Master's Program in Economics (IDEA) - Barcelona

IDEA is a joint project between the Department of Economics at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , the Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica, and the Barcelona School of Economics.

The IDEA Master of Research in Economics has a two-year structure with 120 ECTS, conforming to the Bologna Declaration directives. In the program, students acquire a solid foundation in Economics and Finance that emphasizes rigorous analytical thinking and advanced quantitative and computational methods. The program includes an ample range of fields of specialization, making the students competitive in the job market and providing them with the frontier knowledge necessary to pursue a Ph.D.

The IDEA Graduate Program also offers the IDEA-MIBF Double Degree Program, which may be of particular interest to students seeking to specialize in international finance and banking. This program allows students to combine the solid analytical training of the IDEA research master with the specialized frontier preparation of the Master of Science in International Banking and Finance (MIBF) of Lingnan University in Hong Kong. The MIBF curriculum provides internationally-focused training in the core areas of banking and finance and also covers related topics in accounting and regulation. 

Funding

Funding is available for outstanding applicants in the form of partial fellowships.

Faculty

Faculty members are internationally-recognized researchers with an outstanding record of publications in top international journals. The diversity of our faculty has contributed to our program's success in training students in a wide range of fields of specialization. Our students also benefit from the visits of prestigious international scholars who regularly teach and advise in our program.

Careers

Upon graduating, some students continue to a Ph.D., either in the IDEA Ph.D. Program or abroad, while others join the labor market. Graduates of the master's program successfully take on high-quality occupations in finance companies, consultancy services, big-data companies, regulatory bodies, and research centers.  The adequacy rate of job offers to studies is 100%. 

Some past placements

• Competition and Markets Authority (UK)
• Deloitte (Spain)
• Inter-American Development  Bank (Washington DC)
• Office of Health Economics (UK)
• KPMG (Spain)
• Ph.D. Student IDEA
• Ph.D. Student MIT
• Ph.D. Student Minnesota

How to Apply

Admission to the IDEA Master's Program is based on academic excellence. Students with a university degree and a good mathematical background are encouraged to apply. Applications are evaluated continuously from November 30 until enrollment reaches capacity. Formally, admissions close on June 30. 

Applications must be submitted online. Along with your application, you will need to upload the following documents in PDF format:

1. Original transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. If your transcripts are not English, Spanish, or Catalan, you will need an official translation. You must also include transcripts of all your graduate work if applicable.
2. A statement of purpose describing your motivation to pursue a graduate degree in Economics. If you have a specific interest in a particular field of Economics, please describe it in your statement of purpose.
3. GRE and English proficiency test scores. Although these documents are not compulsory, we encourage you to include them with your application.
4. Once you have uploaded all the necessary documentation, two letters of recommendation will be automatically requested to your letter writers. Your letter writers will receive email instructions on how to upload the reference letter.

There is a non-refundable 60€ application fee.

Important.  All admission offers are conditional on the original supporting documentation being submitted upon arrival.