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Economics at UEA
Find out more about studying Economics at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreMSc International Business Economics with a Placement Year
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
Course options
Other Start Dates
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Other Start Dates
Course Overview
Why MSc International Business Economics with a Placement Year at UEA?
If you haven’t completed a degree in economics but would like to develop skills in economics, this course is for you. This MSc has a particular focus on international economics and trade.
Why Choose UEA
- No economics background: Ideal if you do not have a background in economics
- Become an expert: Develop expertise in globally relevant areas of international economics and trade
- Smart economics: Learn how to harness AI’s capabilities in positive, constructive ways in the study of international business and economics
What is MSc International Business Economics with a Placement Year?
Who really benefits from tariffs? What drives exchange rates? When are multinational firms a cause for concern? These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions you'll explore on our MSc in International Business Economics.
You’ll build a strong foundation in core economic principles, including econometrics, international trade, and the dynamics of multinational firms. With a wide range of optional modules, you’ll also have the flexibility to shape your studies around your personal interests and professional ambitions in finance, environmental policy, or media economics.
Your dissertation will be an exciting opportunity to apply your knowledge to a research project of your choice, guided by expert academic supervision. You may even choose to collaborate with external organisations, gaining practical, real-world experience. In year two, you'll complete a placement, gaining valuable industry experience.
Alongside first-class academic training, you’ll enjoy a vibrant student experience at UEA, set within the beautiful and historic city of Norwich.
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Placement Year
When you choose a master’s course with the placement route, the placement forms a compulsory part and takes place in the second year. During the first semester of year two, you’ll continue the employability development programme, which includes an intensive period dedicated to securing a placement.
The industry work placement is typically undertaken with a UK company for eight to ten months. We work in partnership with a specialist, award-winning provider to deliver a tailored package of support, giving you the strongest possible opportunity to secure a paid role.
While comprehensive support is available, securing an appropriate industry work placement in a relevant sector is ultimately your responsibility. You’ll need to engage fully with your academic programme and with our specialist partner to maximise your chances of success.
If an industry work placement isn’t available, or you don’t meet the academic requirements, you’re guaranteed the opportunity to complete three structured industry projects with different UK organisations. These give you the opportunity to build real-world experience across multiple companies. These placements are available in different formats depending on your preference.
As a result, you’ll complete the course with practical, career-relevant experience that strengthens your employment prospects.
Find out more at Postgraduate Placement Year.
Careers
Career Pathways
With an MSc International Business Economics with a Placement Year degree, you could launch a career in:
- Finance
- Management
- International Business
- Banking
- International Organisations
Career Support
The School of Economics is committed to your future, offering tailored career support through employer visits, professional skills workshops, and personalised one-to-one guidance.
You’ll also be supported by UEA’s Career Central(opens in a new window) team, who offer mentoring, internships, events, and workshops. You can also book your one-on-one meeting to receive expert advice on your job interviews or applications.
After the Course
You’ll leave with a competitive edge in today’s global job market. Past graduates have gone on to work for HM Treasury, the Home Office, Bank of England, Aviva, Barclays, M+A Partners, BDO, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Goldman Sachs, Grant Thornton, HSBC, JP Morgan, KPMG, Lloyds, PwC and Santander amongst others.
And if you’re inspired to take your academic journey further, this course also provides a strong foundation for PhD study.
Study and Modules
Structure
You’ll receive rigorous training in the core areas of economics which includes microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics. You’ll also have the opportunity to tailor your learning by selecting specialist modules that align with your interests and career goals.
To prepare for your dissertation, you'll attend a series of training lectures covering how to choose a topic, access data, conduct literature reviews, and analyse quantitative data. You may also benefit from additional dissertation training workshops.
To prepare for year two, you’ll undertake a year-long Employability Skills module which will help to equip you with the relevant skills you’ll need to seek, secure, and undertake your placement. You’ll benefit from workshops on CV writing, interview practice, and use of LinkedIn. You’ll have one-to-one meetings that will help you plan your application strategy and practise mock interviews. Sessions will be a mixture of online and in-person. This is a pass/fail module, and you’ll need to meet the attendance requirements to progress to the placement year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 20)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In your second year, you’ll undertake a placement aligned to your discipline. In the first semester, you'll undertake an intensive placement search. You’ll have dedicated support for this search, along with six broader workshops held in-person at UEA to give you the opportunity for critical reflection. At the end of your search, if you haven’t managed to secure a placement, you’ll undertake a series of three industry projects.
You'll be required to submit an assessment. This will consist of the portfolio of materials relating to your job search (in the first semester) and a reflective report on your placement. You’ll highlight skills learnt, increased sector awareness, and development needs for the future. This will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. By the end of the year, you’ll have enhanced your career confidence, as well as strengthened your CV and professional network. You’ll be ready for the next stage of your career, whether in the UK or elsewhere.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
UEA’s School of Economics is a vibrant and welcoming research community, celebrated for its excellence in teaching and innovation. We’re internationally recognised across a wide range of areas, including both theoretical and applied economics. Our main research strengths cover behavioural economics, competition economics, environmental policy, contests and corporate behaviour, finance and financial markets, and data science.
Our dynamic teaching takes a wide variety of forms, including lectures, workshops, student presentations, group activities, IT lab sessions, and visiting lectures. To help you hit the ground running, we also provide tailored structural support, including intensive pre-sessional training in calculus, statistical methods in an economic context, and an introduction to STATA, the econometrics software you’ll use throughout your course. You’ll benefit from hands-on training in a range of online data sources, equipping you with the practical tools you’ll need for your dissertation and future career.
For econometrics modules, workshops take place in computer labs, where you’ll gain hands-on experience conducting econometric analysis using the specialist software STATA.
Assessment
Assessment will be in a variety of forms, including formal examinations, take-home assignments, seminar presentations, written tests, computer tests, and your dissertation.
Some assessments require you to use AI technologies. In these tasks, you'll learn to harness AI’s capabilities positively and constructively, with a strong emphasis on critically evaluating AI outputs.
You’ll regularly be given “formative assessment” tasks, which give you an opportunity to practice assessment tasks in a way that does not impact on your module marks. When marked assessments are returned to you, you’ll receive constructive written feedback which will help you to improve further.
If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, you can obtain help from our Student Support(opens in a new window) services.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject acceptable.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject acceptable.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each component).
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, our UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- UEA International Study Centre
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner UEA International Study Centre. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here:
International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,400
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International Students: £23,850
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see additional course fees(opens in a new window) for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.