the United Kingdom
Oxford Brookes University| The award | How you will study | Study duration | Course start | Domestic course fees | International course fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG Dip | find out | 9 month | September | GBP 4500 per year | GBP 9500 per year |
The Graduate Diploma in Economics is for those whose undergraduate degree is in a subject area other than economics and who wish to pursue the study of economics. This nine-month programme consists of intermediate and advanced undergraduate economics modules. Upon successful completion you will qualify to enter our one-year MSc Economics programme which prepares you for a career as an economist, analyst or consultant in NGOs, such as the World Bank or International Monetary Fund (IMF), or private companies and public sector organisations, or for further study at PhD level.
• Teaching and learning: The Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics is part of Oxford Brookes Business School that received the maximum award from the Higher Education Funding Council for England to become a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This programme is led by highly research-active staff members whose research projects are closely integrated into their module contents.
• Employability: In an increasingly competitive job market, a globally focused qualification such as economics is highly desirable. This programme provides you with transferable skills and knowledge as well as multi-cultural learning environment, all of which will help open the door to a career in the corporate world, governmental organisations, etc. On the practical side, our Career Centre offers support in developing CV and interview skills and provide regularly updated job vacancy information.
• Student Support: Each student will be assigned to an Academic Adviser who will provide both academic and pastoral guidance. Within the Faculty of Business students also have access to Student Support Co-ordinators (SSCs). Their role is to provide guidance related to both course-related and university-wide administrative issues. SSCs also help organise a range of events designed to help students adjust to postgraduate study, and direct students to relevant offices to receive advice on, e.g. visas and related issues for international students.
• Oxford location: Oxford is one of the oldest and most famous places for higher education in the world. It is simply a fantastic place to live and study. As a student in Oxford you'll find yourself in the midst of intellectual debate, with conferences, seminars and forums taking place across education, science, the arts and many other subjects. Oxford is located on the 'M4 Corridor' - a hub for technology and financial services and has a growing number of science parks, over 1,400 high-tech firms. Combined with the fact that London is just over an hour away, our location provides students with ample opportunities to explore their career choices.
• Resources/facilities: Our Postgraduate Centre is a stylish building solely for Business School postgraduate students. Facilities include a state-of-the-art lecture theatre and seminar rooms, along with a Postgraduate Lounge which gives our postgraduate students exclusive access to PCs and social study areas 24 hours a day.
For more information about postgraduate study at the Business School, visit one ofour Business School Open Days, or visit our web pages
Compulsory modules
Pre-sessional intensive maths training sessions: These are non-credit, intensive maths training sessions to be run a week before the start of Semester 1. Attendance is required.
Microeconomics 2: This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of intermediate level Microeconomics. The subject matter is divided into three main parts: part one is devoted to individual consumer preferences and market demand analysis; part two examines production costs, profit maximisation and the pricing behaviour of firms in both competitive and monopoly markets; and part three explores strategic thinking and pricing decisions in oligopolistic markets, particularly in a game-theoretical context.
Macroeconomics 2: This module builds on earlier studies in macroeconomics to provide you with an understanding of recent developments in both theory and policy through the examination both of national economies and of international linkages between economies. Among the topics covered are fiscal policy, monetary policy and the role of central banks, exchange rate policy and the balance of payments, supply-side policies and the labour market. The module involves both the analysis of theoretical models and the examination of a number of case studies drawn from recent economic events in the OECD countries.
Statistical Methods in Economics: This module will develop the statistical skills you need for the analysis of quantitative problems in economics, finance and business. The material covered includes probability, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, statistical inference, correlation and regression analysis. On completion of the course you will have an understanding of hypothesis testing and statistical inference, and the ability to conduct simple statistical analyses of data using Excel.
Econometrics: This module enables you to develop skills in both the investigation of economic and financial relationships and the examination of relevant theories using the statistical technique known as ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The theory underlying OLS is explained focusing on the optimality conditions that need to be satisfied and the consequences of not meeting them. Examples based on both economic and financial topics are used to illustrate the application of OLS in the estimation of relationships and the testing of theories. The module closes with a brief consideration of non-stationarity in time-series data and the problems involved.
