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Master of Science in Economics and Development

Presentation of the Program

The MSc Program

The MSc in Economics and Development offers lessons and research projects in the heart of Florence, one of Italy’s most attractive cities, known all over the world for its cultural, architectural, artistic heritage and its high standard of living.  With its interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of economics and an excellent student to staff ratio, this MSc offers an international environment thanks to its students which come from all over the world. Students of the MSc can also take advantage of an agreement with the Syracuse University in Florence for joint courses and activities and enjoy the life of an American Campus and its facilities in Florence! The teaching staff of the MCs comes mainly from the School of Economics and Management of the University of Firenze, which ranks 5th among Italian public universities according to the Ideas-Repec ranking based on research in Economics and Econometrics.

The MSc in Economics and Development is entirely taught in English and it provides two curricula: a Curriculum in Development Economics and a Curriculum in Economics. Each curriculum prepares students for different careers, and it is a worthy experience which equips students with a rigorous training in economics and quantitative methods matched with an interdisciplinary approach (legal, business, finance, historic, etc.). Students can acquire a diversified spectrum of skills for a successful career as an Economist and for admission to the best PhD programs worldwide.

  • Key competences: solid economic knowledge, problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and economic intuition.
  • Students are provided with tools
    • to analyse and possibly solve socio-economic problems within international organisations, companies or governments,
    • to collect, analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative information from local, national and international datasets,
    • to use economic and econometric methods to formulate and evaluate global and sectoral economic policies by learning software as Python, Stata, etc.
    • to conduct research in the field of economic development or economics.

 

Curriculum in Development Economics

For whom?

It is designed for students interested in understanding the economies of less developed countries, why some countries managed to grow, and reduce poverty and others did not, the drivers of successful economic development and the causes for stagnation, the design and evaluation of policies that promote sustainable/inclusive growth, education for all, global health, food security and reduce income inequality, gender inequality, conflict, etc.

Double Degree

Students can apply to earn a Double Degree offered by the MSc jointly with the MSc in Development Economics of the University of Göttingen (Germany). Each year, up to five students of the MSc in Economics and Development selected for the Double Degree will spend their second year at University of Göttingen and earn a double degree. Details

Career opportunities

It provides an ideal background for work as a professional development economist in national and international agencies, civil service appointments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private sector companies with interests in developing countries or for pursuing a PhD programme (in Development Economics and related topics) at leading universities around the world.

Testimonials for Develpment Economics Please click here

Curriculum in Economics

For whom?

It is designed for students interested in acquiring skills for a successful career as professional economist, in learning quantitative tools to analyse major current economic issues and policies, in using theoretical and empirical techniques to analyse the competitiveness of markets, to forecast macroeconomic and financial variables, to evaluate programs for private and public institutions.

Two Tracks: 

  1. Track in Economics for students interested in using economics and econometric methods to analyze data and formulate or evaluate global and sectorial economic policies, and in conducting theoretical and applied research in economics.
  2. Track in Behavioral Economics for students interested in theoretical and experimental analysis of individual behaviors and institutions, taking into account the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors.

 

Double Degree

Students can apply to earn a Double Degree offered by the MSc joinlty with the MSc in European Economic Studies at the University of Bamberg (Germany). Each year, up to five students of the MSc in Economics and Development selected for the Double Degree will spend their second year at the University of Bamberg and earn a double degree. Details

Career opportunities

Both tracks provide an ideal background for work as a professional economist in a wide range of positions in private economic consultancy agencies, business, finance, central banking, national and international organisations and governments or for pursuing a PhD programme (in Economics and related topics) at leading universities around the world.

Testimonials for Economics Please click here

Grants

Two grants are available to students of the MSc: one grant for students of the Curriculum in Development Economics, one grant for students of the Curriculum in Economics.

 

Internships

Students of the MSc can choose to undertake an internship in selected institutions.  In the past few years, several firms/organizations welcomed students of the MSc as interns, including FAO, OECD, Bank of Italy, ISTAT, Confindustria, IRPET - Regional Institute for Economic Planning of Tuscany, Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo, European Institute of the Mediterranean, EDI Global, Oxfam, Publiacqua, Cospe, WearHealth UG, AdFuturus, etc.

