MSc alumni profiles

After graduating from Yale University with a degree in Ethics, Politics, and Economics, I worked for a year as an economic consultant. I wanted to continue my post-graduate studies at the London School of Economics, as it provides one of the most rigorous economics master's programmes in the world.

My year in the MSc in Economics programme was wonderfully intellectually-stimulating. I chose Contract Theory as my elective module, and wrote a theoretical model of innovation in vertical integration for my MSc Essay, with Professor Philippe Aghion's supervision. 

I have been working at Compass Lexecon, an economic consulting firm; and I specialise in the economics of innovation and energy. My interests in the MSc programme indeed continues at work, as I apply theoretical models of innovation to most antitrust cases I work on, calibrating each model according to different industries. In addition to Contract Theory, insights from Microeconomics and Econometrics courses are directly applicable to my day-to-day job.

My year at the MSc in Economics at the LSE was definitely one of my favourite years in academic life. Inspiring professors, supportive classmates, and a genuinely rigorous programme!

“I chose LSE for my postgraduate study mainly because of its renowned reputation. LSE seemed to be an excellent choice for learning Economics. It would not only provide me information and knowledge, it also provided the tools that are required for being successful.

Also, I knew that studying at LSE will place me in the privileged position of experiencing closely and understanding the changes and the developments that are taking place in the field. I am currently an Integration and Trade Research Fellow at the Interamerican Development Bank in Washington D.C. and so far everything I've learned during my time in LSE has been extremely valuable for my career. In my job I am constantly using a lot of the econometric tools that we learned. Also, when reading and reviewing economic papers for my job I always found that the concepts and models taught at LSE helps my understanding of new and different models and theories.

The learning environment at LSE is a bit complex. Tools, like books, computers and software, are available and very useful. Despite obvious space issues, the interaction with students, teachers and professors is very enriching and generates a lot of value added for the individuals.”

“I chose to attend LSE because it offers one of the top MSc programmes in economics. At the completion of my undergraduate studies, I wanted an opportunity to pursue graduate level studies in economics without committing to the four to seven years typically required for a PhD in the United States. The international mix at LSE and the chance to live in London were also factors in my decision to attend.

I currently work as a postgraduate economist with Deloitte’s Economic Consulting practice based in London. I have worked primarily in the Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) space but have also had an opportunity to work across Economics Consulting’s other industry groups. Our team exclusively hires individuals that have studied economics at a graduate level, so I would not have been able to get this specific opportunity without my time at LSE. Deloitte Economic Consulting looks for graduate level economists because our team members need to have both a fluency in economics theory and an ability to take on more sophisticated technical projects in areas of microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics.

I found the resources that LSE makes available to its students rich and varied to help accommodate for different learning styles. That said, there is no one holding your hand through the MSc process, so students need to ensure that they are fully aware of what services they have available to them and how to best use them. LSE continues to offer excellent public guest lectures throughout the year which I do my best to attend. They also offer a lot of alumni events and opportunities for professionals and academics.”

“I chose to attend LSE for the well-known rigour of its Economics programme, with faculty conducting exciting research on pressing economic and development issues. In addition, there is immense exposure to industry, academia, government and non-profit work, which means that decisions about future prospects and career are made in an information-rich environment.

I am currently working as an ODI Fellow at the Ministry of Finance in Timor-Leste. Situated in Asia, Timor-Leste is one of the youngest countries in the world, and is rich in petroleum resources. I am involved with the preparation and analysis of the National Budget, and am leading the Ministry's efforts to develop an in-house debt sustainability model, among other responsibilities.

Being at LSE opened up an array of opportunities for me. The M.Sc. in Economics is a well-respected programme, preparing students well for both academic and professional careers. The technical rigour of the program has been of immense value in my research, and the analytical skills that I took away from the programme have been key in my professional work.

LSE has an extremely rich cultural and intellectual environment. The professors in the Economics department were very inspiring to learn from and work with. Classmates and Teaching Assistants, from different places across the world, were an enthusiastic bunch - always up for economic discussions and policy debates - making it a vibrant place to learn and grow. The physical facilities for independent and group study were very inviting and I always looked forward to being back in the Library or the Lincoln’s Inn Fields building. I am still in touch with my colleagues and professors from LSE, and look forward to contributing back to the School and the Department in the future in any way I can.”

This is a challenging yet inspiring programme. I’ve learnt to think for myself, work independently and take initiative while maintaining a strong sense of belonging in a large and diverse cohort.

As well as examining cutting-edge research and industry best practice, you have the motivation and methodology behind studies explained to you in person by those that conducted them.

“I chose MSc Economics at LSE because it is one of the top economics programmes in the world; because LSE is the most international and cosmopolitan place there is; because I wanted to live in London; and because I wanted to do a one-year master's programme.

