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