The Program

Master’s in Economics

Master’s in Economics

The Program

If you asked us to define our Master’s in Economics in three words, we would use: unique, hands-on, and applicable.  

We make sure that we provide state-of-the-art theoretical and empirical techniques, but we also focus on the development and acquisition of the tools required for applied policy analysis. This means econometric and numerical software or modern econometric techniques for the evaluation of policy interventions, to name a few.  

  • Must have a strong quantitative background (i.e. Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, Data Analytics), and exceptional analytical skills.
  • Keen on research economics topics such as, environment, education, health, macroeconomics, and financial markets. 
  • That aspire to work directly with Economics Faculty in research projects or strong research centres on a variety of economics topics: environment, education, and health; international development; macroeconomics and financial markets; public policy; data analytics. Research projects that can include fieldwork activity in Africa and in Portugal - including data collection and behavioural and field experiments. 
  • That aim to pursue a PhD degree afterwards. 

Program Overall Structure

Find out what this Master’s degree will offer you during the 3 semesters at Nova SBE! 

You will have to follow mandatory courses, but you will also choose from a wide range of electives, allowing you to tailor-make your curriculum according to your own goals. 

Everything together should give you the necessary ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) to graduate. 

  • Discovery Week 

1st Semester (30 ECTS) 

  • STATA Module + Mandatory Courses 
  • Electives (one full or two half courses) 
  • Skills Accelerator Modules 
  • Study Trips 
  • Career Development Program - Mastering Your Career 
  • Mentoring Program 
  • Nova Economics Club, Regular and Brownbag Seminars, Networking Events, Business Forum, Conferences 
     

2nd Semester (30 ECTS) 

  • STATA Module + Mandatory Courses 
  • Electives (one full or two half courses) 
  • Skills Accelerator Modules 
  • Study Trips 
  • Nova Economics Club, Regular and Brownbag Seminars, Networking Events, Business Forum, Conferences 
  • Work Project 
  • Nova Economics Club, Regular and Brownbag Seminars, Networking Events, Business Forum, Conferences 

* Please note that for the academic year of 2023/2024 this information may be subject to changes. 

Press play on your future.

Master’s Programs 2025/26 – Applications open soon!

Applications open on November 20 for:

• All Master’s Programs – Fall intake 2025*
• Master’s in Management – Spring intake 2025**

For more information, please contact us by emailing leadyourfuture@novasbe.pt or calling +351 213 801 699.

*Fall programs starting on September 2025
**Spring program starting on February 2025

Get to know the Mandatory courses and Electives

  • Econometrics 
  • Macroeconometrics 
  • Macroeconomic Analysis 
  • Mastering your Career 
  • Microeconometrics 
  • Microeconomic Analysis 

* Please note that for the academic year of 2023/2024 this information may be subject to changes. 

Sustainability 

“Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). 

To ensure global sustainability over time, the green transition focuses on responding to the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation but also to the need to work for an economic and societal transformation, integrating all three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social, and environmental. 

That is the goal of this Area of Expertise, which will be taught in partnership with Nova’s School of Science and Technology (FCT). This area of expertise is common to the Master’s programs in Management, Economics and Finance 

  • Energy and Climate Change 
  • Fundamentals on Environment and Sustainability 
  • Sustainability Evaluation of Policies, Plans and Projects 
  • Sustainability in Organizations 
  • Impact Investments 
  • Environmental Policy 
  • Policy Evaluation 
  • Global Energy Markets 
     

Business and data analytics 

The Business and Data Analytics area of expertise is designed for students who understand business problems and want to use technology to solve them. A strong background in mathematics and applied statistics is required, so that students will be able to analyse large data sets and translate them to support data grounded strategic decisions. This area of expertise is common to the Masters programmes in Management, Economics and Finance. 

  • Business and Data Analytics 
  • Algorithmic governance 
  • Blockchain fundamentals 
  • Computational Thinking and Data Science (includes Applied Statistics)  
  • Data Analytics for Finance  
  • Numerical Methods and MatLab 
  • Data Curation 
  • Data Visualization 
  • Digital Experimentation 
  • Introduction to Programming 
  • Machine Learning    
  • Marketing Analytics 
  • Network Analytics 
     

International development 

Successful graduates will be well-equipped to work in international organizations, governmental and private institutions, and NGOs, with the objective of designing, evaluating, and implementing policies related to international development, trade, and migration policies. 

