MASTER PROGRAMME “ECONOMIC POLICIES IN THE AGE OF GLOBALISATION” (EPOG2)
Language(s) of instruction: English
Length of study: 2 years, full time
Partners:
- Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
- Berlin School of Economics and Law
- University of the Witwatersrand
- Università degli Studi Roma Tre
Course Location:
- The whole first year (or Semester 1 for students that have taken “Option IIA and IIB”) in one of the partner’ Universities in Europe (The Berlin School of Economics and Law, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Kingston University, University of the Witwatersrand, except The University Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité). This university is hereinafter referred as Year 1 University
- The Semester 2 at University of the Witwatersrand for students that have taken “Option IIA and IIB”
- The Semester 3 at The University Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité
- The semester 4 at Year 1 University, University of the Witwatersrand or at The University Sorbonne Paris Nord /Université Paris Cité. This university is referred as S4 University.
Degrees awarded: Students will receive a Master’s degree of University Sorbonne Paris Nord or Université Paris Cité and the Master’s degree of the university in which they have spent the first year.
Université Paris Cité will award a Master degree to the students of the Option II – “Development and sustainability policies: Policies, States and Corporations” of its APE Degree (APE degree is a co accredited degree under the French higher education regulation: APE is awarded either by University Sorbonne Paris Nord (Option I) or by Université Paris Cité (Option II).
Entry Requirements: Students must have graduated from a Bachelor or equivalent degree (180 ECTS) in economics or any other field; they must also have a good level in English and express a clear motivation to take part in the program.
Language pre-requisites: A good level in English, in particular minimum and recent test scores with TOEFL (Computer based: 237; Paper version: 580; Internet version: 92 or above), IELTS (6.5); Cambridge Proficiency Examination (C), Cambridge Advanced English Test (B), CERF (B2). Knowledge of French, Italian or German is not mandatory, but is taken into account. Those students concerned must provide official proof of their language skills (foreign language diploma or DIALANG European test).
Course overview
Ecological degradations, resource depletion and climatic disorders already represent an immediate threat for a huge part of the world population, with more trouble ahead if the current generation is not able to engage to limit and reverse these entropic processes. In order to move in this direction as quickly as possible and to favour the emergence of adequate policies, we need a new sort of intellectual engagement which consistently integrates ecological considerations and hence sustainability with economic expertise. This is the purpose of this innovative master program that articulates systematically how sustainability issues penetrate macroeconomic policy-making, innovation trends, corporate responsibility and development activity.
The core design of this Master Programme relies on the development of an expertise in a specific field and a general understanding of interdependencies among economic policies with a precise, consistent and continuous course progression: semester 1 and 2 for the basics of the specialization, semester 3 for advanced courses and for providing a common culture to all the students, semester 4 for enhancing and applying learning outcomes in the context of a research lab or of a “professional environment”. In order to provide students with knowledge and skills in specific fields of expertise, students will have to choose one of two options and then opt for a major within either. Mobility derives from this dual choice.
Skills and competencies developed
- An expertise in one of two crucial fields organized as distinct options of the programme and a wide and “systemic” understanding of economic policies.
- It also relies on the integration of these issues in a global context. Students can benefit from the expertise of a regional player – Wits (for Africa) – and global players (the Agence française de développement, AFD).
Besides the above, at the end of the two-year programme, students should have a critical awareness of all the problems related to globalization and the ecological transition. They should be able to provide informed and fair assessments of the various solutions to these problems that are being proposed by various advocacy groups or various schools of thought in economics. Without necessarily being themselves econometricians, they should be able to provide a judicious diagnostic on statistical or econometric work which is being offered to defend one or another solution or proposal. They should be able to work on complex and varied issues, and to do so working within a team of other researchers with different opinions and different backgrounds. They should be able to present their own views in a clear and succinct manner, and reply to objections in a firm but diplomatic way.