How long does the MSc in International Economics take?

The MSc in International Economics runs one year full-time or two years part-time. Distance students on the MSc in International Economics typically complete over the two-year part-time schedule.

Is the MSc available online?

Yes. The MSc in International Economics is delivered on-campus in central London, online with live seminars, and by distance learning. All modes include the dissertation.

What are the entry requirements?

You need a UK Bachelor's in economics or a related quantitative subject (2:2 or above), plus IELTS 6.5 where relevant. Senior practitioners without a Bachelor's may apply on portfolio for the MSc in International Economics.

What are the fees and is funding available?

Fees for the MSc in International Economics vary by mode and are published on the LSLPE fees page. Instalment plans, employer sponsorship and postgraduate loan guidance are handled by the admissions team on request.

MSc in International Economics | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in International Economics is a UK Level 7 research-informed postgraduate degree running one year full-time or two years part-time across on-campus, online and distance routes. The programme covers international trade theory, open-economy macroeconomics, international finance, sovereign-debt dynamics and applied econometrics, aligned with Government Economic Service technical framework and Royal Economic Society applied-economics standards.

By graduation, students on the MSc in International Economics are producing peer-review style working papers, running panel-data and instrumental-variable econometrics on cross-country datasets, and delivering a substantial dissertation on a live international-economics question in trade policy, sovereign debt or global capital flows.

Key Features

Postgraduate modules mapped to Government Economic Service technical framework and Royal Economic Society applied standards.
Case teaching on Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee minutes, IMF Article IV consultations and WTO dispute-settlement documents.
Guest sessions from Chatham House, NIESR-aligned researchers and City macro strategists.
Applied econometrics seminars using published cross-country panel data.
Dissertation supervision by tutors active in international-economics research or practice.
Small cohort model with named programme tutor for every student on the MSc in International Economics.

What You Will Learn

Model open-economy macro dynamics under multiple exchange-rate regimes.
Estimate gravity, panel-data and IV models on cross-country trade data.
Assess sovereign-debt sustainability with IMF-style diagnostics.
Analyse trade-policy questions under the WTO framework and post-Brexit arrangements.
Handle spillovers from major-economy monetary policy cycles.
Draft policy-relevant working papers to publishable standard.
Handle research ethics and reproducibility in international economics.
Present dissertation research to research-audience standard.

Who This Course Is For

Bachelor graduates in economics moving into research or Government Economic Service.
Working professionals in central-bank, Treasury or international-body economics.
City macro strategists and country-risk analysts seeking senior research grounding.
International applicants preparing for policy roles in ministries of finance or central banks.
Aspiring PhD candidates in international economics.

Career Pathways

Government Economist on international economics briefs.
Central Bank Analyst on FX or international policy research.
Trade Economist in Whitehall, trade bodies or consultancies.
Research Economist in a Chatham House or NIESR-aligned macro programme.
Investment Analyst on sovereign or macro desks.
Economic Consultant on cross-border and country-risk questions.
Financial Economist in a City macro strategy team.

The LSLPE careers service supports every MSc in International Economics student on applications into Whitehall economics, central-bank research, City strategy and international-body roles.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) in economics, mathematics, finance or a related quantitative discipline for the MSc in International Economics.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional experience in economics, central banking or international finance are considered on portfolio.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal on the intended dissertation theme.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE reads international economics alongside law and politics, giving research economists a strong sense of the legal and political environment their models feed into. Central London places HM Treasury, the Bank of England, IFS-aligned research, Chatham House and City strategy desks within a short tube ride, and every intake shares the same weekly select-committee seminar structure.

Three parallel study modes allow serving analysts, City economists and international applicants to complete the MSc in International Economics without stepping away from live desks. Dissertation supervision draws on practising City economists, Whitehall policy advisers and academic researchers.

Apply for MSc in International Economics

The MSc in International Economics closes with a dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising barristers, policy advisers and City economists. Enrol on an LSLPE Master's programme. Enrol Now.