  • Advanced Behavioral Economics 
  • Behavioral Economics and Finance 
  • Development Economics  
  • Economics of Education 
  • Environmental Policy 
  • Global Energy Markets 
  • History of Economic Analysis 
  • International Migration 
  • Labor Economics 
  • Policy evaluation 
  • Political Economy 
  • Politics for Policy 
  • Private Sector Development 
  • Public Finance 
  • Public Policy 


Macroeconomics and financial markets 

Successful graduates will be able to take up roles as policy analysts in central banks and other governmental national or supra-national institutions, private financial institutions, and large multinational companies. 

  • Asset Management 
  • Auditing 
  • Banking 
  • Behavioral Economics and Finance 
  • Behavioral Finance 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Credit Risk 
  • Derivatives 
  • Empirical Macroeconomics 
  • Empirical Methods for Finance 
  • European Union: Governance and Crises 
  • Finance and the transition to net zero 
  • Financial Crises in History 
  • Financial Distress, Bankruptcy and Restructuring  
  • Financial Intermediation 
  • Financial Management 
  • Financial Modeling 
  • Financial Reporting 
  • Financial Statement Analysis 
  • Fintech Ventures 
  • Fixed Income 
  • Futures and Options 
  • Hedge Funds 
  • History of Economic Analysis 
  • Impact Investments 
  • Investments 
  • Macroeconomic Theory 
  • Macroeconomics of Financial Markets 
  • Political Economy 
  • Private Equity 
  • Real Estate Finance 
  • Risk Management 
  • Sovereign Advisory 
  • Sustainable Finance 
  • Systematic Investments 
     

Public policy 

Successful graduates will be able to take up roles as policy analysts in governmental national or supra-national institutions, consulting firms with departments dedicated to the public sector and public policies, medium and large companies working in sectors where government action is pervasive, and national and supra-national lobbying groups. 

  • Advanced Behavioral Economics 
  • Behavioral Economics and Finance 
  • Competition Policy 
  • Development Economics  
  • Economics of Education 
  • Economics of Health and Health Care 
  • Economics of Health Systems 
  • Environmental Policy 
  • European Union: Governance and Crises 
  • Global Energy Markets 
  • History of Economic Analysis 
  • International Migration 
  • Labor Economics 
  • Policy evaluation 
  • Political Economy 
  • Politics for Policy 
  • Private Sector Development 
  • Public Finance 
  • Public Policy 
     

Banking, financial regulation, and supervision 

Successful graduates will be able to take up jobs in financial institutions, and in central banks and other governmental or supra- national institutions with a concern for the supervision of the financial sector. 

  • Auditing 
  • Banking 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Credit Risk 
  • Empirical Methods for Finance 
  • Financial Crises in History 
  • Financial Distress, Bankruptcy and Restructuring  
  • Financial Intermediation 
  • Financial Management 
  • Financial Modeling 
  • Financial Reporting 
  • Financial Statement Analysis 
  • Fixed Income 
  • Futures and Options 
  • Investments 
  • Macroeconomics of Financial Markets 
  • Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructuring 
  • Private Equity 
  • Real Estate Finance 
  • Risk Management 

  

*Please take note of the following: 
— Students can qualify for only one area of expertise; however, it isn’t mandatory for students to choose one.  
— Areas of Expertise and respective courses might be subject to change from one academic year to the next.  
— Some courses might not be offered every academic year.  
— Students may attend elective courses from other masters’ programs, which are subject to availability. 
— Please note that for the academic year of 2023/2024 this information may be subject to changes. 

