Master's Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis: Competition and Market Regulation Program
“I apply all the skills learnt in the Masters in my every day job”
Thembalethu put her master's degree to work first as a competition economist at a leading South African consulting firm, and then as a senior economist at the country's Competition Commission.
As competition policy becomes increasingly relevant in public and private sectors, there is a great need for professionals equipped to address Competition Policy and Market Regulation issues.
The highly practical focus of our Competition and Market Regulation Program ensures that graduates have both an advanced understanding of the interaction between theory and practice as well as the qualifications necessary for solid placement in the field.
The Barcelona GSE Competition and Market Regulation Program presents students with a learning progression, starting from the basic necessary conceptual frameworks and economic tools, and then introducing core issues in Competition Policy and Market Regulation with the help of leading specialists in each field.
Students themselves will examine real-world competition policy cases and demonstrate how regulation works across specific industries such as banking, energy, and telecommunications, and will design and conduct an independent master's project in their domain.
Students will have a wealth of opportunities to complement their coursework with conferences and seminars in various fields of specialization. Chief among these is the Regulation and Competition Seminar Series, organized by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) Department of Economics and Business, the Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones (CMT), and the Barcelona GSE. Seminars feature academics, regulators, and practitioners at the forefront of their fields discussing specific issues and presenting original research. In addition to providing a range of regulatory issue perspectives, seminars also give students the opportunity to network with top professionals in the industry.
Study with the experts
Teaching faculty include many industry experts teaching in the current edition of the program, as well as Massimo Motta, who has returned from his stint as Chief Competition Economist at the European Commission. Professor Motta has been involved with the master program since its foundation and brings many years of experience both in the classroom and in the practice of competition policy.
Program schedule:
In the Fall Term, students have the opportunity to take a mathematics, statistics, and computer tools brush-up course. This is not mandatory but highly recommended to assure a smooth start.
A master project, which will be supervised in regular meetings with an advisor, will allow students to put their knowledge into practice and improve their writing and exposition skills.
Policy LessonsPolicy Lessons are shared by all programs in the Master's in Specialized Economic Analysis. Students must choose two Policy Lessons among those organized by any of the programs (Competition, EPP, ITFD, and Macro)
Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a Master Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis awarded jointly with Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF).
All Barcelona GSE master degrees have been recognized by the Catalan and Spanish Education authorities within the framework of the Bologna Process (in Spanish, “Master Universitario o Master Oficial”). Indicadors de qualitat
What skills and knowledge will I acquire in this program?
Orderly thinking in Economic concepts, especially Microeconomics, Industrial Economics, Information Economics, Game Theory, and Strategic Behavior
Confidence in the fundamentals of competition law and its history
Understanding of theory and models of regulation, and in particular the basic regulatory frameworks of main industrial sectors
Ability to publicly present cases, and development of analytical skills for discussion and argument from different points of view
Communication through written technical reports containing real data analysis, analysis of economic literature, and selected project themes
Expert subject knowledge in discussion of formalized theory on competition policy
Who will benefit from this program?
Students with a background in Economics or Business with a strong interest in microeconomics
Graduates in Engineering or Law who want to build their knowledge of economics, markets, and organizations
Workforce professionals seeking in-depth training in competition and market regulation policies
Researchers or professionals at antitrust authorities looking for advanced techniques and tools
Aspiring PhD students looking for a rigorous economic master program in Competition Policy and Market Regulation
Who hires Competition graduates?
Consulting Firms
Government and Authorities
Financial Services
International Organizations and Non-profits
Other Industries
Examples of recent professional placements:
Autorité de la Concurrence - Assistant Economist (Paris, France)
Charles River Associates (CRA) - Consulting Associate (London, UK)
Definitely, the Master Program in Competition and Market Regulation is the best concerning competition policy. The professors that teach here are world renowned, the lectures are structured in a way that gives us a theoretical and practical approach, and the job market is looking for people that have the skills that graduates from this program have. Also, it is important to say that the Barcelona GSE is more than a graduate school, it is a family of students that want to shape the future of economic policy.
This is an interestingly technical and a highly intensive Master's program for anyone who wants to broaden and deepen their understanding of firms’ operations and welfare considerations in a regulated and competitive environment... The course challenged every bit of my thinking and disturbed whatever comfort zone I was in, and the highly interactive and affable faculty was there to guide me and build new higher grounds. While I would recommend the course to those who are academically curious and adventurous, I’d also warn that you are about to undergo an unforgettable transformation, to become amongst the higher performers. It's been a ride really!
I had the ambition to specialize in Competition policy, and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics definitely has the best program offer in this field. It is quite unique and positively challenging. I fully appreciate the teachers' dedication and the study environment here in Barcelona. I am, personally, taking the master with almost no previous work experience, so I expect to enter the consulting market with bright skills and a broad understanding of Competition Economics.
The Barcelona GSE keeps working to stay in the standard of academic excellence. It is a privilege to study with top Economics students from all over the world and, especially, to take classes with leading decision makers and recognized professors of the field. The precise methodology used in the Competition Program gives you useful economic tools, even if you don’t have a strong economic background. The program rests on robust theoretical grounds, but it is also applied on specific fields and cases. In this sense, it’s good preparation for real world challenges. This program will help me assume positions where economic and legal insight give additional value to solve problems, from the perspective of competition policy or regulation in general.
The Barcelona GSE Competition Program was the most suitable opportunity to complement my legal background with a strong economic analysis in the field of competition policy. This is a precious chance to learn from professors like Massimo Motta, Cani Fernandez and Jorge Padilla, some of the most renowned professionals in their fields. Among the most intellectually challenging experiences I’ve had, the Competition Program is certainly ranked as number 1. In a short period of time I've already acquired a pretty good grasp on the main tools involving economic analysis for competition and market regulation policies.
Economic analysis is the essential complement of competition law. Therefore, gaining competence in the discipline of Economics is also an imperative for professionals who have a legal background. The Barcelona GSE has international prestige in providing the perfect training for this objective with its Competition and Market Regulation Program. I expect that the program will enable me to apply practical economic tools to competition law and regulation cases. I strongly believe that such a interdisciplinary approach will advance my future analyses in the competition policy field.
The Barcelona GSE Master in Competition and Market Regulation gave me a solid basis to rest on, sharpening my technical accuracy and enriching my competences in a cutting-edge economic topic like competition.
The Master Program gave me some basic tools that I'm currently using in my research. Moreover, it gave me the possibility to get in touch with some prominent scholars who inspired me for what concerns my career and my current research. I will be always grateful to BGSE and maybe I will come back soon or later (but as a researcher).
I apply all the skills learnt in the Masters in my every day job. The rigorous theory learnt has helped to set me apart from my peers as I am able to explain difficult concepts in a simple, intuitive manner. It has also provided me with the key tools needed for any competition economist to excel in this field of work.
My position as chief advisor to the Commisioner at the Regulatory Commission of Energy is exactly the job I wanted to have after graduating. Working in a multi-disciplinary environment like this is particularly rewarding for me, since it allows me to develop my legal skills while applying solid economic concepts related to regulation and competition matters in energy markets.
The Barcelona GSE master program was strongly recommended to me by my supervisor at Bocconi University and by a friend who had a great experience here. Both pointed out the world-renowned faculty and the relevance and comprehensiveness of the topics covered. Furthermore, at the competition authority I worked for, names of Barcelona GSE faculty or alumni were mentioned regularly as being the leading experts in the field. I then came to Barcelona GSE earlier this year for a professional training and was so impressed with the level of the course that I decided to apply for the master the day after!
