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INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONSULTING

Master's Degree Programme

About the programme 
Language: English  (See language requirements)  | Place of study: Aarhus  |  Commencement: August / September (no winter intake)

Introduction

  • What are the costs and benefits of spreading public sector activities, e.g. decentralize university educations to a higher degree?
  • Should farmers in Bangladesh receive direct financial support or just price guarantees?
  • How many cars will need a parking space in Copenhagen in 2030 – and how many public and private electric vehicle-charging stations are needed to accommodate the shift to hybrid and electric cars and car sharing?
  • How can CO2 quotas be priced and distributed in a market efficient manner?
  • Which pipelines should be built in order to secure the EU's future gas supply and should European countries still effectively ban fracking?
  • In light of recent disruptions in global supply chains, should a company reshore production or diversify its international providers of inputs and intermediate goods to include more countries than currently?

These and many other challenges situated at the intersection of economics and management form the basis of the MSc in International Economic Consulting. The increasing complexity of international relations has led to a steadily growing demand for international economic consulting services in which consultants have skills to handle the analysis of complex data, to combine the analysis with knowledge about economic business principles, and to report the results in clear writing and oral presentations. Large multinational corporations, regional and national policy-makers, international organisations like the World Bank, the EU, and the OECD, as well as a growing number of non-profit interest groups require sound economic analyses and feasibility studies for a wide range of issues.

The MSc in Economics and Business Administration - International Economic Consulting – which we have developed in close cooperation with major players of the industry – is organised to prepare students for various job functions where data analysis skills as well and knowledge about economic business principles are required. The programme will provide you with up-to-date theoretical knowledge required for applied economic analyses; relevant quantitative and empirical methods suitable for sectoral studies, policy-impact analyses and forecasting; the training and concepts required for the implementation of national and international project consulting and, last but not least, introduce you to an exiting international environment.

MSc in International Economic Consulting Emma tells about her motivation for choosing the MSc in International Economic Consulting. Cæcilie tells about the competences you get and how it opened up a lot of career opportunities.

Admission requirements

In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the master's degree programme in International Economic Consulting. Depending on your educational background and your qualifications, there are different ways to meet the admission requirements: 

1. International and other qualifications


This section is relevant for you, if you have: 

  • a Bachelor's degree or equivalent from an institution outside of Denmark or
  • a Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a Danish institution, which does not ensure you a 'Legal right of admission´ or 'Direct admission'.

The two sections listed below are relevant only for students with a bachelor's degree from a Danish institution: 

2. Legal right of admission
3. Direct admission


Below you will also be able to learn more about language requirements and find out whether or not this master's degree programme has a limited intake. 


1. International and other qualifications

If you have an international educational background, you must meet both the general admission requirement and the specific admission requirements: 

General admission requirement

You must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent that is comparable to a Danish bachelor's degree in both level and duration (180 ECTS). 

For more information about how your bachelor's degree is assessed, please see the national database

Specific admission requirements

If you meet the general admission requirement, the university will continue on to assess whether or not you meet the specific admission requirements. 

You can be admitted to the master's programme if the university assesses that your education has a level, scope, and content that corresponds to the academic requirements specified below. 

Subject area Number of ECTS

Methods 

The following subject areas must be covered:   

  • 10 ECTS within quantitative methods or statistics  

  • Only 5 ECTS can be covered by Mathematics 

15
Marketing  7,5
Finance  7,5
Accounting  7,5
Organisation and leadership theory  7,5
Microeconomics  5
Operations management  5
Additional ECTS points within the abovementioned areas  25
Bachelor’s project  10
Total 90
Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Commercial Law (HA (jur.)) with commencement of study September 2014 or later from Aarhus University must have passed a total of 10 ECTS within the business economics subjects below: 
  • Supply Chain Management and Sustainability - 5 ECTS 

  • Investments and Corporate Finance - 10 ECTS 

  • Investments - 5 ECTS  

  • Corporate Finance - 5 ECTS 

  • Introduction to Empirical Economics – 10 ECTS 

  • Regnskabsanalyse og værdiansættelse - 10 ECTS 

  • Privatøkonomi - 5 ECTS 

  • Behavioural Finance – 5 ECTS 

  • Entrepreneurship and Business Planning – 10 ECTS 

  • Behavioural Economics – 10 ECTS 

  • The Economics of Strategic Decision Making 5 ECTS 

  • Decision Analysis – 5 ECTS 

  • Financial Statement Analysis – 5 ECTS 

'Professional Bachelor's degree' and other Danish qualifications

Certain Professional Bachelor's degrees or similar covering specific subject areas from other Danish institutions have been determined to fullfill the admission requirements to this master's degree programme:

