3.5-Term Pathway - Pre-Master's in Social Sciences - Continue to Master of Science - Applied Economics and Data Analysis

If students hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but don’t meet the entry requirements for a master’s, a Pre-Master’s can help them gain a place on a postgraduate degree. For progression to the 1st year of a postgraduate degree at the University of Essex. Course length is determined mainly by students' English language level (UKVI IELTS score).

Students on all course lengths take a set of common or similar modules to gain a solid base of skills for university. If their course is longer than 2 terms, students will take additional modules designed to improve one or more of their English language level, academic skills, and basic knowledge of particular subjects.

The University of Essex MSc Applied Economics and Data Analysis is run jointly between the Department of Economics and the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), which specialises in the analysis of household and labour market data.

In this course students will be provided the tools for analysing and implementing some of the models that are present in theory modules. Students study data-orientated, applied modules, exploring topics including:

Essex is top 5 in the UK for research, with over 90% of their research rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”. Much of this world-class research is related to policy, and they have particular strengths in the areas of: game theory and strategic interactions, theoretical and applied econometrics, and labour economics. The quality of Essex's work is reflected in their stream of publications in high-profile academic journals, including American Economic Review, Econometrica, and Review of Economic Studies.

After completing the masters, students may wish to extend their knowledge with a research degree – many Essex graduates decide to stay for further study. Alternatively, the course also prepares students for employment; recent surveys have shown that higher degree graduates are more likely to obtain jobs at professional or managerial level.

Previous students of this course have gone on to roles such as Data Manager for The Health Foundation, Research and Analytics for Essex County Council and as an Analyst for Gain Theory. More generally, graduates find employment in roles such as business and financial analysts, management consultants, government officials, and economists for banks and other financial organisations.