Master of Research - Political Economy

Over the last three decades, political economy has been one of the fastest growing approaches in the social sciences. If students are interested in how institutions shape the behaviour of political actors and how political decisions influence markets and vice versa, then they will profit from this course.

The University of Essex MRes Political Economy is a two-year course, designed to give students additional training in research design and research methods compared to an MSc or MA. Students study modules on political economics and research methods across the two years, while developing a 35,000-word dissertation.

At Essex, they are primarily interested in the study of political institutions and how they might determine economic variables. Essex's MSc Political Economy covers all aspects of modern political economy, including: micro and macroeconomics, the quality of governance, monetary policy choices, mathematical methods, environmental policies, and market failure. 

Run jointly between Essex's Department of Economics and the Department of Government, the MRes Political Economy offers excellent preparation for PhD study, combining substantive political economy modules with additional training in research design and research methods. Students learn how to develop theories, conduct research, and explore the empirical implications of theoretical models using the most appropriate empirical methods.

An MRes puts students in a particularly strong position to succeed in a research degree. They offer supervision for PhD and MPhil in the following fields: government; ideology and discourse analysis; international relations; political behaviour; and politics.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for the following high-profile organizations: the Civil Service, local government, the World Bank, the United Nations, NATO, YouGov and YouGov America.