e-Masters in Public Policy

The curriculum for eMasters in Public Policy comprises Core (C), Specialization (S), and Electives (E) modules and Projects (P). Participants are given flexibility in deciding on electives and projects and follow the 6C + 3S + 2E + P structure.

The Core Modules include

• Pricing:
  The module covers the fundamentals of cost and its types, demand curves, price response estimation, monopoly and regulation, price discrimination, and strategic decision making under uncertainty. As the program introduces you to the tools to understand the basics of modern economic analysis, the initial emphasis has been placed on the pricing concept.
• Economics and Financial Data Analysis:
  Through this module, participants will be introduced to various statistical tools and techniques and their applications in economics and finance. It covers concepts including descriptive statistics, correlation, covariances and population, hypothesis testing, regression, and its models and time series analysis. As part of the module, you will also learn to use statistical software such as R to demonstrate your learnings.
• Introduction to Finance and Accounting:
  The module provides a foundational understanding of finance and accounting. Further, it will prepare you for advanced knowledge of electives and real-life applications. You will gain an insight into concepts like time value of money, risk and return analysis (optimal portfolio analysis, capital allocation framework), fixed income securities, derivatives, financial statements, financial ratios, dividends, business risk, and credit analysis.

The Elective Modules include

• Economics of Platforms:
  Digital platforms such as Amazon, Zomato, Uber, Netflix, and Facebook, among many others, have become an essential part of our life. In this module, you will systematically study the economics of these platforms, emphasizing their applications in public policy and businesses.
• Applied Corporate Finance:
  The module is designed to provide an applied role of corporate finance in investment decisions from investors' and firms' perspectives. The topics covered include corporate finance concepts, capital budgeting, stock valuation, capital asset pricing model, portfolio and factor models (APT, Fama, French), cost of equity estimation, and long-term financing.
• Advanced Financial Econometrics:
  The primary aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of various tools and techniques along with their applications used for better understanding and investment decisions. The topics covered include autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity models, panel data modeling, limited dependent variable model and their applications in policy design and implementation, simulation methods, and event-study analysis.
• Machine Learning Applications:
  In this module, you will be introduced to machine learning (ML) and computational tools to implement ML schemes on economic data sets.
• Probability and Stochastic Systems:
  Understanding probability is critical to study a world replete with randomness and uncertainty. Through this module, you will learn not only how to solve challenging technical problems but also be exposed to various ways in which probability is applied in the real world.
• Public Finance:
  The module covers different dimensions of public finance and is expected to provide a practical understanding of public finance, from policy making to its implications.
• Game Theory and Strategy
• Money and Banking
• Global Economy and International Finance
• Applied Macroeconomics
• Contemporary Issues in the Indian Economy
• Public Policy with Program Evaluation
• Public Policy and Implementation in Indian Context:
  The module introduces students to the theoretical constructs of public policy and illustrates how it is applied in India with case studies relevant to India. The objective of this analytical course is to prepare students for critical evaluation of public policy issues and to make them informed participants in the related constructive dialogue.
• Innovation Systems and Policy:
  The course explores how to build a national innovation ecosystem that makes firms globally competitive, shifts focus from low to high-end technology, and increases R&D investment. It covers public funding for private sector research, leveraging Indian demand for innovation, and prioritizing research in higher education through government support. The course examines policy frameworks like the National S&T Policy, Startup India, Digital India, Make in India, and the Atal Innovation Mission, while identifying gaps in the current system. It also addresses innovation demands in high-tech areas such as semiconductors, AI, quantum tech, minerals, and the blue economy, using case studies and practical experiences for deeper insights.
• How to Read an Economy’s Report-card:
  We encounter news on macroeconomic concepts like GDP, inflation, unemployment etc. every day in the newspapers and magazines of general interest. The objective of this course is to introduce students to look at macroeconomic data critically. Students will be introduced to the key macroeconomic concepts, followed by demonstration of the corresponding data. By the end of the course, students should be able to read and critically assess news pieces concerning macroeconomic concepts and articles from The Economist, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times etc.
• Public Policy and Implementation in Indian Context:
  The module introduces students to the theoretical constructs of public policy and illustrates how it is applied in India with case studies relevant to India. The objective of this analytical course is to prepar e students for critical evaluation of public policy issues and to make them informed participants in the related constructive dialogue.
• Project-I