Economics of Public Policy Program

Program Director

PhD, University of Amsterdam

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE

The Economics of Public Policy Program provides students with the theoretical and empirical fundamentals to answer questions that impact entire populations.

How and why do particular public policies get implemented? How are they designed? How do we know if they work? Why are some policies more successful than others?

National-level finance and planning involves big numbers: pensions, health systems, income support, social programs, and so forth. Successful public policies can make all the difference for the lives of millions of individuals, with numbers and effects become much larger for developed countries and faster growing in developing ones.

Students will be drilled in commanding advanced empirical public policy evaluation tools, and will be ready to use these tools in practice.

Students will be exposed to the views of experts from fields other than Economics in order to build an appreciation for the multidisciplinary nature of public policy design and evaluation. A master's advisor will guide each student in completing an independent master's project by the end of the program, allowing specialization in a policy topic of the student's choice.

Our graduates will be prepared to take on analytical positions at public institutions, international organizations, consulting firms, research institutions, and think tanks.

Graduates will also be well-prepared to pursue advanced post-graduate study of Policy or Economics.

Program schedule:

In the Fall term, students will have the opportunity to take a brush-up course in Mathematics and Statistics. This courses is not mandatory but highly recommended to assure a smooth start.
In the Winter term, students will have the opportunity to take a course in Text mining and web scraping with R. This course is not mandatory, but highly recommended.
A master project, which will be supervised in regular meetings with an advisor, will allow each student to put their knowledge into practice and improve their writing and exposition skills.
Students must complete 60 ECTS by the end of the program.

Course offer is subject to change.

Fall Term: Ciutadella Campus (September - December)

Course Title	Credits	Professor(s)
Mandatory:
Microeconomics (Markets, Strategies and Information)	6	Pau Olivella Ramon Caminal
Public Economics I: Market Failures, Taxation and Social Insurance	3	Joan de Martí
Macroeconomics: Public Finance	3	Raül Santaeulàlia-Llopis
Quantitative and Statistical Methods I	6	Javier Gómez Biscarri
Electives (choose one of the following courses):
Public Policy: Health and Education	3	Caterina Calsamiglia
Foundations of Data Science	3	Omiros Papaspiliopoulos

Winter Term: Bellaterra Campus (January - March)

All courses in the winter term are mandatory.

Course Title	Credits	Professor(s)
Labor Markets	3	Lídia Farré
Public Economics II: Incentives and Equity	3	Jordi Massó Xavi Ramos
Cost-Benefit Analysis	3	Pere Riera
Quantitative and Statistical Methods II	6	Joan Llull
Political Economy	3	Ursula Mello Hannes Mueller

Spring Term: Ciutadella Campus (April - June)

All courses in the spring term are mandatory.

Course Title	Credits	Professor(s)
Master Project	6	Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell
Topics in Applied Econometrics for Public Policy	6	Jaume García-Villar
Social Economics	3	Giacomo de Giorgi Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell
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)	3	Albert Bravo-Biosca Juan F. Jimeno
Population Economics	3	Alícia Adserà

Master degree awarded

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?

Confidence in examining and discussion of Economic theory behind the design and evaluation of public policies
Applied analysis in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Information Economics, Game Theory, and Political Economy
Command of state-of-the-art empirical tools to evaluate policies and impacts
Expert knowledge of institutional framework contexts where public policies are designed and implemented
Ability to communicate in written technical and non-technical policy reports based on multidisciplinary approaches

Who will benefit from this program?

Students with Business Administration, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, Public Policy, or Statistical backgrounds
Junior analysts or professionals from the workforce looking to upgrade their analytical skills
Aspiring PhD students who want to build a solid foundation

Who hires Economics of Public Policy graduates?

