King's College London - Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

MSc in Political Economy of Emerging Markets

Structure

Required modules

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. You are required to take the following modules:

• Topics in the Analysis of Emerging Economies (15 credits)
• States, Markets and the Institutional Basis of Growth (15 credits)
• Dissertation (60 Credits)

Students must also take at least one 15-credit methods module, out of the following four:

• Quantitative Methods for Social Science (15 credits)
• Advanced Quantitative Methods for Causal Inference (15 credits)
• Introduction to Qualitative Methods (15 credits)
• Advanced Qualitative Methods

Optional modules

In addition, you are required to take the remaining credits from a range of modules which may typically include:

• Comparative Public Policy Analysis In Emerging Economies (15 credits)
• Industrial Development: Strategy and Competitiveness (15 credits)
• Multinational Enterprises, Global Value Chains & Local Development (15 credits)
• Industrial Economics & International Development (15 credits)
• The Politics Of Managing Public Finances In Emerging Economies (15 credits)
• Advanced Quantitative Methods for Causal Inference (15 credits)
• Advanced Qualitative Methods (15 credits)
• Quantitative Methods for Social Science (15 credits)
• Introduction to Qualitative Methods (15 credits)
• Practical and Theoretical Evaluation of Sustainable Development (15 credits)
• Project Management for International Development (15 credits)
• Climate, Environment, and Uneven Development (15 credits)
• Political Economy of Latin America: Development Trajectories and Contemporary Challenges (15 credits)
• Displacement and Development in the Contemporary Era (15 credits)
• Governing Complex Societies: Federalism, Decentralisation & Development (15 credits)
• Gender, Society & Development (15 credits)
• Poverty, Inequality & Social Policy in Emerging Economies (15 credits)
• The Political Economy of Market Reforms (15 credits)

Up to 30 credits from modules offered across the University, including the possibility of taking a language module, subject to approvals (the external modules and the language option would normally be included in the required number of credits for the programme, 180 credits).

Part-time students should plan to take two required modules worth 30 credits in their first year, at least one methods module worth 15 credits from the list above plus 30 credits of optional modules. In their second year, students will take a dissertation module worth 60 credits and 45 credits of optional modules in order to make 180 credits in total.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, the modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place for all students who elect to study this module.

During this Political Economy of Emerging Markets MSc, you’ll focus on some of the big questions of political economy in emerging markets today. You will get the opportunity to explore the relationship between states, markets and institutions and consider how economic growth has been promoted in different national contexts. You’ll learn which public policies and industrial policies have been most effective, and how different financial systems help or hinder development. You’ll also study the role of global value chains in growth and development.

You’ll begin this master’s by learning about states, markets and the institutional basis of growth, while also developing research skills and exploring cutting-edge research on emerging economies.

You will have the opportunity to pursue your own interests in depth by choosing from a list of modules across disciplines. Your options range from analysing business and state relations to comparative public policy and industrial policy, and project management. You will develop your own research skills and interests in particular countries and topics with your dissertation.

And with our location at the heart of London, you’ll benefit from a vibrant environment and proximity to the development sector, think tanks, non-governmental organisations, and public policy research organisations, as well as other universities and the cultural sector.

As a Political Economy of Emerging Markets MSc student, you’ll become part of the dynamic Department of International Development, enjoying interactions with students from around the world and expert academics and developing your network with people who share your passions.

This will also give you the chance to engage directly with practitioners through extracurricular opportunities, including seminar series on contemporary development issues and practice that the department hosts.

When you graduate, you’ll leave with a deep understanding of states, markets and the institutional basis for growth – and a range of development-specific and transferable skills that are appealing to the sector and current labour market.

Would you rather focus on international development, including issues of social justice, inequality, trade and markets? Take a look at our Emerging Economies and International Development MSc.

As a Political Economy of Emerging Markets MSc graduate, you will benefit from deep subject knowledge, practical development skills and research training that can be applied in a number of international development roles as well as in national policy.

The expertise and skills you learn in this programme will enhance your employability in the development sector globally, as well as in governments, consultancy firms, or global companies.

Graduates of the Political Economy of Emerging Markets MSc have gone on to work in roles in:

• National and local governments in emerging economies
• Public policy think tanks
• Cooperation agencies and Non-governmental organisations
• Consultancy firms
• Transnational corporations
• The United Nations