Master in International Trade, Finance, and Development  

    Letter from the Director

Dear Prospective Student,

In the fall of 2008, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the world financial system seemed doomed. Banks were failing; trade was collapsing, and policymakers seemed all but helpless. Even if a repeat of the Great Depression can be avoided, new solutions to problem of risk taking and repeated bubble cycles are clearly needed. A decade earlier, the currency crisis in East Asia affected the lives of millions overnight. China’s transformation into an economic powerhouse has a severe impact on developed and developing countries. And while growth in many countries in the last decade has lifted many out of poverty, millions of people in developing countries live in crushing poverty. These are only a few of the serious economic challenges facing the world. The MSc in International Trade, Finance, and Development (ITFD) is aimed at young men and women who want to help solve these problems. Leading development organizations, central banks, NGOs, government agencies, and investment banks are looking for experts who can apply cutting-edge analysis, and who want to make a difference.

The program combines rigorous training in key analytic concepts with a strong focus on policy. We teach with an emphasis on practical insight. How can development programs be made to work better? What can be done to avoid asset price bubbles? And should the world push for further trade liberalization while labor standards remain vastly different? In the last academic year, leading experts such as Antoni Estevadeordal, Simon Johnson, Xavier Sala-i-Martin, and Eduardo Levy-Yeyati shared their insights with our students. In our policy topics classes, they give a flavor of what it takes to apply economic analysis in real-life situations, whether it is in reshaping policy, in devising trading strategies, or in helping children in Africa.

We understand that placement is key for students investing in a postgraduate degree. Program faculty is committed to helping students realize their potential, both in the classroom and beyond. ITFD professors combine academic excellence with significant practical experience. Trained at leading universities worldwide, program faculty has taught previously at MIT, LSE, Insead, Oxford, Cambridge, Chicago, Berkeley, and Maryland, and published in leading economics journals. They have worked for the World Bank, the IMF, McKinsey & Co., the IADB, Banco de España, the ECB, World Economic Forum, and the German Stock Exchange.

The ITFD Master is not for everyone. We are highly selective - fewer than one of out of every five applicants is typically admitted. Entering students should bring with them unlimited curiosity and a true sense of intellectual excitement. You should have an excellent academic background, be excited about economic questions, and care deeply about the challenges to stability and prosperity the world faces. In exchange, we offer a rigorous and innovative teaching program, taught right in the center of Europe’s most stunning metropolis – Barcelona. If you feel that this could be you, please get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you next year.
 

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