Imperial Business School launches MSc in AI, Economics and Policy
Imperial Business School and Imperial College London's Department of Computing are jointly launching the MSc AI, Economics and Policy, a cross-disciplinary postgraduate programme the university says is the first in the UK to integrate technical AI training with economics, law and governance in a single curriculum. Applications open in August 2026, with the inaugural cohort beginning in September 2027.
The degree is aimed at recent graduates and early career professionals seeking roles in AI governance, technology policy, digital regulation, competition economics and responsible AI consultancy, as well as positions within government departments, regulators and international bodies. Students will also have the option to complete an individual research project or internship, and the programme offers a pathway into PhD-level study.
What the degree covers
The curriculum is designed to equip students with both a working understanding of AI systems and data-driven technologies, and the analytical frameworks to assess how those systems interact with markets, legal structures and public policy. The programme is informed by Imperial's existing relationships with key regulatory and governmental organisations, including the Information Commissioner's Office, the Competition and Markets Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority, Ofcom, the European Commission and a range of international bodies.
Professor Tommaso Valletti, Academic Director of the programme, said: "AI does not operate in isolation; it shapes markets, challenges existing regulation, and raises fundamental policy questions. By bringing together Imperial's strengths in computing, economics and public policy, we are equipping students with the tools to understand how AI systems function in practice and how they should be governed in the real world."
Market context
The launch reflects a broader recognition across academia, industry and government that the shortage of professionals who can operate at the intersection of technology and policy is becoming a material constraint on effective AI governance. The EU AI Act, the UK's AI Opportunities Action Plan and a growing body of sector-specific guidance from bodies such as the FCA and the CMA are creating sustained demand for graduates who understand both how AI systems work and how they should be regulated.
A small number of universities have offered AI-adjacent policy modules or dual-degree programmes in recent years, but cross-faculty degrees that grant equal weight to computer science and regulatory economics remain uncommon in the UK. Imperial's institutional position as a STEM-focused research university with an embedded business school gives it structural advantages in delivering this combination; most business schools lack the depth in computing, and most engineering faculties lack the economics and law faculty to support a true hybrid curriculum.
For employers, the degree speaks directly to a gap that has become visible in AI governance roles at regulators and in-house compliance teams: candidates who are technically literate enough to interrogate a model's architecture but who also understand competition law and the economics of digital markets. As AI regulation moves from high-level principles toward binding obligations, that skill set is likely to command a premium in both the public and private sectors.