Economics / Economics (Econometrics) / Economics (Finance)

Introduction to Postgraduate Study

Join our live session on 3 September to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply.

We offer three MSc programmes that provide you with a high-quality and thorough training in economics and econometrics.

The programmes are research-oriented and are highly challenging, making heavy use of analytical theory, mathematics and statistics.

Scottish Graduate Programme in Economics

The Scottish Graduate Programme in Economics (SGPE) is part of a unique collaborative venture that combines the teaching expertise of eight Scottish universities:

University of Aberdeen

University of Dundee

University of Edinburgh

University of Glasgow

Heriot-Watt University

University of St Andrews

University of Stirling

University of Strathclyde

All three MSc programme degrees are awarded by the University of Edinburgh and are taught in Edinburgh by Economics faculty from the associated Scottish universities who belong to the SGPE.

Programme duration

The programmes last one year (or two years if taken part-time). Each route leads to the award of any of the following:

MSc Economics

MSc Economics (Finance)

MSc Economics (Econometrics)

Find out more about studying economics with us:

Why study economics with us

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.

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 [email protected] 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:

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.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS , PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE , or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT .)

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:

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:

Introduction to Postgraduate Study

Join our live session on 3 September to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply.

Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.

Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we may make offers to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline.

We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.

Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts. If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, please upload that evidence as soon as you have it.

(Revised 18 December 2024 to update English language tests information)

Selection deadlines

Final application deadline

After Round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open to applicants from all fee statuses. We strongly recommend you apply as soon as possible.

(Revised 25 October 2024 to add application deadlines and selection process information)

(Revised 30 May 2025 to update selection process information)

You are required to provide a document summarising your most advanced microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics courses, including details of the topics covered and the primary textbooks used. Your application will be on hold until this document has been submitted.

Please only apply for one of the three programmes. Any duplicate application will not be considered. Transfer between these is permitted upon registration.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes: The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a “ Recognised body ” which has been granted degree awarding powers.