The Madras School of Economics,Chennai came into existence in 1995.

Its affiliated to University Grants Commission.

The primary objective was to create a center that would nurture quality teaching and research programs in economics. Within a short span of time it has realized this objective and is today counted among the premier institutes for higher education and research in economics in India.

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council awarded MSE an “A†grade. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has designated MSE as a Center of Excellence in Environmental Economics.

The college campus is strikingly beautiful, with aesthetic buildings and well-maintained gardens. Although cut off from the noise and pollution of the main road, a short walk will reach you to the main road from where most of the city is easily accessible.

In recent years there has been increasing concern about the deterioration in the standards of higher education in economics, environment and finance in the country. Undoubtedly, India has produced and continues to produce economists of high calibre who have made valuable contributions to theory and policymaking.

 However, at present, there are only a limited number of centres of excellence in post-graduate teaching and research in economics in the country. For various reasons, some of which are well known, these centres of excellence have been dwindling in number. It is unfortunately true that today there are very few schools where teaching and research in economics reach up to the best international standards. On the other hand, the services of well-trained, competent economics are in great demand, and the demand is expected to grow exponentially with the rapid growth and globalization of the economy.

A fast growing economy such as India needs the services of a large number of well-trained economists. The government, whose economics policies vitally affect the growth trajectoryof the economy as well as its stability, needs well-trained economists at various levels.

The private sector, whose ambit and scope of operations are expanding and which has now entered several new areas such as banking, insurance, heavy industries and financial services, will also need economists of high calibre. The number of young economists being produced by the shrinking number of centres of excellence is far from adequate to meet this rapid growth in demand for high-quality professionals from the public and private sectors, In addition to meeting the needs of universities. It is in this context that a few prominent industralists and academicians came forward to establish the Madras School of Economics (MSE). The Primary objective in founding the MSE was to create a centre of Excellence in post-graduate education in economics in the country.

The aim is to attain standards prevailing in some of the best schools of economics abroad. Merit will be the major consideration in the recruitment of staff and the admission of students subject to certain statues governing reservations. Enrolment is being done on the basis of national competition since MSE is a national institution, though named after the southern city of its physical location.

It was decided to build up MSE as a largely private funded institution. The need for private initiatives in higher education was felt because of the resource constriant faced by the government and more importantly because private institutions, duly accredited, would have greater flexibility for innovation and introduction of stricter standards. The hope was that after MSE has become fairly well-established, it could be approved as a deemed university and then it would have both autonomy and the approval of the University Grants Commission.

Vision For The Future

MSE aims to become an internationally recognized Centre of Excellence in economic studies, attracting the best of students and teachers from different parts of the country.

The hostels are on campus, and the main college buildings are most conveniently located just a short walk away. The campus is also attached to the Anna University campus.