Global Development, Population and Economic Change - Master's Programme (Two Years)

The programme is organised into three different tracks. When applying for the programme, you also select which track you are specialising in. The different tracks share courses to some extent.

Economic Development Track

The process of economic development essentially rests on the interaction of its three pillars: income per capita growth, distribution of the fruits of growth and structural change. The Economic Development track engages students in a variety of aspects and analyses of how and why the process of development in some places gets underway while in other places tends to stall. The programme will cover debates and theories on the reasons for economic backwardness and successful catching up, the institutional underpinnings of long term growth and sustainable development, as well as qualitative and quantitative techniques in managing and modelling empirical material.

Population Studies Track

Changes in population have an impact on everything from taxes, school systems, labour markets and health care to marketing and sales of products and services. The Population Studies track will provide you with theory, methods and skills necessary to explain a number of social and economic phenomena. Key topics include mortality and the demographic transition, the labour market, migration patterns and health issues. The programme enables you to better understand and tackle global issues tied to employment, welfare and public health.

Economic History Track

Knowledge of the past is essential for understanding today’s world and shaping the future. In the Economic History track, you will develop advanced insights into the long-term development of societies. By combining analytical tools from economics and the social sciences with a contextual understanding of conditions in the past, you will become able to use the accumulated human experience to solve current-day problems. Central themes studied are growth, stagnation, crises and distribution of resources.

One year option available

The full programme compromises of two years of full-time studies, but there will be a provision to leave after one year with a MSc (60 ECTS credits).

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this programme will be equipped with the methods and analytical skills to pursue a broad range of careers in both public and private sector, within government agencies, national bureaus and administrations, think tanks and research organisations, analyst firms and multinational companies.

Given the wide scope of the programme and its interdisciplinary nature, graduates can expect employment opportunities within a multitude of areas, depending on the selected track. The Economic Development track students pursue post-programme careers in a wide variety of sectors worldwide, spanning from international organizations (e.g. UNDP, European Commission), consultancy firms, NGOs, aid organizations, private enterprises (e.g. IKEA, TetraPak), typically taking up positions as data analysts, policy advisors or project managers. 

The Population Studies track meets the demand for demographic studies at all levels of government, as well as in the private sector. Marketing, insurance and municipal planning are three areas where demographic skills are in increasing demand. 

Many graduates from the Economic History track choose to work at national or international organisations in positions requiring analytical skills. Recent graduates work at the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), the German parliament, the UN, HSBC, Hong Kong Banking Services, and Nordea.

The programme also provides excellent prep­aration for PhD studies, regardless of your chosen track.