Master of Science in Applied Economics
On-Campus
Master's programs
18 Months
Master of Science in Applied Economics, optional major in Data Science or Energy and Environmental Policy
Regular fees: 515 CHF
International Fees : 790 EUR
Various opportunities for students
Prof. Daniel Kaufmann, Program director
Rigorous training in modern economic methods: focus on real-world applications of the economic toolbox, not on technical details
Our students develop an intuition for economics that is directly relevant in a professional environment based on:
- A core set of micro and macro models for economic analysis
- State-of-the-art empirical methods applied in widely used software (R, Python and Stata)
Students learn to conduct and communicate evidence-based analyses to support economic choices, from private decisions to public policies.
For further information, please consult our program website.
Courses and instructors
The program is a unique blend of courses taught by academic professors and practitioners, including PhD economists from, for example, the World Trade Organization, the Swiss National Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics, and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Class size is held below 20 students. This favors a profound learning experience and gives participants privileged contacts with instructors. All courses are in English.
Structure of the program
Two semesters of courses (60 ECTS) and a supervised master thesis (30 ECTS) either on an academic topic (e.g. for students who wish to pursue a PhD) or as part of an internship.
The program can be completed in 18 months, but it can be extended to a maximum of eight semesters to accommodate professional activities.
Specializations (optional Majors)
Upon graduation, students can request the following:
- Major in Data science
- Major in Environmental and Energy Policy
To qualify for a Major, students must complete a specific set of courses and a master thesis on a related topic. Students do not have to commit to a specific Major before the end of the study program.
For more information, please consult our study plan.
Fees
Tuition fee: CHF 515 per semester for Swiss residents, CHF 790 for non-Swiss residents
Application fee: CHF 100
Financial support is available from the social office of the University of Neuchâtel.
Academic prizes
Henri Grandjean Prize for the best dissertation on an economic or social topic: CHF 500
Interdisciplinary Academic Prize for sustainable development: CHF 2'500
Student placement
We strive for excellent placement of our students. The quantitative skills acquired during the program are highly relevant on the job market. Our students enjoy many opportunities for internships and jobs. Past students were employed in the financial and real estate industry, public administration, consulting companies, non-governmental and international organizations. Moreover, many students started PhD studies at, for example, the University of Neuchâtel, the University of Maryland, the Jonkoping International Business School, the University of Bern, and the University of Lausanne.
Data from a 2016 survey by the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics reveals that, 12 months after graduation, 92% of our graduates have a job with a salary of CHF 75k per year on average.
Location
The University of Neuchâtel was established in 1838 and has been listed among the top 35 universities in the world by the Times World's Best Small Universities Ranking (<5000 students). We are dedicated to offer the best possible learning experience to our students, with proximity between teaching staff and students being a priority.
Neuchâtel enjoys a central location in Switzerland and a magnificent environment, near the lake and mountains. Direct train connections with Zurich and Geneva in less than 1.5 hours.
Admissions
The official starting date is September each year, but it is also possible to start the programme in the spring semester (February). Deadline to apply for the spring semester (February intake): 30 November. Deadline to apply for the fall semester (September intake): 30 April.
Applications are reviewed year-round: complete applications receive a response within four weeks on average. For more information, please consult our admission page.
For applicants who need a visa, we recommend that you apply at least six months before the beginning of classes.
Students with a degree in economics or business administration / management from Switzerland are directly admitted. Other applications are evaluated on a competitive basis. Students with less than 30 ECTS in economics and quantitative methods can be offered a pre-program with tailored bachelor-level courses to complement their academic background.
For more information, please liaise with the MSc program director Prof. Daniel Kaufmann.
Philosophy
Listen to what our former director of the program has to say about our program and philosopy.
Economics is not about solving mathematical problem sets. We strive for our students to become practitioners of economists’ toolbox and become experts in the domain that they find interesting.
Economics is a social science which uses two sets of tools:
- Models (or abstract simplifications) to represent social interactions in a given context
- Empirical methods to quantify causal mechanisms with data, or make predictions
Economists apply their tools to inform...
- ... decisions by firms (e.g., investments or price-setting), individuals (e.g., asset allocation), households (e.g., labor market participation and education)
- ... the design of policies to regulate markets (e.g. education systems, environmental standards, healthcare)
Defined as a collection of tools, economics has (i) no particular ideological bent, and (ii) no unique conclusion.
Rue Abram-Louis-Breguet 2
CH-2000 Neuchâtel , Switzerland