How do firms choose which markets to enter? How should contracts be designed to maximize incentives? Our MA Financial Economics is designed for those whose first degree isn’t in economics but who want to understand industrial strategy, management as well as core economics in greater depth.

Do you want to find answers to questions such as, how do business managers navigate their markets? Are you particularly fascinated by the economics of management and industrial strategy? How do firms set prices and sales targets? How do these decisions by firms affect wider societal welfare? How should competition policy be set to shape this behaviour? If so, welcome home.

At Essex we push the frontiers of accepted wisdom, critically examining the decisions of individuals, the strategies of firms, and the policies of governments to understand and challenge the standard paradigms of economics. On this course, you build a thorough understanding of the key areas of economics, oriented towards issues of business strategy and market structure.

So, if you want to specialise in management economics, your first degree isn’t in economics, or your previous economics training doesn’t suit our MSc courses, our MA Management Economics may be for you.

There's always something fascinating going on in our department, from regular lively debates with prestigious speakers in seminars, workshops and conferences to cutting-edge papers being published in leading journals, including American Economic Review, Econometrical, and Review of Economic Studies.

Your future

After completing your masters, you may wish to extend your knowledge with a research degree – many Essex graduates decide to stay here for further study.

Alternatively, our course also prepares you for employment; recent surveys have shown that higher degree graduates are more likely to obtain jobs at professional or managerial level.

Our recent master’s level Economics graduates have gone on to work for a range of high-profile organisations like the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund.