# Madras School of Economics

> Madras School of Economics is a specialist institution founded in Chennai in 1993. Its current taught portfolio includes integrated economics, five MA specialisations, data science and two MBAs. The economics and data-science routes combine quantitative study with applied work, while entry requirements differ by programme and applicant category.

- Canonical page: https://www.studentstraffic.com/university/madras-school-of-economics
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-27
- Publisher: Students Traffic (https://www.studentstraffic.com/)

## Key facts

- Location: Chennai, [India](https://www.studentstraffic.com/countries/india)
- Type: Private
- Established: 1993
- Official website: https://mse.ac.in/
- Published programmes on Students Traffic: 7

## Recognition and approvals

- UGC — institution established under State Legislature Act
- Verify: [UGC Annual Report 2022–23, pp 95 and 142](https://www.ugc.gov.in/oldpdf/annualreport/AR.2022-23.English_WEB.pdf)

## Programmes

| Programme | Course | Duration | Medium | Fees |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Integrated Master of Arts in Economics](https://www.studentstraffic.com/integrated-ma-economics) | Integrated M.A. Economics | 5 years |  | $3,025 / semester |
| [Master of Science in Data Science](https://www.studentstraffic.com/msc-data-science) | M.Sc. Data Science | 2 years |  | $6,934 / semester |
| [Master of Arts in General Economics](https://www.studentstraffic.com/ma-general-economics) | Master's Economics | 2 years |  | $4,333 / semester |
| [Master of Arts in Financial Economics](https://www.studentstraffic.com/ma-financial-economics) | Master's Economics | 2 years |  | $4,333 / semester |
| [Master of Arts in Actuarial Economics](https://www.studentstraffic.com/ma-actuarial-economics) | Master's Economics | 2 years |  | $4,333 / semester |
| [Master of Arts in Environmental Economics](https://www.studentstraffic.com/ma-environmental-economics) | Master's Economics | 2 years |  | $4,333 / semester |
| [Master of Arts in Applied Quantitative Finance](https://www.studentstraffic.com/ma-applied-quantitative-finance) | Master's Quantitative Finance | 2 years |  | $4,333 / semester |

## Admissions

Economics and data-science applicants use programme-specific academic, age and applicant-category rules. The 2026 Indian, NRI and foreign-national procedures are distinct; foreign qualification equivalence and documentation remain mandatory. Students Traffic can help prepare the appropriate application and full-cost plan.


## Why students choose it

- Study economics through five distinct postgraduate specialisations rather than a single undifferentiated MA.
- The integrated route provides staged exit awards within a continuous five-year economics curriculum.
- Data Science includes both a summer internship and dissertation alongside quantitative and computing study.

## Things to consider

- The 2026 brochures impose programme-specific age, mathematics and academic-score conditions.
- Published semester charges include category-specific components; they are not isolated annual tuition totals.
- The two MBA sources disagree on important eligibility conditions, which require clarification before applying.

## Best fit for

- Applicants comfortable with mathematics and quantitative approaches to economics.
- Graduates comparing a specialised MA with an applied data-science master’s degree.
- Applicants able to meet the exact academic and age rules of the selected Indian or foreign self-financing route.

## Campus and city

The Kotturpuram campus has air-conditioned classrooms, a library with computer and reading facilities, hostels, a mess and a cafeteria. Outdoor and indoor sports include football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, chess and carrom.

MSE is on Gandhi Mandapam Road in Kotturpuram, Chennai, behind the Government Data Centre and Anna Centenary Library. It is a single specialist campus for this profile, not the Central University of Tamil Nadu. Historical university partnerships should not be confused with the location or awarding arrangements for new MSE cohorts.

The economics portfolio includes quantitative methods, econometrics and specialised applications. The MA programmes include a summer internship after the second semester, while the Data Science programme requires a summer internship and a second-year dissertation. The integrated route adds programming and analytical study. A BA exit within the integrated programme is not an additional admissions route, and applied work does not guarantee employment.


## Hostel, food and safety

MSE has separate accommodation for men and women; its integrated-programme brochure describes three girls’ hostels and one boys’ hostel. Hostel rooms remain subject to availability. The hostel page describes dining, common reading facilities, television and internet access.

The campus mess serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, and the cafeteria provides snacks, tea and coffee. Applicants with allergies or other dietary needs should confirm the arrangements directly rather than assume a dedicated service.

MSE identifies grievance and sexual-harassment prevention, anti-ragging and SC/ST committees. These provide institutional reporting channels; the presence of a committee is not a guarantee against incidents.

The programme brochures identify separate student offices for admissions, including a direct route for foreign self-financing applicants. The campus library and reading rooms support academic work, and the grievance committees provide additional points of contact. Students Traffic can help organise a programme-specific application and full-cost plan.