Required subject areas – Professional Bachelor’s degree in Financial Management and Service from Business Academy Aarhus: 

Industry specialisation in Accounting (“Programme specialisation subject A – external accounts” and “Study programme subject B – strategic accounting”) 

With the following electives:   

  • Quantitative Research Methods 10 ECTS 

  • Financial Investment Strategies 5 ECTS  

  • Operations Management 5 ECTS 

Industry specialisation in Finansielle forretninger (this industry specialisation is only offered in Danish) 

With the following electives:   

  • Quantitative Research Methods 10 ECTS 

  • Financial Investment Strategies 5 ECTS  

  • Operations Management 5 ECTS 

Required subject areas - AP degree in Marketing Management in combination with a Professional Bachelor’s degree in International Sales and Marketing from Business Academy Aarhus  Number of ECTS

BSS module (including Methods 5 ECTS, Finance 5 ECTS, and Operations Management 5 ECTS)  

15

For applicants who hold one of the abovementioned professional bachelor's degrees from another business academy, it will be assessed whether the electives correspond to abovementioned electives. 

For applicants who hold another professional bachelor's degree, the degree will be assessed according to the requirements described in the section “International and other qualifications”.  

We cannot assess in advance whether your specific degree will meet the above requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for the programme if you believe that you meet the academic requirements. In this regard, it is a good idea to compare your degree with the programmes that provide direct admission. 

2. Legal right of admission

The following Bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University entitles you to an offer of admission to the Master's degree programme in International Economic Consulting: 

  •  Bachelor's degree programme in Economics and Business Administration (HA)  

Please note that you must apply for admission to the Master's degree programme within three years of completing your Bachelor's degree programme. 

Learn more about Legal right of admission.

3. Direct admission

Certain Bachelor's degree programmes from Aarhus University and various other Danish Universities have been determined to meet the admission requirements to this Master's degree programme in International Economic Consulting:  

  • Bachelor's degree programme in Economics and Business Administration (HA) from Aarhus University* 
  •  Bachelor's degree programme in Business Administration with supplementary subject (Erhvervsøkonomi med tilvalg) at study plan 2017 and onwards from Aarhus University. 
  •  Bachelor's degree programme in Economics and Business Administration (HA - general business economics) from Copenhagen Business School, University of Southern Denmark, Aalborg University or Roskilde University*


* With a diploma older than 2010, your Bachelor’s degree will be assessed according to the specific admission requirements described under the section: “International and other qualifications”. 

Download appendix for your application

You must fill in this appendix and upload it to the application portal. The appendix helps the Admission Board to assess your application.
Download appendix


Limited intake and selection criteria

This master's degree programme has a limited intake. 

Because of the limited intake all qualified applicants will be prioritised according to a set of selection critieria (see below). 

Meeting the admission requirements does not automatically ensure your offer of admission. Only if you have a specific bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'legal right of admission' will you be guarenteed an offer of admission to this master's degree programme.


Selection criteria

If there are more qualified applicants than available student places, the selection will be based on the following criteria (each criterion counts for 1/3): 

  1. Grades from the qualifying degree 

  2. Grades achieved in relevant subject fields: 

    • Microeconomics 

    • Methods 

Please note that grades achieved after the application deadline are not included in the grade point average (GPA). 

  1. Relevant subject fields (measured in ECTS). In this assessment, ECTS credits that are a part of the admission requirements described under “International and other qualifications” are not included *.

    • Microeconomics 

    • Methods

* The relevant subject fields are evaluated based on the following point system: 1 point per additional ECTS within the relevant field. You can earn a maximum of 15 points in this criterion. Example: If you have 10 ECTS in a relevant field where the requirement is 7.5 ECTS, you will receive 2.5 points.

English language requirements

In order to be admitted to this programme you must meet the university's english language requirements

Students with bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'Legal right of admission' are exempt from the English language requirement. 

Assesment of qualifications

Unfortunately, Aarhus University is not able to assess your qualifications beforehand. In order for your qualifications to be assessed you must apply for admission. To learn more, please go to Assessment of your qualifications


Programme structure

ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

Below is an outline of the courses:


In the first semester you follow the prerequisite courses that form the methodological and academic basis for the further study programme.

