MSc Economics and Business - Specialisation in Economics of Markets and Organisations
Rotterdam, Netherlands
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,314 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* statutory fee: dutch / EEA students; institutional fee: dutch / EEA students: € 12.600; non-EEA students: € 16.100
Introduction
This programme develops your analytical skills and provides you with a solid foundation of theories, empirical evidence, and facts on the functioning and performance of organisations and markets. The expertise and skills you acquire in this programme are sought after for key positions in both private and public organisations.
Markets and private organisations have taken centre stage in the economy across the world, providing many key goods and services. This makes the proper functioning of markets and organisations of vital importance. Many developments, including in technology, climate change, and in preferences of customers and employees, disrupt markets and challenge organisations and governments to adapt. There is a surge of interest in the way organisations are run, the functioning of markets, the consequences for the environment, and the role of the state.
How can firms use data science in human resource management? How does market structure affect the performance of organisations? How can firms attract and retain a more diverse workforce? How can a competition authority detect anti-competitive behaviour by firms? How can an organization induce employees to engage in more innovative activities? How do firms make market entry decisions? How can firms improve the sustainability of their supply chain? Recent research in economics offers a comprehensive framework to answer these and many more relevant questions.
In this programme, you train your analytic skills by studying topical issues including the effects of leadership and diversity, how innovation affects competitiveness, the use of ESG measures in executive pay, and the role of regulation and competition policy. You learn how to apply econometric and data science methods, you learn how the interpret the outcome of your analyses from multiple perspectives (individuals, firms, government), and you learn how to present your analysis in a convincing manner.
Why study the Economics of Markets and Organisations in Rotterdam?
Erasmus School of Economics is unique in harbouring a large group of active researchers specialising in these fields and dedicated to combining excellent research with lecturing skills that inspire and enthuse. This makes the Erasmus School of Economics the place to be in Europe for studying the economics of markets and organisations.
Rotterdam as well as the Erasmus School of Economics has a rich student life, allowing you to partake in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. Furthermore, this programme has a very active study association, AEclipse, which organises many study-related activities.
Admissions
Curriculum
Complete your MSc in Economics and Business with a specialized concentration in the Economics of Markets and Organizations, undertaking a comprehensive curriculum of 60 ECTS credits.
The curriculum consists of foundation courses, core courses, and seminars. The tool courses, Applied Econometrics and Game Theory provide a foundation for empirical and theoretical analysis. Game Theory trains students to quickly reduce a situation to its essence, and provides insight into situations of strategic interaction. Applied Econometrics equips you with the tools to extract reliable information from available Big Data and assess the credibility of empirical results.
The curriculum consists of core courses, field courses, seminars, and the master thesis. We start with three core courses: Applied Econometrics, Industrial Organisation, and Economics of Organisations. Applied Econometrics equips you with the tools to extract reliable information from available data and to assess the credibility of empirical results. Industrial Organisation discusses how market structure affects the strategic interaction between firms, and studies innovation, advertisement, pricing, product differentiation and bundling, and cartel formation. It also discusses the role of competition policy. Economics of Organisations examines the role of organizations in the economy and studies what drives the performance of organizations, drawing from a wide variety of cases.
In the field courses, you apply the skills and insights obtained in the core and tool courses. Data Science and HR Analytics introduce students to the use of machine learning, with a specific focus on its application to human resource management within organizations. Inequalities and Discrimination in Labor Markets study when and how discrimination in labor markets and organizations arises, the consequences of discrimination, and the effects of both organizational and government policies aimed at reducing inequality and discrimination.
The seminars are the main courses in the program. Here students conduct short analyses, write research notes, present their findings, and actively participate in classroom discussions. Lectures are based on recent research findings and on real-life case studies. In the last part of the program, you write your thesis under the close supervision of one of our academic staff members.
The curriculum consists of:
- 20%: Theoretical and empirical skill formation
- 40%: Organisations
- 40%: Markets
Course Overview
- Take-Off Master
- Economics of Organisations
- Industrial Organisation
- Applied Econometrics
- Electives
- Data Science and HR Analytics
- Seminar Recent Advances in Economics of Markets and Organisations
- Seminar Cases in Economics of Markets and Organisations
- Master's Thesis Economics of Markets and Organisations
Ideal Students
Is this the right choice for you?
Are you analytical and do you have a broad interest in microeconomics? Are you motivated to find solutions for the challenges ahead? Then this program was designed for you.
The following traits will stand you in good stead to be successful:
- You appreciate microeconomics.
- You want to develop your analytical skills.
- You have an interest in strategic decision-making.
- You are curious and open to learning new skills and techniques.
Career Opportunities
This program prepares you for a career that requires analytic reasoning and strategic insights. You are comfortable handling questions of a quantitative nature. In response to challenges faced by organizations, private and public, you are able to create and evaluate relevant information and determine the appropriate course of action. As these skills are in high demand in a wide variety of jobs, our alumni work across the economy, including in consultancy, multinationals, NGOs, and high-level government jobs.
Our alumni work on a wide variety of topics. From designing executive pay packages to market entry decisions, from building a more sustainable supply chain to detecting collusive behavior among firms, and to analyzing market developments for making strategic decisions.
Program Tuition Fee
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.