Policy Analyst

Economics & Policy

Behavioral Economist

Why do people sign up for the gym in January and stop going in March? Behavioral economists work on questions like this, but with rigor — pairing nudges and choice architecture with experiments that can actually tell whether an intervention moved the needle. The role lives at the seam of psychology, statistics, and policy. Days might involve designing a randomized trial, defending a causal inference method to a skeptical stakeholder, or writing up a finding so a non-academic audience can act on it. Students grow into this path by getting comfortable with both the EAST framework and tools like PyMC for Bayesian inference. The best work here is honest about effect sizes, not just direction.

Economics & Policy

Economist

US$178,711

What is the actual cost of a policy decision, and who bears it? Economists answer questions like that, working inside governments, central banks, consultancies, and increasingly tech companies. The role blends theory, data work, and the craft of explaining complex trade-offs to people who have to choose. Days involve building time-series forecasts, designing cost-benefit analyses, and writing memos that get cited in real decisions. Students who enjoyed both calculus and reading history tend to feel at home. A strong economist holds their priors loosely and lets the data correct them. You grow into the role through a deep undergraduate base, often a graduate degree, and steady practice with Python for analysis and clear prose for communication.