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MRes Political Economy at University of Essex

University of Essex, United Kingdom

Programme overview

The MRes Political Economy is a two-year full-time taught programme (not a research degree), run jointly by Economics and Government, with additional training in research design and methods and a 35,000-word dissertation. It prepares students for PhD study.

Faculty: Department of Government  |  Department: Government (jointly with Economics)  |  Duration: 2 years  |  Intake: October 2027  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Colchester, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Comparative Political Economy, International Political Economy, Championing Your Research Idea, Quantitative Methods and Data Analysis I and II, Mathematical Methods, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, summer school options, Government and Economics options and a 90-credit MRes dissertation.

Career pathways

Strong preparation for a research degree; graduates now research or teach at institutions such as Mannheim, ETH Zurich, Duke and the University of Amsterdam, with others at the World Bank, UN, NATO and YouGov.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

2:2 degree or international equivalent in American Studies, Economics, Finance, International Relations, International Studies, Political Science, Political Studies, Statistics or United States Politics; or a 2:2 degree in any subject that includes study of two relevant modules (for example comparative political systems, democratic theory, econometrics, foreign policy, game theory, human rights, international law, international security, microeconomics/macroeconomics, peace studies, political economy, public policy analysis, security studies or terrorism). Also considered: applicants with an unrelated degree and at least five years of relevant work experience (for example with an NGO, the UN or government; CV required), applicants with a lower-class degree where relevant modules were passed at 2:2 level or above, and applicants with a first-class degree in any subject. International applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all components. A pre-sessional English pathway is available for applicants who do not meet the IELTS requirement.

Domestic applicants: GBP 11,600 a year Source

International applicants: GBP 25,075 a year Source

Intake: October 2027

Duration: 2 years

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