## Frequently asked questions

### Which taught programmes are currently advertised?

MSE advertises an integrated MA in Economics, five two-year MA specialisations, MSc Data Science and MBAs in Finance and Business Analytics. Doctoral routes are separate research degrees.

### Are BA exit awards separate new-entry degrees?

The current integrated economics route has a three-year BA Honours exit and a four-year BA Honours with Research exit. These exits should not be represented as independently advertised new-entry programmes.

### Can foreign students apply to the economics and data-science programmes?

The 2026 brochures provide a self-financing direct-application route for foreign nationals. The designated MSE office receives the application, bio-data and academic qualifications; programme academic conditions still apply.

### Is mathematics required?

The integrated route requires Standard, Applied or Business Mathematics at 10+2. The MA and MSc routes require mathematics at 10+2 or equivalent, or qualifying undergraduate mathematical-economics study.

### Do the fee figures represent annual tuition?

No. The reviewed MSE brochures principally quote semester charges, with separate infrastructure and one-time admission charges. Indian, NRI and foreign-national tariffs differ.

### Is accommodation available?

MSE has separate men’s and women’s campus logistics, but availability must be confirmed. Its meal arrangements serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian daily living, with a separate cafeteria for snacks and drinks.

### Are the cited dates upcoming admissions deadlines?

No. The MA, integrated MA and MSc brochures concern the 2026 cohort. Their closed dates do not establish a future application window.

### What independent recognition is documented?

The UGC Annual Report 2022–23 lists MSE among institutions established under a State Legislature Act, with recognition from 1 April 2021. This is statutory institutional recognition, not an accreditation of every programme or a new 2026 order.

### Is an English language test required for foreign admission?

The currently linked MA and MSc ordinances require foreign applicants to demonstrate English proficiency. When English was not their first language or prior secondary/tertiary medium, the stated IELTS or TOEFL thresholds apply to scores no more than two years old. That rule is not automatically transferred to the integrated MA.

### Are the age limits the same for every route?

The 2026 integrated-MA brochure requires applicants to be under 22 on 1 July 2026. The MA and MSc brochures use under 25 on that date. These cycle-specific limits are not a prediction of the next admissions policy.

### Are financial-assurance documents the same as tuition fees?

No. Foreign-route MA documents permit the stated government fee-payment undertaking or a USD 5,000 bank balance; the MSc ordinance uses USD 10,000. These are financial-assurance requirements, not tuition quotations.

### How do fees change within the integrated degree?

The 2026–27 integrated handbook labels its first three years as the BA fee stage and says MA fees apply in years four and five. Foreign and NRI semester tariffs differ. Do not multiply one stage’s semester quote into a fixed five-year tuition total.


## Sources

- [Institution background](https://mse.ac.in/about/) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [Integrated MA admissions 2026](https://mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IMA-2026-Broucher.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MA admissions 2026](https://mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MSE-MA-Programs-Brochure-2026.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSc admissions 2026](https://mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MSE-M.Sc_.-Degree-in-Data-Science-Brochure-2026-v2.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [Hostel facilities](https://mse.ac.in/hostel-facilities/) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [Grievance and safety committees](https://mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Grievance-and-Prevention-of-Sexual-Harassment-Committee.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [UGC statutory-institution listing and degree-awarding category](https://www.ugc.gov.in/oldpdf/annualreport/AR.2022-23.English_WEB.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [UGC official annual-reports index](https://www.ugc.gov.in/publication/Annual_Reports) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSE current MA admissions and NRI/foreign entry point](https://mse.ac.in/m-a-programmes-mse/) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSE current MSc admissions, NRI/foreign and GATE entry points](https://mse.ac.in/m-sc-ds-admission/) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSE current integrated-MA admissions](https://mse.ac.in/5-year-integrated-ma/) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSE currently linked MA foreign-admissions ordinance](https://mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MA-Program-Ordinance-April2025.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSE MSc foreign-admissions ordinance referenced by current brochure](https://www.mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/M.Sc_.-Data-Science-Ordinance-2025.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [MSE current MA academic page linking its ordinance](https://mse.ac.in/ma-programmes/) (checked 2026-10-27)
- [Integrated-MA current handbook, native stage-specific fees](https://mse.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMA-Student-Handbook-2026.pdf) (checked 2026-10-27)

## Free counselling

Students Traffic offers free admission counselling for this university and its programmes.

- Contact: https://www.studentstraffic.com/contact
- WhatsApp: https://wa.me/919176162888
- Phone: +91 91761 62888
- Email: hello@studentstraffic.com