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Course type
Masters degree
Credits
180

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
2 years part-time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
Postgraduate loan available
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

MSc in Economics

Course code: F96

This masters degree will equip you with the economic knowledge and skills to be able to analyse and address the most pressing global and social challenges of our time. You’ll learn how to explain the nature, significance of and interconnections between five key global challenges: the environment, recurring crises, health inequalities, social inequalities and global inequalities. As you progress through the MSc, you’ll develop your knowledge of research methods, including econometrics and quantitative and qualitative methods, that are relevant to the economic analysis of global challenges. This will culminate in a piece of extended independent research for your dissertation. You’ll also extend and deepen the skills and attributes that are crucial to enhancing your career development and professional skills.

  • Gain an advanced understanding of contemporary global challenges and how they’re addressed from different economic perspectives.
  • Study a range of theoretical economic perspectives, such as: Neoclassical economics, Behavioural economics, Keynesian economics, Ecological economics and Marxist economics.
  • Provides you with a thorough grounding in the history of economics.
  • Equips you with the key research skills required for independent research and to complete a dissertation.
  • Enhances your ability to communicate ideas effectively, be reflective, and work with others.
Course type
Masters degree
Credits
180

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
2 years part-time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
Postgraduate loan available
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

Modules

To gain the 180 credits you require for this qualification, you must study the modules in the order shown below.

Compulsory modules Credits Next start
The economics of global challenges (D815)

Gain the economic knowledge and skills to be able to analyse and address the most pressing global and social challenges of our time.

See full description

Register
 90 06 Sep 2025
Doing pluralist economics research (D816) PLANNED
 90 Sept 2026

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes.

Credit transfer

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded an MSc in Economics. You will be entitled you to use the letters MSc (Econ) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

You must hold an UK honours degree or equivalent to be accepted for the MSc in Economics. A degree in Economics or a very closely related subject, or an undergraduate degree and our Diploma in Economics or significant professional experience, is strongly recommended. You should be aware that a degree of at least 2.1 or equivalent will greatly increase your chances of successfully completing the MSc. If you do not have a degree in Economics, it is expected that you will have knowledge of or experience working with statistics and mathematics.

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 6.5 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details. If you’re not sure whether your English skills are good enough, there is some help and guidance at our Skills for OU Study website.

How long it takes

Most students study the MSc in Economics part-time, completing 90 credits a year over two years. Typically, this means 25 study hours each week.

You must complete the MSc in Economics within 10 years.

Career relevance

This qualification will equip you with the core skills of policy relevance needed to engage with current and vitally important social issues that have economic aspects such as health, social and global inequalities, environmental sustainability and migration.

You will develop the ability to demonstrate core employability skills at an advanced level, including numeracy, information literacy, collaborative work and independent research skills. Moreover, since topics such as the functioning of markets, the behaviour of economic agents, and decision-making under conditions of risk are inherent, economics modules strongly deliver the awareness of business and customers that employers seek.

Qualifications in economics are inherently attractive to employers because of the various skills learned by graduates, including analytical thinking, model building, numeracy and data analysis. What do Graduates do? 2023 reports that "Economics graduates who had undertaken significant further study had the highest average salaries."

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

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