develop a strategy in response to the UK Govt’s new Industrial Strategy White Paper.

Develop in-depth research expertise

As part of your degree you'll work on a research dissertation. It's an opportunity for you to carry out independent research supervised in a specific topic or issue, and to contribute new insights to the current scholarly debate. You dissertation will be supervised by an expert in your area.

Your learning environment

100% of our research impact has been classed ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Business and Management Studies, and Anthropology and Development Studies). Our research has real-world applications and has informed policy decisions by governments, major multinational organisations, and agencies such as the United Nations and the World Bank.

At Reading, our economists are addressing some of the key issues of the twenty-first century, such as the environmental impact of economic growth:

• Read about Dr Stefania Lovo’s research into calculating the cost of a clean environment.

Elsewhere, our innovative research into leisure and sport is providing vital economic insights:

• Dr James Reade combines his interests in sports and mathematics to understand what drives people’s economic behaviour.

Interactive teaching and learning

Our classes are small to allow for active participation. You will typically spend six to eight hours a week in lectures and supported classroom seminars, studying alongside academics, industry professionals and postgraduate colleagues. Our lecturers include economists and other real-life practitioners who actively put economic principles into practice.

Supporting your studies

The Department of Economics can support your study in a number of ways:

• Economics Surgeries offer one-to-one appointments with staff allowing you to discuss the topics you’ve studied and gain any assistance you may require.
• Economics Conversations provide the opportunity for you to network with staff and students from across the department.
• The Economics Society also arranges lectures and discussions with economists on a range of topical matters, such as the economics of health and feminism.