I'm working at Frontier Economics, a leading economic consultancy. It's a young, open, employee-owned firm which combines interesting and challenging analytical work with real-world impact and a fun atmosphere. My MSc Economics degree has strengthened my understanding of economics and allowed to me meet people from all over the world. Most crucially, it opened the door to London's job market for me, with great support from the school.

I found the learning environment at LSE challenging, independent and often intense. There is a very high level and high expectations. The programme is quite academic and theoretical, but with some great real-world connections. You are given a lot of responsibility for yourself, and your success is completely up to you.”

And BSc in Geography with Economics 2011

“I chose LSE for my postgraduate studies because the LSE Economics Department provides one of the best preparations academically for my career, so that in my PhD cohort at Yale three of twenty students completed a master’s at the LSE Economics Department.

Moreover, having been an undergraduate in the LSE's Geography Department I had many friends in the Economics Department. Therefore, I was well aware of the spirit of collaboration and high quality of teaching within the department. Finally, I enjoyed the evolvement of LSE students and intellectual atmosphere of on LSE's campus.

My interaction with the world-class researchers at the LSE as well as other resources in the Economics department were invaluable for my development to a doctoral student. The MSc Economics programme enabled me not only to understand economic theory but more importantly critically assess prior research, which is the first step in producing one’s own original work. The close consultation faculty members provide during the MSc extended essay as well as work in classes also foster the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely to a group of experts. This ability is of paramount importance for a doctoral student and in any other career as well.

The learning at the LSE happens both inside and outside the class room. In addition to having great lecturers who passionately convey a new topic having enthusiastic teaching assistants who provide you with the details and caveats of economic models played an important role in the classroom teaching at the LSE. Even today I am in touch with some of my teaching assistants, who now have faculty positions at other leading institutions. Furthermore, your fellow students were an equally important source of learning. The programme attracts some of the brightest students in the world and discussing ideas with your peers is as important as listening to a good lecturer.

Whenever I return to London the LSE is one of my first stops. I enjoy catching up with faculty and old friends who continued their education at the LSE. Also as an alumnus I enjoy the access to the library and its resources. Only regret is that as a student I did not have the benefits of the new student centre and whenever I pass it these days I get a little jealous of the current students.”

“I chose LSE for my postgraduate studies because of its strong reputation - both as a School with a high academic level and an international profile with students from all continents.

Today, I'm working as a consultant in the Copenhagen office of the international consultancy McKinsey & Company. I work across different industries and sectors, but my main interest is for driving efficiency improvement in the Danish public sector. My degree has significantly helped me in my career in multiple ways. First, the teaching during my masters has given me a solid background for my work - where mastering numbers, assumptions and complexity is very important. Second, the reputation of the School helped me in the application process, making my application stand out between. And third, during the masters, I learned about consultancy career opportunities through conversations with fellow students and at careers events.

I find the learning environment at LSE very educative, inspiring and inclusive. One of the things I particularly enjoyed during my studies was the excellent student facilities and atmosphere in the student library. Here, you would always find studying company, even in the late evening hours, and avoid feeling alone when studying late was needed. I like to be as involved with the School as the time allows me: I still keep in touch with many fellow students (even working with a few of them) and every time I'm in London, I enjoy taking a trip by the School to see how things are coming along.”

And BSc Economics 2013

“I chose the MSc programme at LSE because I wanted to develop my technical skills in Economics further. As I already did a BSc Economics at LSE, the MSc was a natural choice for me.

I am currently working as a research analyst in Credit Suisse Global Demographics Research. Our team looks at how demographics are related to macro fundamentals and its impacts on financial market, governments’ fiscal positions and countries’ growth prospect.

My two economics degrees at LSE have helped me to develop a good economic intuition. From the MSc degree specifically, I learned technical skills that allow me to engage in serious economic discussions. I found the models I learned from Macroeconomics (EC413) and Industrial Economics (EC427) particularly useful as they are directly relevant to today’s real world policy making and business decision making.

The learning environment is extremely diverse. I had a Development Economics class with every student representing a different nationality. This diversity creates dynamic, new ideas and interesting discussions. That’s the most valuable part of my LSE experience. It is also an environment that expects its students to be very pro-active. The school provides an excellent platform with lots of opportunities. However, it is up to the students to identify and take advantage of these opportunities. Public lectures, clubs and societies, career fairs and International Organisations Day are few of the examples.”

"I chose to study at LSE because it's an internationally renowned university at the heart of one of the most vibrating urban centres of the world.

Studying the MSc in Economics provided an opportunity to deepen my knowledge of main economic concepts and instruments as well as a lifetime chance to meet bright young people from all around the world.

