The Department of Economics offers a joint degree – the MSc in Economics of the Middle East, with Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany. The MSc EMEA is a unique graduate program designed for students who want to acquire a solid foundation in economic analysis, in combination with specific knowledge about the economies of the MENA region.

For this purpose, the MSc EMEA combines an academic focus with hands-on regional experience: lectures take place at the Lebanese American University (LAU) and Philipps-Universität Marburg while the master’s thesis may be written during a six-month stay in the MENA region.

How does EMEA work?

• Four semesters with a total of 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits
• Graduate-level economics and introductory MENA economics followed by specialized courses
• Economics and interdisciplinary electives facilitate specialization according to individual interests

How is the program’s content structured?

General structure

The full-time study programme is designed for four semesters of six months each. The first two semesters take place in Marburg while the third semester takes place at the Lebanese American University. The fourth semester can be spent in the MENA region or Marburg for writing the Master’s thesis. The total duration of the course amounts to 24 months.

Module structure

An exemplary module study plan for a start in the winter semester is shown below. Please click on the image to zoom in. Please scroll down for further description.

Courses in the EMEA programme are structured in modules. Some of the modules are obligatory and contain courses that are required while others are electives and contain courses from which students can select according to their preferences. Electives are subject to availability - not all courses are offered in the summer as well as winter semesters. Please note that all modules are weighted by their workload, which is expressed in ECTS (credits according to the European Credit Transfer System).

How do I benefit from EMEA?

• Unique combination of economics and economic topics specifically related to the Middle East
• Joint degree (M.Sc.) tailored to the job market for economists with in-depth regional expertise
• Small class size and regular exchange with teaching staff facilitate study success
• Key qualifications by means of application training, intensive tutorial work, and essay-writing
• Extracurricular activities provide insights and hands-on experience
• Development of intercultural competences through an international class and semesters abroad

For further information check the program’s webpage.

Module Descriptions

Political Economy in the MENA Region (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Basic)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss central aspects of the political economy in the MENA region. They should understand the influence of political economy on the region’s economic policy-making. Finally, students will have been able to apply standard economic models to explain corresponding issues in Middle Eastern countries and will have gathered an insight into the extent to which these models can be transferred to the region.

Demographic Economics in the MENA Region (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Basic)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss the economic role of demographic changes in general and especially in cases of high population growth as characterised by economies of the MENA region.

Advanced Microeconomics (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Advanced)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to put into new perspective and critically discuss different microeconomic models of rational decision-making pertaining to either individual or firm behaviour which were covered during their Bachelor’s studies. Students should also be able to pursue basic microeconomic research questions independently.

Advanced Quantitative Methods (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Advanced)

After successfully completing the module, students should be familiar with the theory and application of central methods in economic empirical analysis. Students should be able to make educated comments on empirical economic work and conduct their own empirical analyses.

Islamic Economics and Finance (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Specialisation)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss the core elements of Islamic Economics, especially the specific characteristics of Islamic economies, for example, the requirement to take into account social responsibility and not to charge (direct) interest on loans. Moreover, students learn how these can be accommodated in a modern financial system.

Political Economy and Natural Resources in the MENA Region (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Specialisation)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss the role of natural resources especially in the case of resource-rich economies. Students should be able to recognise the transmission channels of resource wealth and related economic outcomes.

Advanced Macroeconomics (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Advanced)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss different macroeconomic models pertaining to the business cycle and economic growth. Students should also be able to pursue basic macroeconomic research questions with reference to the MENA region’s economies.

Macroeconomic Policy in the MENA Region (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Specialisation)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss the macroeconomic situation in the Middle East. Students should also be able to critically analyse macroeconomic policies and derive policy conclusions with reference to the MENA region’s economies.

Topics in the Economics of the MENA Region (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Specialisation)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to independently provide a critical and educated analysis of current topics in the economics of the Middle East. They should have acquired the ability to combine various research methods and theoretical explanations discussed in other parts of the study programme to answer the question at hand.

Politics in the MENA Region (6 ECTS, Obligatory, Interdisciplinary)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to understand and critically discuss the past and current political situation in the Middle East. Students should also be able to analyse the impact of political developments on economic structures and policies as well as effects working the other way around.

Economics and Interdisciplinary Elective (18 and 6 ECTS respectively, Elective, Specialisation)

After successfully completing the modules, students should have acquired additional and further-orienting scientific knowledge. Students advance with their pursued qualification by developing an interdisciplinary, professional profile in disciplines which provide theoretical and empirical knowledge.

Master’s thesis (30 ECTS, Obligatory, Thesis)

After successfully completing the module, students should be able to design research questions and to construct frameworks within which to analyse such questions. Students should be able to critically discuss such questions from the point of view of economic theory building on the skills acquired during the program.