  • Advanced Behavioral Economics 
  • Algorithmic governance 
  • Asset Management 
  • Auditing 
  • Banking 
  • Behavioral Economics and Finance 
  • Behavioral Finance 
  • Blockchain fundamentals 
  • Competition Policy 
  • Computational Thinking and Data Science (includes Applied Statistics) 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Credit Risk 
  • Data Analytics for Finance 
  • Data Curation 
  • Data Visualization 
  • Derivatives 
  • Development Economics 
  • Digital Experimentation 
  • Economics of Education 
  • Economics of Health and Health Care 
  • Economics of Health Systems 
  • Empirical Macroeconomics 
  • Empirical Methods for Finance 
  • Energy and Climate change 
  • Environmental Policy 
  • European Union: Governance and Crises 
  • Finance and the transition to net zero 
  • Financial Crises in History 
  • Financial Distress, Bankruptcy and Restructuring 
  • Financial Intermediation 
  • Financial Management 
  • Financial Modeling 
  • Financial Reporting 
  • Financial Statement Analysis 
  • Fintech Ventures 
  • Fixed Income 
  • Fundamentals on Environment and Sustainability 
  • Futures and Options 
  • Game Theory 
  • Global Energy Markets 
  • Hedge Funds 
  • History of Economic Analysis 
  • Impact Investments 
  • International Migration 
  • Introduction to Programming 
  • Investments 
  • Labor Economics 
  • Machine Learning   
  • Macroeconomic Theory 
  • Macroeconomics of Financial Markets 
  • Marketing Analytics 
  • Media and Politics 
  • Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructuring 
  • Network Analytics 
  • Policy evaluation 
  • Political Economy 
  • Politics for Policy 
  • Private Equity 
  • Private Sector Development 
  • Public Finance 
  • Public Policy 
  • Real Estate Finance 
  • Risk Management 
  • Sovereign Advisory 
  • Sustainability Evaluation of Policies, Plans and Projects 
  • Sustainability in Organizations 
  • Sustainable Finance 
  • Systematic Investments 

* Please note that for the academic year of 2023/2024 this information may be subject to changes. 

The Skills Accelerator is composed by 4 areas and students must complete 1 module in each area, according to their Master’s program. 

  • Digital 

Technology for business: concepts, tools, and software. 

  • Ethics 

The concept of ethics and its importance in life (personal and professional). Exposure to ethical challenges and practical discussions on how to address them. 

  • Market Links 

Activities career and job market related. Organized by Careers office, student clubs, or faculty. Depending on the module selected, corporate partners and other companies are invited to participate. Competencies you might acquire and/or accelerate: self-awareness, collaboration, teamwork effectiveness, critical thinking and problem-solving, job market knowledge, Alumni networking. 

  • Leadership 

Leadership concepts and tips: self-leadership and leading others. 

* Please note that for the academic year of 2023/2024 this information may be subject to changes. 

As part of the degree requirement, students must carry out a work project (thesis) in their final semester. There are three formats available: 

Field Lab 
Students focus on a specific theme or topic of more applied nature to propose solutions to solve an existing local real-world problem in a specific setting (group setting). 

Directed Research Internship 
Students carry out a problem-based issue to help address an identifiable problem in a company setting relevant to the course of study. 

Directed Research 
Students showcase their knowledge and expertise by investigating a research problem of scientific nature in a relevant area of interest.

Grading is based upon the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), a grading scale developed to facilitate the understanding and comparison of grades, according to different national systems.  

We did the math for you, and the awarding of ECTS grades per curriculum component breaks down as follows: 

30 ECTS 
in Mandatory Courses including the Mastering Your Career Activities 
(Bridging courses not included) 

28 ECTS 
in Elective Courses (minimum) 

2 ECTS 
in Skills Accelerator Modules 

0 ECTS 
MS Excel Certification 

30 ECTS
in the Work Project 

90 ECTS in total to graduate 
You need a minimum of 90 ECTS to complete your Master’s, but if you need 120 ECTS to proceed with your studies, you can extend your Master’s by one semester with courses (28 ECTS) and modules (2 ECTS). 

Study Abroad

Complete your Master’s in Economics with international experience. 

You can choose from an Exchange Program or a CEMS MIM. 

(This requires an additional semester) 

Master’s Talks

Master’s Talks

Attend one of our many Master’s Talks and learn all about this program, its Academic Director, the teams that can help you on your journey to Nova SBE and clear any doubts you may have.