Soon after completing my eleven-month course, I started working as a professor of statistics and macroeconomics in Brasilia, Brazil. At the same time, I kept my main job at the Brazilian Court of Accounts as an Analyst of External Control. Later, I moved to the Legislative Advisory Board of the Senate of Brazil. All this time I worked mostly with public financial policy. My months at LSE were instrumental in my professional development. I doubt I could have succeeded without the rigorous training provided by the university."

Having decided I wanted to pursue a PhD in Economics, I knew I wanted a rigorous Masters-level programme that would complement my undergraduate study. Thus, more than LSE, I chose its Economics Department, and the MSc in Economics.

The eminence of its faculty, and the fascinating and policy-relevant research they were doing at LSE in every field of economics was already an attraction. I wanted some research experience too, and the large number of research centres LSE had was ideal. And of course, London is an extraordinary city to be in, and always will be.

I'm currently pursuing a PhD in Economics at Stanford University. My research interests include understanding the role of fiscal policy in taming business cycles, and the interactions between fiscal policy choices and long-term forces in the economy such as inequality and diminishing productivity growth.

The MSc provided me with a number of key skills that are essential for PhD students to have. First, it gave me a thorough grounding in modern econometrics, which most undergraduate programs do not cover in sufficient detail. Second, it gave me a more complete understanding of macroeconomics, my field of interest, through the main macro sequence and the Monetary Economics course I took in my second year. Third, the extended essay requirement is a great gentle introduction to conducting original research, and helped me immensely in learning how to formulate a research project and execute it. Fourth, Mohan (the MSc Tutor) and the team provided exceptional guidance on how to apply to grad schools, on finalising my research proposal and statement of purpose, and on generally keeping spirits elevated during the application season. Finally, the programme allowed me to meet faculty at the research frontier in my fields of interest, be involved on projects with them, and also to meet peers who are themselves in grad programmes today, helping me build an academic network.

LSE is a great place to learn, for anyone with an intrinsic drive. First, teaching on the MSc courses at LSE was great - professors were engaging, funny and approached topics in economics from angles that, in hindsight, were uniquely relevant. Second, peers on the courses will belong to all kinds of backgrounds, education systems and cultures, and the insights they have on important economic issues are sometimes more of a learning experience than the material itself. Third, LSE provided me a great environment to explore - I was able to audit courses, talk to professors I'd never interacted with in a classroom and even work on projects that the entire research centre would be involved in.

I'm still involved with the Department and I am currently working on a project with Jeremiah Dittmar, a faculty member of the Economics Department and the Centre for Economic Performance, on the role of the falling price of books in understanding the transition to modern growth.

I developed my interest in Economics during my undergraduate studies in Business Administrations at Korea University Business School. Consequently, I applied for a double degree in Business and Economics.

As I advanced my knowledge in both fields, I became more aware of my passion for Financial Economics and learned that rigorous training in Mathematics, Statistics, and graduate level Economics would be helpful in my pursuit of a doctoral degree in Finance. That was when the structure of the two-year MSc in Economics programme at LSE grabbed my attention.

The structure of LSE’s two-year MSc Economics programme was a perfect fit for me. The first year was designed to provide rigorous training in core Economic theories and relevant Mathematical and Statistical skills. At the beginning of the second year of the programme, I took an intense one-month course, Introductory Course in Mathematics and Statistics (EC400), which is equivalent to a math camp session provided in many PhD programmes. The skills I acquired from this course were not only extremely helpful for my masters-level Economics classes at LSE, but also useful in my first-year doctoral coursework in Finance at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Aside from regular lectures provided by the professors, there were also weekly classes held by teaching assistants, which were intellectually stimulating and exciting. In addition, due to the small class size, the teacher to student ratio created a more open environment to stimulate interesting discussions. I still like to keep involved with LSE and it will be one of the first places I visit when I return to London again sometime in the near future.

“Having done a bachelor degree in Mathematics, the 2-year MSc Economics programme at LSE was perfectly fitted to allow me to do postgraduate studies in Economics.

The first year gave me the theoretical background I needed and taught me the main concepts of Economics, while the second year went deeper into the theory and application of Economics. The degree taught me all the principles of Economic theory that I need to apply in my job. It also taught me to be rigorous and hardworking, and understand a lot of information in a short amount of time. I am now working in Economic Consulting for Deloitte, in London.

The learning environment at LSE was very positive. Rather than competing against each other, students help each other throughout the year. Everybody is extremely smart and comes from completely different backgrounds, which really gives you the opportunity to learn from everyone.”

“I developed my interest in Economics while doing my undergraduate studies in Economics at St. Stephens College, India. To gain further understanding into the subject it was quite natural for me to follow this with a Master’s degree. LSE was my first choice given the renowned faculty and the opportunity to work under them.

