Economics, master programme

120 credits

In a globalized world, economists are needed to analyze and come to conclusions on economic conditions in a society in constant change. This Master programme in economics provides you with the tools you need to work with economic policy challenges.

As a student at the master’s programme in economics, you will be equipped with theoretical and empirical tools for analyzing economic challenges in society, in order to be able to study the interplay between individuals, companies, organizations, countries, and other actors on different markets.

The programme gives you an introduction to advanced empirical methods for descriptive statistical analysis, identification of causal effects and economic experiments. Compared to studies at first-cycle level, you will gain a deeper understanding of econometrics and statistics in general. You will also have the opportunity to study one semester abroad.

After completing the programme, you will be well prepared to work with analytical, decision-making, counselling, and investigative tasks, skills that you can apply in both the private and public sector.

Autumn 2022

Växjö, Full-time, Campus

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Master’s level Syllabus Full-time, Campus English Växjö 29 Aug, 2022 - 02 Jun, 2024 January 17 Some courses and programmes will accept late applications. LNU-F1576

General entry requirements for second-cycle studies and specific entry requirements:
Bachelor Degree in Economics, or business administration, or in another social science or natural science or the equivalent
a minimum of 90 credits in Economics
a minimum of 15 credits in Statistics, or in time series analysis regression, analysis or the equivalent
English B/6 or the equivalent

Individual Assessment

60,400 SEK 236,400 SEK

School of Business and Economics

Career

The programme is suitable for you who want to work with qualified tasks such as investigators and analysts in for example government, private organizations, companies and banks. As an economist you will have a general problem solving ability, which is useful in many different professions.

You will also be prepared for studies at third-cycle level since the content of the programme has close ties to research within different parts of the economics subject.

Degree

Master of Science or Master of Science in Business and Economics

Main field of study: Economics

International opportunities

The language of tuition is English. In this way, you will become prepared not only for a career in Sweden, but also for a career in international contexts. The programme admits students from all over the world, which means that you will get international and multicultural experience throughout the programme. Further opportunity for internationalisation is provided through the opportunity to study a semester abroad at one of our partner universities around the world.

Template for the Statement of Purpose intended for individual assessment to be included in the programme application.

Statement of Purpose

Erika travels to Australia to study abroad

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in economics, Erika chose to stay on at Linnaeus University to study economics at master’s level. The master’s programme in economics is an international programme, as opposed to the bachelor’s programme, something that Erika quickly came to appreciate as she made friends with people from Rwanda, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Now, she is looking forward to her studies abroad, in Australia.

Read the full interview with Erika

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.

Further information

Thomas Giebe, programme coordinator: ”If you are interested in analysing how the world works, economics is the subject for you”

As an economist, you study how different national economy aspects affect each other. This sounds like a broad field and that is exactly what it is. After completing your studies, you will have the opportunity to work both locally and globally. In the private sector as well as in the public sector. Economics is about being able to account for well thought-out reasoning and statistics to provide as good a basis as possible for different decisions in the private and public sector. It can be about political decisions that affect the population of a country, or decisions that affect the profitability of an individual company.

“The programme provides you with the knowledge and tools you need to be able to affect decision-makers with the help of numbers and logical reasoning”.

Economists work at many levels in society and it is common for economists to have an international career. Most of the teachers on the programme have great international experience and good contacts with higher education institutions abroad. Students on the programme are encouraged to study their third term abroad and are also prepared for third-cycle studies.

“If you are interested in mathematics and how society works, this is the programme for you. You will acquire knowledge and valuable tools that you can use to affect the economy and society in a positive direction.

Societal relevance

The economics profession is a profession of the future, as an increasingly complex and globalised economy requires societal actors to use economic analyses to inform their decision-making processes. As a student at the programme you will become a societal analyst with in-depth knowledge of socioeconomic issues. You will be equipped with relevant theoretical and empirical tools to analyse these issues.

The specialisation with a focus on demographic changes and the analysis of the role of government to deal with these changes is likely to be highly valued on the labour market, as governments are faced with social challenges, such as migration and population ageing. A Master’s degree in economics provides a good foundation for analysing these and many other challenges in society.

Scope of Programme

All course literature in economics has an international perspective and the knowledge and skills obtained are broadly applicable. Both theoretical and practical applications are gathered from different parts of the world. Dialogue and exchange of experience between students from different parts of the world enriches the programme. In our courses in labour market economics, we illustrate how different people’s conditions (such as ethnic background) affect outcomes in the working life. In our courses in public economics, the role of government in the economy is analysed from different perspectives. For example, the government can equalise differences in outcomes, but also differences in opportunities (equal life chances).

In our applications of basic economic theory, various sustainability perspectives, such as those in relation to environmental issues and the structure of public policy, are also addressed. The programme uses educational and examination formats that stimulate the students’ capacity for analysis, critical thinking, abstraction and theorisation.

Växjö – the student city with a living campus

Just south of Växjö’s city centre you will find Linnaeus University’s campus. In Växjö, many students choose to live on campus.

Here you will have five minutes’ walking distance to friends, restaurants, lecture rooms, gym, grocery store, the University Library, nature trails, and student pubs. If you live in another part of Växjö, you can quickly get to the university by bus or bicycle.

With its 90 000 inhabitants, Växjö is one of the fastest growing cities in Sweden. Here you will find the famous Småland entrepreneurship spirit and a lot of companies, for instance within the IT industry – perfect for when you are looking for an internship position or a job. Växjö is also one of Europe’s greenest cities where you have easy access to nature, forest and lakes.

Learn more about our student cities.