 

International Mobility

The Msc provides extensive international mobility opportunities within the Erasmus+ Programme, which allow students to spend one semester or more in a foreign university. Students can also participate in the Erasmus+ KA107 Palestina for Traineeship.

In the past few years, students of the MSc have studied at the following Universities (among others):

  • Deakin, Monash, Sidney (Australia)
  • Leuven, Louvain (Belgium)
  • Renmin (China)
  • Externado (Colombia)
  • National de Costarica (Costarica)
  • Zagreb (Croatia)
  • Praha (Czech Republic)
  • Clermont-Auvergne, Lille (France)
  • Goettingen, Humboldt zu Berlin, Kostanza, Osnabruck, Passau (Germany)
  • Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Greece)
  • Meiji (Japan)
  • Colima (Mexico)
  • Wageningen (Netherlands)
  • Catolica Portuguesa, Coimbra, Lisbon (Portugal)
  • Warszaw (Poland)
  • Hanyang (South Korea)
  • Barcelona, Cordoba, Autonoma de Madrid (Spain)
  • Bogazici, Istanbul (Turkey)
  • Bradford (United Kingdom)
  • Middlebury College (United States)

 

After the Master

Graduates of the MSc are prepared for careers in corporations, financial institutions, public or private research centers, consulting firms, regulating authorities, international organizations, and other professions based on strong analytical skills.

 

Job Placement

Graduates of the MSc have extremely good job placements, for example graduates of the past few years have worked in:

European Central Bank, Bank of Italy, UNCTAD-WTO, UNICEF, FAO, World Bank, CNR, Capgemini, Deloitte, Findomestic Banca, Accenture, MedTech Europe-Brussels, CCH® Tagetik, Sace Simest Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, General Electric, Centro Studi Confindustria, RAI - Radiotelevisione italiana, Menarini, Monte dei Paschi di Siena Capital Services, European Institute of the Mediterranean, Lilly, School of Public Health (UofA – CUP)-Canada, MEF-Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies-European University Institute, ARCO research center, Fincantieri, ATMOsphere-Brussels, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)-Brussels, Starkmacher e.V.-Germany, Pagasa Social Center-Philippines, AMU Azione Mondo Unito, Action Aid, PerMicro, IRPET,…

 

PhD Admissions

Graduates of the MSc are also well prepared for an academic career, as shown by significant number of graduates entering PhD programs in Economics or related topics. A professor of the MSc is available to advise students interested in entering a PhD program and to help them in preparing their applications.

In the past few years, graduates of the MSc have been admitted in PhD programs at the following Universities: 

Brown University (US), University of Reading (UK), University of Surrey (UK), Toulouse School of Economics (France), University of Groningen (Netherlands), University of Mannheim (Germany), Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute and University of Groningen (Netherlands), University of Bologna (Italy), Collegio Carlo Alberto - University of Turin (Italy), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Milan (Italy), University of Pisa (Italy), Pegasus University of Florence, University of Pisa and University of Siena (Italy), Delos University of Florence (Italy), University of Insubria (Italy), University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy), IMT Lucca (Italy), University Ca’ Foscari – Venice (Italy), University La Sapienza Rome (Italy), PhD Statistics University of Florence (Italy), Università Politecnica delle Marche (Italy), PhD University of Florence and University of Trento (Italy),…

MSc students admitted in PhD programs

 

More informations about the MSc

This flyer provides a bird’s eye view of the MSc.

More detailed information can be found in this booklet.

This set of slides has been used for the presentation of the MSc during an Open Day in Spring 2023.

In the platform Federica Web learning you can find an animated presentation of the Master, including an interview with the Master director and some brief videos in which four of our instructors introduce their courses. In detail, access Federica Web Learning and register. Then from the top of the screen select "Tutti i MOOC" and in the menu "Atenei Partner" select "Firenze" and then "UniFI Orienta - Economia e impresa". Click on "Esplora i corsi" (Explore courses) and choose "Economics and Development". Here the presentation material is available.

Linkedin website of Economics and Development: please click here.

 
last update: 18-Feb-2024
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