Economics, Finance and International Business Synoptic: This module is designed as a capstone module which will allow the application of economic and financial knowledge to policy and practical business problems. It focuses on the interrelationships between conflict and cooperation both within business and between business and other institutions of the state. It enables you to explore the relationship between government and business, with a focus on constraints and opportunities presented by competition and regulatory policy at the national and supranational levels. The module explores the role of international governance - the framework of economic and financial rules, regulations and institutions that govern trade and investment - and seeks to critically evaluate its role in the achievement of better social as well as economic outcomes.
Electives
Contemporary Issues in Economics: This module looks at economic phenomena from a standpoint that is critical of the established neo-classical paradigm. It adopts a political economy approach and focuses on selected controversial economic issues such as globalisation, privatisation, social welfare, inequality and poverty, and so on. It examines each issue by comparing and contrasting the philosophy and methods of the neo-classical approach with alternative approaches.
Contemporary Issues in Finance: This module provides an opportunity for you to investigate the forces shaping the contemporary financial system. A variety of issues will be examined, taking the financial turmoil of 2007-2008 as a starting point. The emphasis will be on both the underlying causes of recent financial developments and the more general implications of these for our understanding of finance and on the possibilities open to regulatory authorities, companies, investors and other interested groups to respond to these developments.
Political Economy of International Trade: This module investigates the connections between economic and political developments at a global level through the investigation of one particular area of concern and controversy, namely international trade. It explores both the role of trade in aiding growth and development and also the way in which trade may be affected by relations of power and inequality. Both the impact of trade on the economic and political environment and responses to that impact by states, businesses and international organisations are covered.
Independent Study: This module provides an opportunity for independent study on an approved topic conducted under supervision and with prior approval of the Programme Director and External Examiner.
Please note: as our courses are reviewed regularly, the list of modules you choose from may vary from that shown here
Teaching and learning
Learning methods may include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, and project work.
Approach to assessmentEach module is assessed individually. The programme has a balance of assessment methods using a mix of coursework and examination.
Specialist facilitiesOur Business School Postgraduate Centre at Wheatley Campus has a state-of-the-art lecture theatre, well equipped seminar rooms and a postgraduate lounge.
The Wheatley Campus library specialises in economics and business information resources. The majority of the economics books and printed journals are located here. Library electronic databases containing journal articles, economic data and statistics are available 24/7 worldwide. The Library has individual and group study spaces and specialist Subject Librarians to handle your enquiries and training needs.
Eligibility to be accepted for our MSc in Economics programme
Students who graduate from Graduate Diploma in Economics, with a minimum of 55% average marks, are automatically eligible for our MSc Economics programme, with an automatic 10% fees discount for alumni (Please note that students must go through a formal application process via UKPASS.)How this course helps you develop• Subject expert’s knowledge: we aims to equip students with the ability to demonstrate effectively their understanding of causal relationships between various economic variables, obtain strong insights into salient domestic, international, and global issues, using economic theory as an analytical framework, and critically evaluate the relevant policy issues.
• Quantitative skills: this programme provides students with the opportunity to acquire basic mathematical modelling techniques and to practice introductory statistical analyses. Students are to be trained using the most widely used statistical package (STATA), to signal their transferable skills in the job market.
• Students have opportunities to participate in staff members’ on-going research projects.
• Students have opportunities to meet with professional economists through internal seminar series and guest speakers, for intellectual discourse as well as networking purposes.
Careers
• The Graduate Diploma in Economics is a stand-alone qualification. It is also a stepping stone to progress to the MSc Economics, which prepares you for a career as an economist, analyst or consultant in NGOs, such as the World Bank or International Monetary Fund (IMF), or private companies and public sector organisations, or for further study at PhD level.
• If you decide not to continue on to the MSc Economics, the Graduate Diploma in Economics will equip you with the knowledge and skills in economics so that you can present yourself in the private, public or governmental sector as a highly competitive and attractive candidate, fluent in the language of economics in addition to the expert knowledge you obtained through your undergraduate degree.
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
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