Economics / Economics (Econometrics) / Economics (Finance) MSc

The MSc programmes consist of preliminary, core and optional courses, a residential conference and a dissertation.

• MSc Programme structure

We do not offer an online learning option for our MSc programmes.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Our MSc programmes will equip you with the tools a professional economist needs to work in government or in international organisations, to conduct economic research.

We deliver rigorous training in the core areas of economics to give you comprehensive knowledge in the latest analytical and quantitative techniques.

You will also gain a firm grounding in mathematical and econometric techniques, as well as microeconomics and macroeconomics.

Our graduates have found employment in a wide variety of private and public organisations in the UK and abroad including:

• financial services
• Civil Service
• UK Government Economic Service
• Department for International Development
• economists with overseas development agencies and international institutions
• research economists with journals and media agencies

Further study

Our MSc programmes are research-oriented and act as a pathway into PhD study globally.

Our programmes are the only Economics and Social Research Council (ESRC) recognised pathway to PhD economics study in Scotland.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A strong UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in economics or mathematics related subjects. We look for high grades from your undergraduate studies covering calculus and integration, probability theory and linear algebra.

Some applicants may receive an offer that is conditional on successful completion of our Pre-sessional Summer Programme.

You can apply without having a graduate admissions exam result (GRE or GMAT). Your application, however, may be substantially stronger if you do include such a result. We generally look for a quantitative reasoning result in the 80th percentile or higher. We do not formally consider results from the Verbal and Analytical sections in our assessment of your application.

See our eligibility requirements online for more details.

• Eligibility requirements

If, after reading our eligibility requirements, you are unsure if you qualify, you are welcome to email cahss.pgadmissions@ed.ac.uk a scanned transcript of your marks for informal feedback.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in reading and listening, and 6.0 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in reading and listening, and 20 in speaking and writing. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in reading and listening, and 169 in speaking and writing.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in reading and listening, and 59 in each other component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in reading and listening, and 6 in all other components.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Tuition fee deposit

Students applying for entry for the 2024/25 academic year will not be required to pay a tuition fee deposit.

Prospective students for future years should keep an eye on our website for updates: * Eligibility and Application Requirements

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money
  • taking out a loan
  • family support
• personal savings
• income from work
• employer sponsorship
• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

• Fee discounts, funding and scholarships for MSc Economics students

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding