Economics, master programme

- The courses are demanding but it’s always clear what is needed. You can tell that the standard is high and that focus is on learning. The teachers also show great interest in helping you succeed with your studies, says Nathalie.

In her opinion, the most challenging part has been the mathematics. Economics is taught in a very mathematical way, which may come as a shock to some students.

- As I study the bachelor’s programme in economics at Linnaeus University, I was quite prepared for that there would be a lot of mathematics. However, if you are planning to study the master’s programme, I would recommend that you freshen up your mathematics before you start, Nathalie continues.

During the course of her programme, she studied one semester in Linz, Austria, which she thought was incredibly educational and rewarding, but also challenging as studies are conducted in a completely different way than in Sweden.

- In Austria, you study all courses in parallel during the semester and we had homework to do every week, while in Sweden, at least at Linnaeus University, you study one course at a time with a written assignment and an exam. What I bring with me from my exchange semester is that you can do anything as long as you don’t give up, says Nathalie.

Nathalie does not have any specific dream job, but in the future, she would like to become a partner or CEO at a larger company, alternatively start her own business as she grew up in an enterprising family. After graduation, she will work as analyst within IP valuation and transfer pricing at Copenhagen Economics’s branch in Stockholm.

- If you want to gain truly broad knowledge in economics, this programme is perfect for you. The quality of the programme is also incredibly good, and even though you have to take a lot of own responsibility, the teachers are always willing to help if you need support or guidance, Nathalie concludes.

- Studying at Linnaeus University was a great experience! There are plenty of nice places at which you can study and all my teachers were really helpful and supportive. What is more, there is also a great offer of student activities, which makes student life fun, says Adam.

The most challenging thing about his studies was that they were more time-consuming than he had thought. Every course on the programme consisted of multiple modules, which meant that you had to plan carefully to make sure you had time for everything.

- We had about 3–4 lectures a week and an exam at the end of each period. There were also often one or several extra modules on each course that needed to be completed. These modules were often of a more practical character where you applied the knowledge you had acquired on the course in question, Adam explains.

Adam chose to study one semester in Linz, Austria. He really enjoyed studying abroad. He got to know people from all over the world and made friends for life.

- You will also get to experience what it can be like to live in another country. That’s a good life experience. One thing that I bring with me from my studies abroad is my statistics knowledge. I chose to study almost exclusively practical statistics courses. But what stays with me strongest is how much fun it was to study in another country and to meet people from different backgrounds, Adam continues.

Adam concludes by explaining why he thinks that you should study the master’s programme in economics.

- You will acquire so much knowledge in economics, but the very best thing is that you will gain an understanding of how to apply theory in practice, says Adam.

What made you apply to the master’s programme in economics?

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in economics last summer and felt that I wanted to learn more on the subject. Economics has really caught my interest! I also chose to continue my studies because I wanted to get more opportunities on the labour market.

What are you pleased with so far on the programme?

I’m very happy with the programme so far. It’s an international programme which means that many of my fellow students come from different parts of the world; for instance, Rwanda, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran. It has been great fun getting to know people who are not from Sweden. It felt very natural taking the step from having studied at bachelor’s level to studying at master’s level. On the master’s programme, all students are given the opportunity to study abroad. I will spend one semester at La Trobe University in Australia, which I’m very much looking forward to! In particular getting to improve my English and experiencing a new place and a new everyday life.

How would you describe studying at Linnaeus University?

The study environment is great. There are plenty of opportunities to sit in the university’s buildings when you study, which I prefer. The University Library offers a variety of places to study; quiet sections, group study rooms, and computer rooms. Many students choose to study at the library or in other university buildings. It’s easy to communicate with the teachers and they are all very helpful and will give you information again in case you have not understood. I also like the size of the university with all departments gathered on campus. I know that in larger cities, universities sometimes have several different campuses.

What’s the style of studying?

Each course contains some 10–12 lectures. The lectures are not compulsory but you learn a lot from the lectures and also get a good picture of what you are expected to learn during the course. The general approach is one assignment and one examination for each course. Some examples of what may be part of a course are writing assignments, exercises to solve, or statistical diagrams that you should present and interpret.

What are you planning to do once you have completed your studies?

Once I’ve graduated, I will move to either Uppsala, Gothenburg or Stockholm. I haven’t yet decided in detail what I would like to work with after completing my studies. A few examples of things that I have in mind are compilation of statistical data, analysis of statistics and data, work at the Ministry of Finance, or within the banking sector.

After graduation, Behnam chose to take a three-month training course in Salesforce CRM systems. He then landed the job he has today.

"After finishing my CRM course at Academic Work I started working there as a data consultant. I have carried out projects for different clients. For example, I spent five months at the company Tre where I worked with data analysis, marketing automation, and uplift modeling," explains Behnam.

Through his education at Linnaeus University, he has gained an understanding of various statistical models and an ability to analyse relationships between different factors, after having worked extensively on economic projects.

However, he was new to the challenges of businesses.

"It was difficult at first because I had no idea about the tasks and challenges that exist in the business world or how to approach them," Behnam continues.

In his daily work, he blends his skills.

" I often work in teams with an agile approach. I work with data analysis in the Salesforce platform and programs like SQL (Structured Query Language) and SAS (Statistical Analysis System). This can include data management, data visualisation, providing auto-updating dashboards that help companies and departments to focus on their strategic KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and models to predict specific customer behavior and its consequences.

Integration of different systems is key in automating previously manual processes, including the process of data analysis. Charts, parameters and predictions should be updated as fast as possible as new information arrive which needs a fair automated data migration and generation process. A continued process that takes data from sources, clean, combine or filter it out, import it to the analysing instrument, and export the results automatically." Behnam says.

He describes his time on the economics master's programme as both challenging and interesting.

"I learned a lot of new things and I admire the high-quality empirical methods that are used at departmental level. I think the general mindset that we gain through working with statistical relationships and econometric modelling is one of the biggest assets that we brought with us after graduation " he says.

He believes the programme is suitable for those with an analytical and critical mindset who want to learn new things and that there is a demand on the job market for people with a combination of economics and data/IT knowledge. His advice to those considering the programme is:

"Think big and have a dynamic mindset. Always be open to learn new things from practical tools like SQL, SAS, or Python to whole new theoretical frameworks and business concepts. Stay up-to-date on the latest technology and invest in establishing high-quality professional contacts and you will find a job" Behnam concludes.