Economics for Policy and Decision-Making

This programme equips professionals with a practical toolkit for making evidence-informed decisions, grounded in core economic logic. No prior background in economics is required. Instead, the programme focuses on how economic thinking can be applied in real organisational and policy contexts to frame problems clearly, interpret evidence with confidence, understand incentives, and evaluate interventions under uncertainty. 

Delivered by leading academics from the University of Exeter’s Department of Economics, the programme combines accessible teaching, real examples and structured reflection on participants’ own professional challenges. Across six sessions, participants develop these capabilities through applied contexts such as productivity, healthcare, taxation, climate policy and behavioural economics.

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What you'll gain

• A set of practical decision-making tools grounded in economic logic and evidence
  

• Stronger judgement and analytical rigour to support effective policy and strategic decision-making  

• Greater confidence and clarity when making decisions in complex environments

• Ability to frame problems clearly in real organisational and policy contexts 

• Skills and knowledge to interpret evidence with confidence, understand incentives and evaluate interventions under uncertainty

• A University of Exeter certificate of completion 

Designed for professionals of all career stages

Duration: 6 sessions, each 2 hours (10:00-12:00 pm, with breaks) over six weeks

Delivery: Live online  

Format: Each 2 hour session includes teaching, a group/practical exercise, plus an added 60-minute optional Q&A.

Highlights: The programme combines accessible teaching, real examples and structured reflection on participants’ own professional challenges.  

To get the most from the programme, we encourage participants to dedicate 2 hours of self-study per week, following the guidance and material provided in the respective lecture.

Who's it for?

• Professionals at all career stages who make, influence or advise on decisions but do not have formal training in economics.

• Decision makers in government, regulatory bodies, universities, charities, NGOs, international organisations and public policy organisations.

• Professionals in private sector roles with policy, strategy or regulatory responsibilities.

•  University and research leaders who have transitioned from academic roles into senior management positions.

The cross-sector format is intentional: our participants learn from one another, tackling shared challenges and gaining fresh insight from different industries and perspectives.  

We also welcome small groups of colleagues from one organisation - discounts may be available.

What you'll cover

• Microeconomic perspectives for decision-making

• Macroeconomic perspectives on productivity and performance

• Economic reasoning in health and education

• Economic perspectives on taxation and competition

• Economic perspectives on environment and climate policy

• Behavioural insights for public policy and organisational decision-making

Dates

4, 11, 18 and 25 November, and 2 and 9 December 2026

10am-12pm, online

Costs

Standard Price: £1,500

20% discount is available for Alumni

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