Trinity College Dublin: Trinity and ESRI launch MSc in Economic Policy for policy makers

The Department of Economics at Trinity College Dublin and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) have teamed up to offer the first ever Masters programme in economic policy specifically designed for people working in the public sector.

Starting in January 2022, the MSc in Economic Policy will provide students with a grounding in contemporary aspects of economic policy design and implementation and equip them to engage confidently in evidence-based economic policy making.

The two-year part-time course is designed for those working in the public sector and/or policy design and evaluation who do not have a strong background in economics, or who wish to refresh their economics knowledge through a policy lens. It will equip officials in government departments, state bodies and agencies with the skills to better engage with international and national economic research with relevance for policy formation.

Combining expertise from Trinity’s Economics Department and the policy-focused research at the ESRI, this unique programme will be delivered by experts in key practical areas such as Regulation and Banking; Urban and Housing; Energy, Environment and Climate Change; Health Economics; Taxation and Welfare.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said:

I’m delighted that the Economics Department at Trinity and the ESRI have come together to deliver a new MSc in Economic Policy. It will be a great programme and a fantastic opportunity for both students and professionals to study how economic policy is developed, to understand the constraints around it, and also to understand all that it can deliver.

Programme Director Prof. Eleanor Denny said:

We are delighted to launch this programme which brings together the significant policy expertise of the Economics Dept at Trinity and the ESRI. Over the last decade the public sector in Ireland has embarked on a process of modernisation and reform and this programme is designed to meet the skills requirements of the modern Irish public service, facilitating students to engage with national and international economics research with relevance for Irish policy formation.

ESRI director Prof. Alan Barrett said:

For many years, Trinity and the ESRI have had close connections so we are delighted to be jointly offering this masters programme. Given the strong research profile of both institutions, this will be a very interesting and worthwhile collaboration and we look forward to welcoming students in January 2022.