A curriculum that explores global markets and economic interdependence
The International Economics specialisation offers a rigorous and practice-oriented curriculum that prepares you to understand and analyse the forces driving global economic integration. Spread across five blocks of eight weeks, the programme includes core courses, electives, seminars, and a master’s thesis.
Programme structure
- Core courses and electives introduce key topics such as international trade, global financial markets, and trade policy instruments. These courses provide the foundation for more advanced seminars.
- Seminars are interactive and intensive. You will present academic literature, analyse real-world cases, and engage in critical discussions with peers and faculty.
- Master thesis is written individually in the final block, under close supervision by a faculty member.
Curriculum overview
- 33% Theory and Empirics of International Economics
- 33% Electives
- 33% Seminars
In class
A major focus of the programme is on the “new” and “new new” trade theories, which shift the lens from countries to individual firms. You will explore how globalisation affects firm behaviour, competition, and productivity.
For example:
How do firms adjust to global competition?
You’ll learn to quantify the gains from trade, understand firm-level responses to international shocks, and evaluate the impact of trade policies using empirical tools.
Study schedule
The Take-Off is the introduction programme for all new students at Erasmus School of Economics. During the Take-Off you will meet your fellow students, get acquainted with our study associations and learn all the ins and outs of your new study programme, supporting information systems and life on campus and in the city.
- The course focuses on the world economy as such and the relationships between countries and trading blocks regarding international goods trade, capital flows and worker migration.
- The analysis of trade patterns and of trade policy measures heavily draws on IO-theories to explain the behavior of households and firms.
- Sampling
- Regression and Prediction (OLS, Lasso, etc.)
- Causal Inference (Differences-in-Differences, Instrumental Variables, Regression Discontinuity)
- Panel Data (Random Effects, Fixed Effects, Dynamic Panels)
- Limited Dependent Variables (Probit, Logit, Poisson, etc.)
- Advanced Money, Credit and Banking
- Economics of Organisations
- Industrial Organisation
- Advanced Political Economics
- Taxation of Multinationals
- Inequalities and Discrimination in Labour Markets
- Economics and Business master's course
- Consumption and Saving
- Business Cycles
Understand current issues in development economics with a focus on how access to credit, health care and education can be improved in developing countries (microfinance and human capital).
- Seminar Firms in International Trade
- Seminar Quantitative Macroeconomics
- Seminar International Financial Markets
- Seminar Economics of Migration
The thesis is an individual assignment about a subject from a student's Master specialisation.
More information about thesis subjects, thesis supervisors and the writing process can be found on the Master thesis website.
Disclaimer
This overview provides a general impression of the 2026-2027 curriculum. It is not the current study schedule. Enrolled students can find the most up-to-date version on MyEUR. Please note that minor changes may occur in future academic years.