Research Master in Economics

CentER's Research Master (RM) in Economics is an intensive two years program. It prepares you for academic research in economics with graduate level coursework and research training. After completing the RM program most students continue with PhD research in economics. RM graduates who performed well in their course work and have a strong research proposal supported by one or two supervisors will be admitted to CentER's three-year PhD program. The RM and PhD program together form an integrated graduate program in Economics.

The Research Master's program in Economics provides 2 years of graduate level coursework and research training, to optimally prepare you for a PhD.

Program structure

Year 1

The first year of the program is fully devoted to rigorous training in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. After this year, you will have a sound basis in economic and econometric theory and methods and their applications. You will be able to read and discuss state-of-the-art research papers, and apply modern economic and econometric models and techniques.

Year 2

The second year allows you to explore the many exciting research areas in economics through specialized field courses taught by the Tilburg School of Economics and Management  Faculty, by getting a first taste of research, writing a short field paper, and, finally, by writing a Research Master Thesis that will be the basis for your first major research paper. Current research areas include behavioral and experimental economics, industrial organization, macroeconomics, econometric theory, empirical microeconomics and microeconomic theory.

Collaboration with leading experts

The program typically admits less than 25 students per year and allows for intensive interaction with and guidance from your professors, both inside and outside the classroom. You will collaborate with excellent students from all over the world and with junior and senior researchers at CentER, including leading experts in their fields. CentER typically ranks among the top 5 of economics schools in Europe and the top 25 worldwide. Some of our PhD graduates find positions at the best universities in the world.

As a student you will be actively involved in our research community early on, have the opportunity to attend several research seminars on a weekly basis, and join reading groups on topical issues.

In order to provide this personalized teaching approach, we only admit a selected number of excellent students with strong quantitative and analytical skills and a sincere interest in economics or econometrics. During the Research Master, students will receive their own academic mentor (an education coordinator) who will guide them through the Research Master and, hopefully, the subsequent PhD-phase.