Master in Economics & Psychology (Université Paris 1 / Université Paris Cité / Paris School of Economics)
The Economics and Psychology master program is a joint initiative of the economics department of Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the psychology department of Université Paris Cité. Research-oriented training in the master is supported by the Paris School of Economics.
It combines teaching at the graduate level to economics and psychology students in the fields of economic psychology and behavioral economics. Please refer to the corresponding categories for detailled information about the overall curriculum, as well as the those for the M1 and the M2 years.
Prospective applicants can find detailed information about the application process in the corresponding section (please carefully check this material before contacting us). If you want to be kept posted of the updates about the current year campaign, let us know here.
News
[12.02.2025] SAVE THE DATE! The master program will be presented by both faculty and currently enrolled students at the Paris 1 open days (both on site and online) on March 8, 2025. Practical details available here: JPO 2025 Master Economics and Psychology.
A few questions and answers about the master:
Q - Why study Economics and Psychology?
A1. from a 1918 Journal of Political Economy paper (our italics): "The only way in which the economist can keep his studies from duplicating the psychologist's work is by taking his psychology from those who have specialized in that field. To rely on the mere fact of choice, regardless of the kind of motives behind it, might seem to take economics out of all dependence on psychology, but it does not really do so, save at the cost of becoming utterly meaningless. The economist may attempt to ignore psychology, but it is a sheer impossibility for him to ignore human nature, for his science is a science of human behavior. Any conception of human nature that he may adopt is a matter of psychology, and any conception of human behavior that he may adopt involves psychological assumptions, whether these be explicit or no. If the economist borrows his conception of man from the psychologist, his constructive work may have some chance of remaining purely economic in character. But if he does not he will not thereby avoid psychology. Rather he will force himself to make his own, and it will be bad psychology." Clark (1918, p.4, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1820785).
A2. "Psychology is really the basis from which any social science must start and in terms of which all fundamental explanation must run." according to the famous economist Joseph A. Schumpeter (1954, cited in Paul. A. Samuelson: p.27 in History of Economic Analysis, OUP).
Q - Why study in Paris? And why in this master?
Future students can refer to the following article about studying in Paris, and in the economics and psychology master in particular: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/dec/01/paris-rated-best-student-city-in-the-world
Also see here the tesimony from a 2018 student: https://www.francealumni.fr/en/position/southafrica/news/3025
Q - What do students do afterwards? What type of professional opportunities does the master offer?
Please refer to the "Students" section of the website, where you can access the latest version of the placement survey providing an overview of the current occupations of our alumni, as well as some interviews of our alumnis about their current job. A linkedin group, providing an overview of students' career, is also available for current and former students.
Q - Why enroll in a research-oriented master program if I don't want to stay in academia?
Because the skills you acquire thanks to research-oriented training are exactly why both academic and non-academic employers want to hire our students:
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Amazon-Is-Hiring-PhDs-/241544
Q - While studying the program can students do internships?
Internships are not part of the curriculum, but students are strongly encouraged to do an internship during reading weeks or during the entire year on the Personal Work days (on which there are no classes). A large share of our students do one or several internships during the two years of the program – and many of them finally get hired in the places where they did their internship.
Q - Are there are any recommendations on following the application process?
Our Master program accepts diverse profiles and the grades are not the only relevant part in the admission process - we also look for your motivation, your relevant professional experience etc. Please be aware of timings and modalities of application, they may greatly vary depending on your backgroung and citizenship - carefully check our "Application" section, as for more FAQ and aswers about the application process.