Economic Development and Growth - Master's Programme (Two Years)

In this double degree programme, you spend the first year studying development and international economics, statistics and long-run development at either Universidad Carlos III de Madrid or University of Groningen. In the second year at Lund University you specialise in economic history, with a focus on development, institutional change, inequality, innovation and human capital.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid combines high-level economics, economic history and economic development with a special focus on Latin America.

University of Groningen is an internationally renowned institution in the fields of economics, econometrics, development economics and economic history. They also host the Groningen Growth and Development Centre, famous for its study on long-term analysis of global economic growth and productivity.

Lund University, home to the world’s largest Department of Economic History, specialises in economic change and long-run development, with a focus on Asia, Africa and Latin America besides Europe.

The programme philosophy is firmly grounded in critical thinking, and the diverse experiences among students and teachers offer you a platform for reflection and communication in this vein.

Application and admission

Becoming a trained expert in the field of development requires a wide variety of skills. The programme will help you develop the necessary theoretical and quantitative skills to grasp major debates in economics and other social sciences. At the same time, the complexity of development problems demands deep, specialised understanding of context, institutions, and historical legacies in developing economies.

The programme provides rigorous training in economics and quantitative methods. It also offers a variety of electives, as shown in the overview of the programme structure.

A hallmark of the Master's programme Economic Development and Growth is the emphasis on the personal contact between professors and students, achieved by small classes. You will, in close supervision of highly qualified faculty members, complete two independent research projects (theses) both at the end of year 1 and year 2 of the programme. In the process, you will develop your ability to organise and express your own ideas and research in written form, while you will have the opportunity to improve your presentation skills in workshops with other students and faculty members.

This programme provides you with plenty of career opportunities in institutions all over the world addressing economic development, such as the EU, OECD, ILO, World Bank, UNESCO, WTO, CEPAL, IADB (Inter-American Development Bank), NGOs, governments and central banks, think tanks, multinational companies and consulting firms. Examples of job titles among our graduates are Policy Analyst, Policy Officer, Researcher, Data Quality Officer, Consultant, Project Manager and Socio-Economic Analyst.

You will also obtain the advanced skills required to carry out research in the fields of development economics, economic history, applied economics and international economics. Lund University School of Economics and Management, University of Groningen and Universidad Carlos III Madrid offer talented students oriented towards an academic career, the possibility to continue your postgraduate education in one of our doctoral programmes .

Lund University Global Scholarship Programme

The Lund University Global Scholarship programme is a merit-based and selective scholarship targeted at top academic students from countries outside the EU/EEA.

Lund University Global Scholarship

African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Scholarship

Within the framework of the Lund University Global Scholarship programme, the University also offers the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Scholarship targeted at top academic students from selected African research universities. 

ARUA Scholarship

Swedish Institute Scholarship: Global professionals

The Swedish Institute offers scholarships to international students from certain countries who are applying for select Master's programmes in Sweden. 

Scholarship information on the Swedish Institute website 

Country-specific scholarships and funding options

Lund University has agreements with scholarship organisations and funding bodies in different countries, which may allow applicants to apply for funding or scholarships in their home countries for their studies at Lund University. Most agreements are intended for Master’s applicants, although certain opportunities may also be available to Bachelor’s students.

Country-specific scholarships

External scholarships

In addition to scholarships offered by Lund University or through its partner agreements, there are external opportunities. On the page below, you’ll find examples of organisations that may provide financial support for international students from specific countries. 

External scholarships