The Economics MSc programmes at Royal Holloway are designed to equip graduates to succeed both in the workplace or further study.
As one of the UK’s top ten teaching and research centres, students studying at Royal Holloway receive rigorous training in economic analysis, graduating with the tools of the professional economist.
We have a small and select postgraduate programme for a good reason – all of our students benefit from considerable individual attention from our staff.
Our department takes a balanced approach to research and teaching, ensuring that our students have access to cutting edge materials and regularly participate in intellectually challenging debates. Our students are also in the privileged position of having access to our in-house economics ExpReSS laboratory, and we are one of the few departments in the country able to offer this sought-after resource. Students in the finance program will gain access and gain train to use Bloomberg terminal, the software used throughout the financial industry.
Overview of MSc courses on offer:
1-year MSc programmes in Economics and in Finance
These programmes are designed for students with a good undergraduate degree in Economics or mathematical subject (mathematics, physics, engineering etc.).
2-year MSc programmes in Economics and Finance
These programmes are designed for students with good degrees in unrelated subjects wishing to switch to Economics or Finance.
MSc in Computational Finance
Offered jointly with the Computer Science Department,
Further details can be found under 'Taught Programmes' below.
Key Information
Research
As a department, we are proud to have a strong reputation for research, with much of the work coming out of the department described as 'world leading'. In the 2014 THE Research Excellence Framework (REF), our department was ranked in the top 4 University of London Economics Departments for research.
Taught Programmes
We currently offer these taught programmes:
- Year 1 - Foundation Year Structure 2018/19
- Year 2 - MSc Year structure 2018/19
- Detailed MSc Economics (2 year) Structure
- Year 1 - Foundation Year Structure 2018/19
- Year 2 - MSc Year structure 2018/19
- Detailed MSc Finance (2 year) Structure
MSc Computational Finance offered jointly with the Computer Science Department, to specialise in modern quantitative finance and computational methods for financial modelling. This course also has a year in industry option.
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Programme
For MSc Finance students we also offer integration with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) accreditation programme.
It can help you:
- Gain credibility with peers, employers and clients
- Become part of a professional network of more than 135,000 charter holders worldwide
- Earn more money
- Join other charter holders in employment. The top 11 global employers of charter holders are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, UBS, RBC, HSBC, Wells Fargo, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, BlackRock and Citigroup.
This integration programme can be supplemented with further tuition, video lectures and a mock exam with an external publisher for £900.
For more information visit the CFA institute website.
Fees and Funding
Home and EU students tuition fee per year*: £10,400
International students tuition fee per year**: £17,500
How do I pay for the course? See Funding Options and Postgraduate Admission Fees for more details.
All students who have graduated from an undergraduate programme at Royal Holloway have an automatic 15% discount on fees. Fees are programme specific, and more details can be found on the individual course pages - see 'Taught Programmes' above. We also offer limited scholarships for around 100 postgraduate students a year.
Graduate Destinations
Beyond graduation, our students have an impressive employment record of 90% within six months of graduation.
Royal Holloway graduates regularly find positions in high profile companies and organisations, with many finding work in government, research, business and financial sectors. For students considering pursuing further study, the MSc programme is an ideal starting point, providing a solid foundation for PhD level studies.
Destinations of recent graduates include:
- Consulting - Accenture, Deloitte
- Financial sector - Bloomberg, Citigroup
- Public sector - Department of Energy, Department of Education
Find out more about graduate destinations here.
How to Apply
You can find more details about the application process here.
What our students say
Hannah Manak
MSc Economics 2015/16
“I enjoyed my time at Royal Holloway as a undergraduate so much that I decided to stay on for another year to do a Masters.
“Academically, the teaching standard of the lecturers at Royal Holloway is very good, with many of them being experts in their respective fields and world-renowned.
“The welcoming, homely atmosphere created by all the lecturers, the amazing administration team (who always made an extra effort to learn everyone's names and were great fun to just have a chat with) and the other students, is what made my time at Royal Holloway some of the best years of my life."
Mike Simmons
MSc Economics 2015/16
"I chose Royal Holloway to study the MSc in Economics due to its high academic reputation and low comparable cost.
“The small cohort meant each student received ample contact time with academic staff which allowed for more intricate knowledge of the subjects.
“The outstanding teaching on the course facilitated a love for the subject for which I am truly grateful. It is with these qualities, and many others that Royal Holloway as a whole holds, that makes it a fantastic place for further study."
