Dual Master's Degree Program
MS in Applied Economics (CUHK) & Social and Economic Policy (Northwestern)
Michelle Yin, Ph.D.
Founding Director
Dr. Yin co-founded and manages this joint program between Northwestern and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. An elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, she brings expertise in applied economics, labor policy, and social inclusion to train the next generation of policy scholars with a transpacific perspective.
Your 24-Month Journey
Hover over each phase to see courses and details
Hong Kong · CUHK
- Microeconomic Analysis & Applications
- Macroeconomic Analysis & Applications
- Econometric Analysis & Applications
- Mathematics for Economic Analysis
- Causal Methods for Evaluating Policy
- Economics of Public Policy
- Policy Analysis using Advanced Methods
- + 2 CUHK electives
Summer Experience
- Industry internships & fieldwork
- Professional skill workshops
- Networking with policy leaders
- Research preparation
Evanston · Northwestern
- Social Policy in the United States
- Economic Policy in Action
- Electives: Health Policy, Applied Data Science, Economics of Education, Immigration Economics, NLP & Language Models, Public Finance, Economics of Crime, and more
Capstone Projects
- Management consulting projects
- Applied data science & AI
- Public finance research
- Work with industry leaders & researchers
- Professional presentation & deliverables
Why This Program
Transpacific lens — Address economic and policy issues through both Chinese and U.S. contexts, building a unique global perspective.
Dual credentials — Two master's degrees from globally ranked universities, opening paths in government, academia, and the private sector.
STEM-designated — F-1 international students qualify for the STEM OPT extension with optional Spring Quarter completion.
Hands-on capstone — 4-month project building real professional skills with industry leaders and researchers. Practical, skill-training oriented.
Community engagement — Students participate in community-engaged projects and volunteer programs, developing leadership and collaboration skills.
Career outcomes — Graduates become economic analysts, policy researchers, academic scholars, and business leaders worldwide.
Ready to Apply?
sespdmdp@northwestern.edu · 847-491-4278