In the second semester you follow the specialisation courses of the programme.

In the third semester you can choose elective courses within your areas of interest. The courses can either be taken at Aarhus BSS during the semester, at the Summer University or at one of our more than 300 partner universities abroad. You can also participate in project-based internship programmes either in Denmark or abroad.

The fourth semester is devoted to the final thesis. You may choose the topic of the thesis freely and so get a chance to concentrate on and specialise in a specific field of interest. The thesis may be written in collaboration with another student or it may be the result of your individual effort.

Contact

Contact Michael Johannes Koch (mkoch@econ.au.dk) if you have questions about the track or the individual courses.

Student Life

Learning in an International Context

At Aarhus BSS, we conduct research at the highest academic level.

All researchers employed are engaged in research projects covering a wide range of different subjects and focusing on knowledge and skills considered essential for professional business activities in the global marketplace. All faculty have both research and teaching responsibilities, which means that our teaching is continually based on the latest research results.

Aarhus BSS is very internationally oriented. The broad scope of our research activities and educational programmes enable us to attract researchers, teachers, and students from all over the world, and this creates an international environment for research and learning in which academic views are exchanged, experiences are gathered and friendships are formed.

Aarhus University is a leading university in Denmark in building student exchange opportunities. The university encourages all students to spend time studying abroad. Every year, more than 700 students from Aarhus BSS go abroad to participate in exchange programmes around the world at our more than 300 partner universities. About the same number of students from all over the world come to participate in the exchange programme in Aarhus, and this contributes to a truly international learning atmosphere.

Follow the student life at Aarhus University

-experienced, photographed and filmed by the students themselves.

With thousands of pictures #AUInternational, #AarhusUni gives insight into the everyday life as a student at AU; the parties, procrastination, exams and all the other ways you’ll spend your time at university.

The photos belong to the users, shared with #AUInternational and #AarhusUni.

Career

Tasks as a Graduate

The chart shows the five most common types of work for graduates 1-2 years after finishing their degree. The data is derived from a survey made by Epinion for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University in 2020.

JOB PROFILE

Career opportunities for graduates in MSc IEC include the following possibilities:

  • Consultant in domestic or International Consulting Companies
  • Analyst in regional and national governments
  • Consultant in International Organisations and Development Agencies
  • Economist with non-profit organisations
  • Economist/Analyst with multinational companies, banks or industrial interest groups

PROFILE OF COMPETENCIES

The research-based MSc study programme in Economics and Business Administration builds on the competencies and insights acquired in the BSc study programme in Economics and Business Administration.

The study programme provides the graduate with specialist knowledge within the disciplines of the study programme, which gives the graduate high academic qualifications to develop solutions to issues pertaining to business administration in companies and organisations in the public and private sectors.

The study programme also qualifies the graduate for further studies, including PhD studies.

Through the study programme, the graduates have acquired knowledge that enables them to:

  • Understand and consider knowledge pertaining to various disciplines, as well as identify academic issues on the increasingly complex border between economics and management
  • Master the scientific methodologies and up-to-date tools of the various disciplines as well as master general skills associated with employment within the areas studied
  • Manage work and development situations that are complex, unpredictable and require new solution models and applied economic analysis
  • Understand and consider knowledge pertaining to the various disciplines as well as identifying academic issues
  • Master the scientific methodologies and tools of the various disciplines as well as mastering general skills associated with employment within the areas studied
  • Assess and choose among the scientific methodologies and tools of the various disciplines as well as developing new analysis and solution models
  • Discuss professional and academic issues with both specialists and laymen
  • Manage work and development situations that are complex, unpredictable and require new solution models
  • Initiate and carry out, on an independent basis, monodisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration and take professional responsibility
  • Take responsibility, on an independent basis, for own professional development and specialisation
  • From Studies to the First Job  
  •  "Leave Denmark for a while, get your hands dirty and find out how the rest of the world works and operate... It will give you much more in your backpack that you can take up and use whenever needed in your career!!” (Msc in International Economic Consulting)
  •  ”Pick an area of specialization + the more languages you speak the easier you will find (and hold) a job." (Msc in International Economic Consulting)

We want to help our students find successful careers. Students can always contact our Career Services for advice and assistance with getting onto the Danish labour market. Check out our careers page to see the range of services we offer.