Postgraduate Prospectus

www.essex.ac.uk/economics | Economics
In one compulsory module, Estimation
and Inference in Econometrics, you gain
a thorough understanding of the principles
of estimation and inference in econometrics
enabling you to justify, or criticise where
appropriate, the use of particular
econometric methods of estimation and
inference. You learn how these methods
are applied to the analysis of financial
market data in another core module,
Empirical Methods of Economics and
Finance. You also see the economic
rationale for different approaches in
modules like Economics of Financial
Markets and Topics in Financial Economics.
These equip you with the right combination
of skills for rigorous analysis to underpin
high-level policy advice or decision making
in the fast moving financial sector.
MSc International Economics•†
Would you like to develop expertise
in theoretical and applied issues of
international economic relations? This
course gives you such knowledge, plus
a critical awareness of the integration
of theory, data, and analysis in relation
to international economics.
A core module, International Trade Theory,
covers trade models under different
economic settings and with different
market structures. You examine their
implications for patterns of trade
and trade policies such as tariffs and
quotas. This provides insights into trade
negotiations like the WTO and preferential
trade agreements. You also study
International Finance, which deals with
macroeconomic adjustment, exchange
rates and the balance of payments
when capital markets are integrated
across the globe. Together these give
you an overview of the causes and effects
of globalisation in the world economy,
with applications to issues such as foreign
direct investment. This course equips you
with the skills for a career in international
organisations engaged in business
and finance, or in government and
non-governmental organisations
concerned with global development.
MSc Management Economics
This course trains you to use economics in
managerial decisions and in the analysing
of strategic interactions among firms. We
combine theory and applications to provide
you with a unique combination of business
knowledge and economic skills.
Your core module, Economics of
Organisational Management, is just one
compulsory module that allows you to get
a formal understanding of the basics of
contract theory, incentive theory, and the
theory of the firm, and how to apply these
to real world management decision making.
This is linked to another core module,
Theory of Industrial Organisation, which
focuses on interaction between firms in
different market structures and how
strategic interactions can affect sales and
profitability. You gain logical thinking skills
and are able to discuss economic theory
in plain language, relating it to managerial
decisions and market intelligence.
Our September Mathematics/Statistics
Programme
We run this intensive programme for our
new students in the three weeks prior
to the start of the academic year. If you
are about to undertake any of our MSc
courses, or have been admitted to the first
year of our four-year doctoral programme,
this course will familiarise you with the
techniques of calculus, linear algebra and
elementary statistics.
Diplomas
We offer two full-time, nine-month
Diplomas, in Economics and in Economics
with English for Academic Purposes. If you
obtain a Diploma with Merit or Distinction,
you can automatically register for
one of our MSc courses, so over the
two years gain a thorough training in
economics principles and practice.
Research study
Essex has been awarded one of only
21 ESRC-accredited Doctoral Training
Centres in the UK. This official recognition
of our research training means we can
offer fully-funded ESRC studentships
for a variety of doctoral pathways, of
which economics and econometrics,
and economics and social research
are the most prominent.
Our PhD students study in an environment
of active research on the leading edge of
economics. Recently, one member of staff
was awarded more than £20,000 from the
European Commission to study intellectual
property rights (IPRs), while another leads
a team given almost £100,000 from the
ESRC to develop a trading network
games project.
The research of our PhD students often
attracts attention. In November 2010,
at the ICT and Economic Growth
Conference in Germany, one PhD student
was awarded the best conference paper
prize for his work on the role of education
in households. Working with a former
member of staff, another student analysed
the effects of TV chef Jamie Oliver’s school
dinners on student achievement. These
findings were reported in the media and a
paper is to be published in the Journal of
Health Economics.
About our research degrees
Our PhD is a structured three-year
programme of advanced study and
research. We also offer an MPhil, a
two-year programme. If you wish to
undertake a PhD but are not sufficiently
qualified, you may be offered our MSc
and PhD (four-year programme), where
progression to your PhD is conditional on
successful completion of your MSc.
There are two entry levels to our PhD:
n
n
students with good first degrees
(BA or BSc, or equivalent) enter the
four-year programme, the first year
of which is study at MSc level; or
students with a good MSc or MA
degree (or equivalent) in economics
enter directly to our three-year PhD.
Postgraduate Prospectus 2012 | 91