MSc Economics & Strategy for Business

MSc Economics & Strategy
for Business

A unique combination of economics and strategy applied to real-word business environments 

The global landscape of business is changing and with increasing technological advancement, AI, big data and climate change, companies need graduates who can think strategically to find solutions to complex business challenges. Building upon your existing quantitative skills, our MSc Economics & Strategy for Business integrates cutting-edge strategic analysis with contemporary economics, preparing you for successful careers in specialist economic and management consultancies and financial services.  

The programme focuses on the application of core disciplines to real-world situations, via interactive lectures, challenging case studies, immersive business simulations and real-life consultancy projects. Upon successful completion of the programme you will have the skills, knowledge and practical experience needed to help businesses make informed decisions to maximise profits and minimise risk.

93%
of graduates employed within six months (class of 2022)
4
choose four elective options to tailor your programme
40
nationalities represented (class of 2023)
Explore the programme

An applied Master’s combining economics and strategy at a global top 10 university in London

3rd
in Europe (Imperial College London, Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023)
6th
in the world (Imperial College London, QS World University Rankings 2024)
#1
city for students (London, QS Best Student City Rankings 2023)

Programme content

MSc Economics & Strategy for Business draws on the expertise of Business School faculty in economics and strategy, as well as experts in other areas of business such as business analytics, finance, innovation, technology, healthcare management and energy economics, providing a uniquely Imperial view of economic and strategic thinking. 

Please note, programme content is subject to change. Candidates that fail to successfully complete this degree are not entitled to a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma.

Through a combination of online pre-study modules, induction week, and a foundation module, you will be ready to hit the ground running when your programme begins. This comprehensive preparation not only prepares you for the academic rigour ahead but also ensures you're thoroughly equipped to maximise the benefits of your programme.

Online pre-study modules

July

Before the programme begins you will be expected to complete online pre-study modules delivered through The Hub, Imperial College Business School’s virtual learning environment. These include primers in key areas including Maths, Strategy, Accounting, and Data, Tools and Evidence as well as Plagiarism Awareness.  These modules do not contribute to the calculation of the final award but are designed to provide students with a common base of knowledge before starting the programme.

Induction week

September

Your MSc Economics & Strategy for Business induction will be spent at our vibrant South Kensington campus in London. You will be invited to a welcome event where you can meet and network with your fellow students, distinguished faculty and dedicated programme staff, forging new connections and getting a taste of life at Imperial. 

 

What our students say

“MSc Economics & Strategy for Business at Imperial College Business School combines two principles that truly interest me, and which I believe will be vital to my long-term success in the fields of Finance and Business. Economics, on the one hand, is a subject I studied in-depth during my undergraduate degree. Nevertheless, the focus on business applications is a lot more prevalent now. Our lecturers take time to explain how businesses use microeconomic concepts to improve their performance, already giving us an edge in our future careers.”
Dimitris Kiourtis
MSc Economics & Strategy for Business 2023
Incoming Investment Banking Analyst, Goldman Sachs

Career impact

At Imperial College Business School, your career is our priority. We have a dedicated Careers team that is committed to helping you achieve your personal and professional goals. With close links to industry and a busy calendar of events, workshops and personal development programmes, you will be prepared to enter a highly competitive recruitment market.

Employment outcomes below refer to the class of 2022.

“The Careers team is super dedicated to supporting students with their career development. They provided many career workshops even before the start of the academic year, so we could practice interview techniques at our own pace.”
Xinran Evangeline Liu
MSc Economics & Strategy for Business 2021
Hear more our students

Frequently asked questions

All applications to our postgraduate programmes are made online – we do not accept paper applications. Please refer to the ‘How to apply’ section of each programme page to see what documents you are required to submit with your application and to view the selection process.

All of our programmes are academically rigorous and include a quantitative component so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematics before the start of the programme. The quantitative experience statement provides an opportunity to demonstrate this to the selection committee.

In the quantitative experience statement, you need to list up to five of the most quantitative modules or elements of your studies to date. You should list the main topics of study (eg: algebra, probability etc) as well as the level of study (eg: high school, undergraduate degree, short course etc) as this will allow the selection committee to have an understanding of your quantitative experience to date.

