Master of Professional Economics programme postgraduate SME meeting on 31/05/2016

Adrian Slack – Programme director

Debbie Turner – Senior Administrator

Paul, Jane and Nick

Nick's notes

Background

Programme started 3 years ago

Still building student numbers

Prompted by Government Economics Network (GEN) and Treasury

The initial focus was on policy wonks, also business

Is effectively 'applied economics' (though that term could be confusing as it's sometimes used to mean 'econometrics')

Entry

A background in economics, a BComm with a bit of microeconomics, a bit of macroeconomics

Programme attributes

Course-based Master's

Not a step to a PhD ('terminal qualification' - yikes)

Family/nesting

The Certificate is a 'gateway drug' - staff can sell the cheaper certificate to their employer

Most go on to do the PG Dip or Master's

Benefits

1/3 theory 1/3 taught applications, 1/3 hands on applications

(cf. Honours, which is 100% theory and applied maths)

Flexibility - Adrian does his best to accommodate student needs

Hands on includes things like time in the computer lab, or using Excel to build economic tools - practical but campus-based - don't have placements yet but aiming to get good connections with industry

Aims to take smart graduates and teach them to think from the clients' point of view

You can do courses from other qualifications (e.g. Applied Finance)

Can start in any trimester though it's usually 1 and 2

Students

25% international, 75% domestic

Domestic

Almost all part-time

From law, big engineering firms, lots from Statistics and MPI and other government departments

Many are employer-funded