Consulting Firms
Financial Services
Government & Authorities
International Organizations / Non-profits
Research & Academic Institutions
Other Industries

Examples of recent professional placements:

Banco de España - Research assistant (Madrid, Spain)
Clinton Foundation - Regional Associate (Washington, USA)
HM Treasury - Senior Policy Advisor, Head of Agriculture (London, United Kingdom)
Ministry of Education of Colombia - Economic Advisor (Bogota, Colombia)
Ministry of Tourism of Mexico - Director of Tourist Regulation (Mexico City, Mexico)
Nudge4 Solutions Lab at the University of Virginia - Research Assistant (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA)
ODI - Fellowship Scheme (Kigali, Rwanda)
Ontario Trillium Foundation - Project Evaluation Analyst (Ontario, Canada)
Open Evidence - Junior Policy Analyst (Barcelona, Spain)
Resolution Foundation - Economic Researcher (London, United Kingdom)
Rhode Island Innovative Policy Lab at Brown University - Economic Analyst (Providence, RI, USA)

Examples of recent PhD placements:

European University Institute (Florence, Italy)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) (Barcelona, Spain)
University of Virginia (Virginia, USA)

Download first placement results for recent EPP graduates

Faculty

Pau Olivella

PhD, Northwestern University

UAB and Barcelona GSE

Ramon Caminal

PhD, Harvard University

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE

Juan-José Ganuza

PhD, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

UPF and Barcelona GSE

Raül Santaeulàlia-Llopis

PhD, University of Pennsylvania

MOVE, UAB and Barcelona GSE

Caterina Calsamiglia

PhD, Yale University

ICREA Research Professor, IPEG

Javier Gómez Biscarri

PhD, UCLA

UPF and Barcelona GSE

Ana Rute Cardoso

PhD, European University Institute

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE

Hannes Mueller

PhD, London School of Economics

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE

Joan de Martí

PhD, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

UPF

Pere Riera

PhD, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA)

Joan Llull

PhD, CEMFI

MOVE, UAB and Barcelona GSE

Laura Crespo

PhD, University of Alicante

Research Economist, Bank of Spain

Laura Hospido

PhD, CEMFI

Research Economist, Bank of Spain

Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell

PhD, University of Amsterdam

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE

Clara Ponsatí

PhD, University of Minnesota

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE - on leave

Lídia Farré

PhD, European University Institute

Universitat de Barcelona

Giacomo De Giorgi

PhD, University College London

Professor, GSEM-University of Geneva

Jaume Garcia-Villar

PhD, London School of Economics

UPF and Barcelona GSE

Albert Bravo-Biosca

PhD, Harvard University

Senior Economist, NESTA

Juan Francisco Jimeno

PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Head of the Research Division, Bank of Spain

Xavier Ramos

PhD, University of Essex

Associate Professor, UAB

Alícia Adserà

PhD Boston University

Princeton University and Office of Population Research

Ursula Mello

PhD, Universidad Carlos III

IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE

Students

Public Policy Student Profile 2019-20

14 students from 11 countries (85% international)

Most represented countries this year:

Spain (2)
Turkey (2)
United Kingdom (2)

Most common academic backgrounds:

Economics
Political Science

View examples of past work experience and more in the EPP Student Profile

Alumni

EPP alumni career paths

An overview of EPP career paths for recent cohorts

Most EPP alumni (91%) enter or return to the professional work force
9% continue their education in a PhD or other post-graduate program
Most common industries:
Research and Academic Institutions, Consulting
Cities with most Public Policy alumni:
Barcelona, London, Madrid

Explore Public Policy career paths

Career services

Agrima Sahore '19
Consultant
Originally fromIndia
Currently living inIndia

The Master's is a wholesome experience, teaching you more than just what's part of the course work. Barcelona is also a wonderful city to live in, and the coming together of people from all parts of the world is truly amazing! The faculty is top notch, approachable and great with students!
Benjamin Anderson '15
Data Strategist
Originally from
Asheville, NC
United States
Currently living in
Durham, NC
United States

