Master of Research - Economics

University of Essex pushes 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. This popular Masters in Research course (MRes) provides students with a stimulating route into PhD studies, and develops the expert research mind-set required for a high-profile job in finance or business, if students want to work in the private sector after their degree.

The MRes course is designed for students to master research methods and tools, and to acquire a solid foundation to pursue a more research focused career. MRes students are expected to commit full time to their studies and with a high level of independence to start developing a research mindset. Students learn through a combination of lectures, classes and independent work which allows them to appreciate and understand the deeper connections between topics. This includes making connections during classes and lectures and also independently. Students also gain a deepened understanding of how to apply techniques to new problems and see beyond the surface to identify when concepts and tools from one area could be applied to another. Due to this style of learning students develop the ability to tackle economic problems with a unified approach and identify a suitable research topic for their dissertation. Students receive lectures, classes and advanced training in the two-term sequence of microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics. They have the opportunity to attend specialized classes which aim at developing a research mindset and a deeper understanding of the subjects; whilst also learning complementary tools and techniques independently. So a willingness to work with mathematical and statistical concepts, and understand rigorous mathematical reasoning, is vital. Students are strongly encouraged to work in groups, to discuss and challenge themselves beyond the material learnt from lectures or classes. Specially designed sets of exercises will help students in achieving these goals. During the MRes course students get to explore a variety of topics including: the competitive economy and imperfections in markets, general equilibrium theory and public choice, key paradigms of macroeconomics and its policy, and strategic behaviour and bargaining. The Department of Economics is top 5 in the UK for research, with over 90% of their research rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”. Much of this world-class research is related to policy, and they have particular strengths in many areas of economics. After completing the masters, students may wish to extend their knowledge with a research degree – many Essex graduates decide to stay for further study. Alternatively, this course also prepares students for employment; recent surveys have shown that higher degree graduates are more likely to obtain jobs at professional or managerial level. Recent graduates have gone on to work for a range of high-profile organizations: the Ministry of Finance, HM Treasury, the Work Foundation, Fitch Ratings, and Schroders Investment Management.