Over the two years I was able to work both as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant and this has helped my development as a professional economist. Currently I am working as an analyst at Compass Lexecon, London. I’ve worked on a major Pharmaceutical merger and now I am currently working on an exclusivity case.

I came across Industrial Economics (EC427) as my optional course at LSE. This course helped me realise that I had a great depth of interest in this area. This interest along with interactions at one of the networking event organised by the Department of Economics paved my way into Compass Lexecon, where I am currently working. Various topics I have come across as a part of the degree, especially Industrial Economics and Econometrics (EC402) continue to help me in many stages at work.

My MSc degree was an intellectually stimulating experience to learn from some of the best academics in the field. The lectures and classes helped me build on my knowledge at an extremely fast pace. At LSE, everyone works hard; working with my peers has pushed me to think in many different ways about the same issue or problem. I'm still in contact with my Professors. They have helped me develop into a professional economist in many fundamental ways. I love following their research work.”

And BSc Economics 2007

“I chose LSE for my postgraduate studies because I had already completed my BSc at LSE and had a very positive learning experience. Therefore, when choosing a university for my postgraduate studies, LSE was at the top of my list. Furthermore, I felt that an MSc from LSE would prepare me well for whichever path I decided to take afterwards - academia / further studies, business or policy.

I am currently enrolled in a PhD programme at New York University (NYU), where I am conducting research in the fields of international macroeconomics and finance. The MSc degree at LSE has given me the knowledge and training that helped me set the ground for successful studies at the PhD level. Furthermore, I was able to build a network of fellow students that continued their studies at the PhD level, as well as maintain a network of individuals who work in business or policy who I can always reach out to if necessary.

The learning environment at LSE was generally positive, strongly collegial and with a healthy degree of competitiveness. Professors and staff were keen to act in the interest of students and were striving to enhance their learning experience. I keep in regular touch with my former department and the academic staff there, discussing research ideas. I am also a country leader for my country's alumni group.”

And BSc Mathematics and Economics 2013

“I chose LSE for postgraduate study as the longstanding reputation of the MSc programmes speaks for itself. I had always wanted to pursue further study after completing my BSc in Mathematics and Economics at LSE and thought a PhD was likely. I knew of no better place than LSE to complete my preparation, especially in the EME programme.

I currently study Economics as a PhD student at Northwestern University. The level of rigour demanded by EME is an excellent indication of what is expected in (theoretical) research. The degree also serves as a strong signal of ability to graduate schools in the United States, and elsewhere.

One great aspect of the MSc programmes is the variety of courses you can elect to take as options, and the large number of leading professors that come along with them. The opportunity to interact with them is really valuable because it can really help shape your research and/or career interests, and the classes/readings/discussions can provide really insightful approaches to problems in your field of interest. The students are all really motivated, those that apply have a lot of success with PhD applications, and they're keen to discuss topical issues raised in class and elsewhere. One of the other great things is the diversity of the student body. It's really a great opportunity for a cultural education, and to see how others think. You can get to know lots of people in the social events that take place during the EC400 pre-sessional course before term begins.”

I chose LSE for my postgraduate studies because my adviser at Harvard, Amartya Sen, recommended that I apply to the MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics. The MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics is the most quantitatively rigorous masters in economics and is a great foundation to pursue PhD programmes.

After my MSc, I undertook a pre-doctoral fellowship at the Harvard University Department of Economics with Professor Roland Fryer. I am now transitioning to a fellowship with Professor Claudia Goldin whose research focuses on gender in labour economics. The MSc EME resembles the first year of PhD programmes in economics in the United States and it has allowed me to take graduate-level courses in economics at Harvard as a pre-doctoral fellow. In addition, I made some great friends within my class. Everyone around me was brilliant, quirky, and passionate about economics. I learned as much from studying with them as from the lectures! 

I chose LSE for my postgraduate studies because of the outstanding international reputation of its Economics Department.  I was also attracted to its unique MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics programme and the interesting courses it offered.

I am currently working at NERA Economic Consulting, in its London utilities practice.  During my more than two years at NERA, I have been involved in a wide variety of projects related to the economic regulation of the energy and water industries in the UK and abroad.  One of the most interesting aspects of my job is that I get to apply economic and econometric concepts to real-world problems faced by companies and regulators. My degree at LSE provided me with the necessary theoretical background and quantitative skills, but most importantly it taught me how to approach complex problems in a structured and logical way, which is crucial in this profession.

One of the main reasons why I would recommend studying at LSE is its stimulating learning environment.  During my two years at LSE, I had the chance to be surrounded by highly motivated people who shared my intellectual interests and from whom I could always learn something new.  Some chats with classmates in the canteen could be as valuable and insightful as a lecture or a class!