The expertise in quantitative methods and economics of public policy knowledge that I gained at BGSE is essential to help bridge the communication and information gap between empirical evidence and the decision-making of practitioners. These skills enable me to develop strategies and draw conclusions with confidence when consulting with partners.
Hyosung Jung '15
Research Associate
Originally from
Ottawa, ON
Canada
Currently living in
Boston, MA
United States

The Barcelona GSE connected me with experts in my area of interest. Through these connections I was able to get in touch with some very interesting data for my research project later on in the program.
Yi-Ting Kuo '15
Data Administrator
Originally fromTaiwan
Currently living in
Brussels
Belgium

Thanks to the rigorous training at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, my approach to data administration is meticulous and analytical.
Rebecca Lavinson '14
Policy Associate
Originally from
Princeton, NJ
United States
Currently living in
Washington, DC
United States

The Barcelona GSE gave me the start I needed to pursue the work that I am passionate about. It provided me with the skills necessary to succeed at my first job at the OECD, and doing my Master’s in such an international environment was a good signal for employers that I could adjust to any type of work environment.
Aleka Pappa '14
Junior Research Fellow / Think Tank Young Professional Development Program
Originally from
Tirana
Albania
Currently living in
Tirana
Albania

The master program in Economics of Public Policy has been a great asset to me with its distinctive combination of a solid foundation in economic theory with the applied aspect – all accompanied by the teaching of world-class professors.
Vanessa Behrens '13
Economics and Statistical Analysis
Originally from
Cologne
Germany
Currently living in
Geneva
Switzerland

The ability to interpret scientific research papers has helped me grasp the economics of innovation and firm behavior in the context of intellectual property. The state-of-the-art econometric techniques and focus on policy issues will prove to be particularly useful when I am undertaking applied research in the near future.
Sam Juthani '13
Economist
Originally from
London
United Kingdom
Currently living in
Oxfordshire
United Kingdom

Having a tool-set that allows you to think clearly and logically through a position, and the potential pitfalls, is invaluable, and these were continually reinforced with each class that I took in the Economics of Public Policy master's program.

Show more testimonials

Master's Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis: Economics of Public Policy Program

"I learned that each country has something valuable to add to the policy conversation."

"The master connected me with experts in my area of interest."

“I learned to bridge the communication and information gap between empirical evidence and the decision-making of practitioners”

Program Director

The Economics of Public Policy Program provides students with the theoretical and empirical fundamentals to answer questions that impact entire populations.

Students will be drilled in commanding advanced empirical public policy evaluation tools, and will be ready to use these tools in practice.

Our graduates will be prepared to take on analytical positions at public institutions, international organizations, consulting firms, research institutions, and think tanks.

Program schedule:

Fall Term: Ciutadella Campus (September - December)

Winter Term: Bellaterra Campus (January - March)

Spring Term: Ciutadella Campus (April - June)

Master degree awarded

Faculty

Students

Public Policy Student Profile 2019-20

Alumni

EPP alumni career paths

Agrima Sahore '19

Benjamin Anderson '15

Hyosung Jung '15

Yi-Ting Kuo '15

Rebecca Lavinson '14

Aleka Pappa '14

Vanessa Behrens '13

Sam Juthani '13

Master's Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis: Economics of Public Policy Program

"I learned that each country has something valuable to add to the policy conversation."

"The master connected me with experts in my area of interest."

“I learned to bridge the communication and information gap between empirical evidence and the decision-making of practitioners”

Program Director

The Economics of Public Policy Program provides students with the theoretical and empirical fundamentals to answer questions that impact entire populations.

Students will be drilled in commanding advanced empirical public policy evaluation tools, and will be ready to use these tools in practice.

Our graduates will be prepared to take on analytical positions at public institutions, international organizations, consulting firms, research institutions, and think tanks.

Program schedule:

Fall Term: Ciutadella Campus (September - December)

Winter Term: Bellaterra Campus (January - March)

Spring Term: Ciutadella Campus (April - June)

Master degree awarded

Faculty

Students

Public Policy Student Profile 2019-20

Alumni

EPP alumni career paths

Barcelona GSE Social Media

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