US engineering graduate interested in MSc Economics in Europe

[visexaminer]

Hello. I've been doing some research about the admissions to MSc Economics programs in Europe. Since my BS is in engineering, I'm finding that there are very few programs that I'm qualified to apply to. I've emailed some programs asking about my situation, but I'm still not sure how best to proceed. Some programs (Mannheim) are consecutive masters so I'm definitely not qualified to apply. However, some programs (Erasmus School of Economics) stated that my qualifications cannot be assessed until I apply. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to spend 100 EUR applying to every school not knowing if I'm even qualified. I asked Erasmus how I should best prepare (what classes to take, which pre-master/diploma programs, etc.) and receive very vague answers.

 

Is there anyone who has the experience applying to European MSc programs with an American bachelor's degree in an unrelated field? Should I take classes at my local university or go for a formal, reputable program like graduate diploma from Birkbeck, University of London? I want to maximize my chances at getting into the best possible programs so I don't want to do a school-specific pre-master program (Erasmus offered one, but judging from its curriculum, I'm not confident I would be able to apply to other prestigious programs.) Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[9jc3]

You can try Barcelona GSE, especially if you are interested in macro. They have a reputable faculty and a nice Ph.D. placement record, as well as career prospects. I think ESE is good for behavioral, health, and financial economics (if you didn't consider the econometrics program), but I'm not completely sure and can't say much. It would be helpful to know what area(s) you are interested in but my advice right now would be to apply asap as the deadlines are approaching, assuming that you want to start this coming August/September.