Hear from our Graduates
Lucas Eymere
SH Graduate 2025
What initially drew you to study Economics at Trinity?
I was initially attracted to Trinity for its Joint Honours Programme, which enabled me to study both Economics and Geography. Trinity’s global reputation, central location, and vibrant student community made it a fantastic place to learn, grow, and feel part of an engaging academic environment. In my third year, I took part in a year-long international exchange in Singapore – an unforgettable experience that enriched both my academic and personal development.
Which areas of Economics have you found most interesting, and why?
Personally, I chose to pursue a single honours degree in Economics from third year. Trinity offers a broad range of modules to choose from, particularly in the final two years – an aspect I really valued. This variety allowed me to shape my degree around my interests, with modules such as Applied Economics and Game Theory helping me link theory to real-world economic challenges. With such a diverse selection, everyone could pick modules that really suited them. Furthermore, despite being initially daunting, completing a dissertation in my final year gave me the opportunity to explore a topic I’m passionate about in a much greater depth.
How do you think studying Economics has prepared you for what you’d like to do next?
Studying Economics at Trinity has shaped how I approach problem-solving and decision-making, and has given me the confidence to take on new challenges. I’m now moving to Madrid to pursue a Master’s in Real Estate – something I’m really excited about. My background in Economics has equipped me with a way of thinking and a set of tools that I know will serve me well as I take this next step.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying Economics at Trinity?
If you’re considering Economics at Trinity, my advice would be to stay open-mind and explore the wide range of areas the subject has to offer – you might be surprised by what captures your interest. Trinity also has a fantastic community, with approachable professors who are genuinely invested in your success.
Jack Egan
BESS Graduate 2025
What initially drew you to study Economics at Trinity?
Economics and the social sciences have always interested me. Understanding the systems which we live in and how they affect our lives was what drew me to doing a degree in economics. The flexibility of a degree in economics was also a factor which attracted me to the degree, I was not certain what career field I wanted to go into so economics has given me great opportunities to discover potential careers that could be for me.
Which areas of Economics have you found most interesting, and why?
Economics is such a large field such that there is a large diversity of content. The degree gives a lot of attention to statistics/econometrics which gives you the skills that can be applied to almost any topic. I particularly enjoyed the modules in later years as they offered a more detailed analysis of specified topics. I particularly enjoyed the final year module Game Theory which I thought was incredibly interesting and although a lot of concepts were abstract we were shown how to apply them to real world scenarios.
How do you think studying Economics has prepared you for what you’d like to do next?
Having had such a wide array of modules throughout my degree has allowed me to be prepared for a lot of different careers following my degree. There are the traditional economics fields such as banking and finance, but if you find a specific part interesting you can go into a different field such as behavioural economics and its relation to marketing. The ability to tailor the degree to what you find interesting is a great advantage of the degree.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying Economics at Trinity?
The biggest piece of advice I can give to someone coming to study economics, is try to involve yourself in economics as early as possible, in whatever way you find most interesting. If you love reading, or you listen to podcasts try to change these to be economics based. Understanding the vernacular and how to write is such an important skill throughout the degree.
Emmet Kearns
TSM Graduate 2017
I chose to study Mathematics and Economics at Trinity, hoping to strike a balance between theory and application. The course more than delivered – in years one and two, the degree offered an incredibly wide theoretical base which allowed students to discover where their interests really lie. In the final two years, I was then able to begin selecting more specialist modules, focusing on areas of interest such as Statistics, Data Science, Game Theory and Spatial Economics.
To me, the greatest competitive advantage of the course was the focus on writing novel research papers across my third and fourth years, providing a huge head start in academic research while pushing us to ask novel questions, tie together economic theory and empirical research at an early stage and focus on being creative in our approach. Supporting this, the professors (particularly those in the Economics department) were unrivalled in their commitment to students.
Since graduating, I have been pursuing a one-year MPhil at the University of Cambridge where I am using machine learning techniques to model long-run city development and simulate alternate urban realities in order to better understand the importance of path dependence following historical events and policy decisions, long after their initial shock. After graduating this summer, I will be joining a hedge fund in New York. My time as an undergraduate at Trinity has prepared me incredibly well for both of these roles and I am extremely grateful to my professors and subject departments for their four years of teaching and dedication.Debbie Blair
TSM Graduate 2013
I started my degree in Economics & Psychology, not really knowing anything about Economics. The department soon rectified that, exposing me to the core principles of Economic thinking in the first and second year, and then with specialisation in the areas that interested me in the final two years. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere between professors, administrative staff, post graduates and under graduates encouraged discussion, as well as creative and critical thought. There were modules for everyone, ranging from mathematical methods and econometrics to the history of monetary thought and the policies of the European union. The professors, the tutorials and the various events the department runs instilled in me a passion for Economics, one which I have continued to this day.
Since leaving Trinity I have stayed in academia and the degree from Trinity has opened up a number of doors for me. I completed my Masters in Economics at Oxford University, ran behavioural economic field experiments for a year at the University of Chicago and have since returned to London where I am currently working part-time at the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), while also pursuing a PhD in Oxford. I look back on my days in the Economics department with pleasure and am very grateful for the foundation it gave me to pursue my chosen career path.
Nick Fitzpatrick
BESS Graduate 2012
What first attracted me to the BESS programme was the enormous variety encompassed within one course. The common first year exposes students to Business, Economics and Political Science as well as Sociology, while also providing students the option to study a language or Law. I found this initial broad subject range extremely useful as it meant I could experience various different areas before specialising in the later years. As is the case with many students I was by no means certain which direction I wished to follow when I filled out my CAO form, but by choosing BESS I ensured that my options were left open as the course splits into 10 different degree options.
Personally I opted to pursue a single honours degree in Economics. I feel that this particular qualification has afforded me with a wealth of opportunities. The skills that I learned during my undergraduate years have proven to be the perfect preparation for the Master's degree I am currently pursuing. Many of my classmates opted to enter the workforce following the completion of their undergraduate Economics degrees and they found that a qualification from Trinity College is well received by employers.
James Walsh
BESS Graduate 2011
I loved my time studying economics and political science at Trinity College Dublin. The academic culture was rigorous and lively while the physical environment, Trinity's campus, was beautiful and historic. My lecturers were experts in their field and my fellow students were some of the smartest people I've ever met. In addition to lectures, each class had a tutorial group led either by graduate students or the lecturers themselves, which offered excellent opportunities to learn from our peers. For these reasons, I think that Trinity offers an intellectual environment that is matched in very few other places in the world.
One of the things that I enjoyed most about Trinity was the vibrancy of its student life. At Trinity, there are literally countless opportunities to meet fun and interesting new people, whether it be while winding down at “the Pav” (the university bar) or while working with others on a project (societies put on professional quality plays, debates, and entrepreneurship competitions). While in college, I joined the College Historical Society, which happens to be the oldest student society in the world, and got to meet and have dinner with some of my heroes, for example, Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, and Joseph Stiglitz.
Both the economics and political science departments offered a variety of theoretical and applied classes, which helped me hone not only my writing and analytical skills, but also my public speaking and teamwork skills. I now work at the World Bank in Washington DC, where I rely on the skills I acquired at Trinity every day. When I speak to other Trinity graduates, who work all around the world (from New York, to Cairo, to London, to Paris, to Kigali – to name just a few) we always agree that Trinity left us extremely well prepared for graduate school and the workforce.