Quantitative experience is a key selection criterion for our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) so please be sure to check the entry requirements for your programme of interest to ensure your background is sufficiently quantitative. For other programmes, candidates are advised to review both the programme content and the pre-study modules to see what the numerical content of the programme includes before they submit an application.

You can apply to be considered for one programme each year. We will take your areas of interest and eligibility into account when considering you for alternative programmes.

While it is not compulsory to submit the results of an approved English language test with your application, it is strongly encouraged and will add weight to your application if you are able to show that you have met the language requirement prior to applying. You can find detailed information regarding the Business School’s language requirements and the tests that we accept here.

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide the contact details of two referees. Your referees will be contacted by email once you have completed and submitted your application, and the email will contain instructions on how they can submit your reference via our application system.

Please ensure that each reference letter that is submitted has been sent from an academic or professional email address. We cannot accept references sent from personal email addresses, such as Gmail, Hotmail, 126, 163, Sina, QQ, and Yahoo.

Our electronic application service is provided by an external provider, so there may be a delay before the receipt of your references is confirmed on your student application account.

If you receive confirmation that your references have been received but this still isn’t confirmed on your account a week after receiving the confirmation, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.

Yes. As part of the selection process, shortlisted candidates for our MSc programmes will be invited to complete an interview. Interviews are conducted through Kira Talent, our video interview platform, which you can access online to record and submit your answers.

The interview process typically takes about 20 minutes and does not require extensive preparation. It aims to supplement your written application by providing a further opportunity for you to articulate your suitability for your MSc programme of choice through questions about your previous experience and future aspirations.

If you are invited to submit a video interview, you will be sent details of how to access and use the Kira Talent online interview platform.

Once you have created an account, you will be asked a series of questions, to which you can record your answers as short videos and submit them online.

Please make sure that the invitation doesn’t go to your junk mail by adding kiratalent.com to your list of safe senders. You must complete your online interview by the deadline stated in the email. If the email has gone into a junk, spam, or clutter folder in your inbox, we will not be able to rearrange a new interview for you, and your application will be considered for withdrawal.

Please note: our video interviews are conducted via the Kira Talent platform. As Kira Talent is an independent third party service provider with their own terms and conditions of service and privacy policy, please familiarise yourself with these and ensure you are happy with them before proceeding to use the Kira service and platform.

For all MSc programmes, you can normally expect to receive a decision within 6-8 weeks of having submitted a complete application. Please keep in mind that during busy times and/or where documents are missing from an application, this time may increase.

When an offer is submitted by the Business School, the Central Admissions need to make a number of final checks before it can be formally approved. These may include an additional review of an applicant’s academic background or ensuring the references we have received are valid. Until you have received confirmation of the official offer via the College’s applicant portal, please do not arrange accommodation, book flights or decline any other offers you may be holding. The majority of offers are successfully approved by Central Admissions and you will be able to see full details of your offer conditions once your official offer has been confirmed.

Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm when you will receive a decision on your application but we will be in touch via email as soon as there is an update. Please be aware that you do not need to provide any additional information unless you think that this will add significant weight to your application (e.g. updated transcripts, relevant internships, English language results).

Please email your programme admissions team if you would like feedback on your application. Please note that whilst limited feedback can be provided, the decision of the academic selectors is final and it will not be possible for your application to be reconsidered.

Swapan Bahrani
Student blog

Why I chose to study MSc Economics & Strategy for Business at Imperial College Business School

Swapan Bahrani, MSc Economics & Strategy for Business student (2022 – 23), discusses why she chose Imperial College Business School and this programme, she also shares why she chose London to be their new home.

Read more
Class profile
Features

Meet the Management Masters’ class of 2022-23

Our range of world-class Management Master's programmes inspire brilliant minds to be the world’s future business leaders. Meet our Management class of 2022 and find out why they chose to study one of our five Management programmes.

Read more
Ansumana Bai-Marrow, being Black at business school blog
Features

Being Black at Business School

Read about Ansumana Bai-Marrow's experience studying at the Business School and what scholarships are available to students from Black and mixed Black backgrounds.

Read more
Browse all blogs