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Contact information
- Dr Malcolm Pemberton
- Admissions Tutor
- econ-ug-admissions@ucl.ac.uk
- +44 (0)20 3549 5379
Economics BSc (Econ)
This degree, aimed at ambitious and mathematically capable students, provides a thorough grounding in economic theory, along with the technical tools, mathematics and statistics to assist in mastering the theory. Our highly regarded department offers a stimulating learning environment in central London, close to one of the world's largest financial centres.
Covid-19 programme updates
Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.
Key Information
Programme starts
September 2020
- UCAS code
- L100
- Duration
-
Full-time: 3 years
- Application deadline
- 15 January 2020
- Location
- London, Bloomsbury
Entry requirements
A Levels
- Grades
- A*AA
- Subjects
- Mathematics grade A* required, plus grade A in Economics if offered.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
Contextual offer
- Grades
- A*AB (more about contextual offers)
- Subjects
- Mathematics grade A* required, plus grade A in Economics if offered.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
IB Diploma
- Points
- 39
- Subjects
- A score of 19 points in three higher level subjects including grade 7 in Mathematics and grade 6 in Economics if offered with no score lower than 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 38 (more about contextual offers)
- Subjects
- A Score 18 in three higher level subjects including 7 in Mathematics and 6 in Economics if offered with no score lower than 5
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
D2,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, to include Mathematics D2, plus D3 in Economics if offered.
A1,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A1,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher), to include Mathematics at A1, plus A if Economics being offered at Advanced Higher.
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A-Levels at grades A*AA. To include Mathematics A*, plus grade A in Economics if offered.
International applications
In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency. Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Degree benefits
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to research answers to problems. Whatever you decide to focus on, be it policy-making or international business, you will learn how to make use of theories, empirical analysis and the ideas of other researchers to find solutions to questions.
Learn from economists who run leading centres for research and provide policy advice to international governments and agencies, such as the United Nations and the World Bank.
We are recognised for our internationally distinguished research, and in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014), UCL received the highest percentage in the UK for research in Economics and Econometrics, 99% rated either 4* (world-leading) or 3* (internationally excellent).
Benefit from a range of lectures presented by eminent economists, including our Gorman Lectures, and from the activities of student societies including the Economist's Society which publishes The Drayton Tribune magazine and the UCLU Economics and Finance Society.
Degree structure
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
The department's fundamental premise is that students should learn how to do economics themselves, rather than just learn how the academic staff or other economists do it.
In the first year you take compulsory modules on the core concepts of economics, applied economics, mathematics and statistics, and have the opportunity to take optional modules.
In your second year, principles of model-building, problem-solving and quantitative techniques are emphasised, and you will take compulsory core modules in microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics.
Most final-year modules introduce you to research papers and current research, including that of staff members. You will benefit from instruction by staff whose research impacts directly on the policy process, for example via contact with the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. You are required to undertake an assessed independent research project in at least one final-year module, using the tools and knowledge developed in the curriculum.
Modules
An indicative guide to the structure of this programme, year by year.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Applied Economics
Economics
Mathematics for Economics
Statistical Methods in Economics
Optional modules
You will select a total of 30 credits from a wide range of options.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
Microeconomics
Quantitative Economics and Econometrics
Optional modules
You will select 30 credits from a wide range of options. Options may include:
Economic History
Economics of Development
Economics of Education
Economics of Labour
Economics of Regulation
Economics of Science
Economics of Tax Policy
Core or compulsory module(s)
A total of at least 60 credits from the list of third-year economics optional modules. You are required to take at least one economics final-year optional module that has a research project as part of the module assessment.
Optional modules
You will select 60 credits from a wide range of optional modules, of which 30 credits must be taken from the list of second and third-year economics modules. Third-year economics modules may include:
Advanced Economics of Finance
Advanced Macroeconomics
Behavioural Economics
Econometrics for Macroeconomics and Finance
Economics of Information
Economics of Money and Banking
Economic Policy and Analysis
Ethics in Applied Economics
Experimental Economics
Game Theory
Topics in Industrial Economics
International Trade
Issues in Economic Development
Microeconometrics
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study.
These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only. The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August. From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system.
There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available
Your learning
The cornerstone of each module is a lecture series. Through demonstration classes and small-group work you will learn how to put economic models together, how to undertake quantitative analysis, and, potentially, formulate your own model to address a new problem. In the later parts of the programme, there is an increased emphasis on collaborative work and group presentations.
Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully.
In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching.
UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.
Assessment
Your progress is monitored throughout the year on a module-by-module basis, which will provide feedback aimed at improving your understanding and technique. You will be assessed by year-end written examinations and other forms of term-time assessment including, for example, multiple-choice quizzes, in-course essays and research project work.
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.
If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.
Detailed course descriptions are available on the department website: Economics BSc (Econ).
Careers
Many useful skills can be gained through the study of economics, for example: finding solutions to real-world problems, mathematical skills and an enhanced understanding of contemporary political and economic events.
About one-third of our graduates move directly into graduate study, including MScs in Economics, MBA programmes and conversion courses in computing and law. Students have also proceeded to doctoral programmes including those in major US economics departments such as Columbia, Yale and Chicago.
Graduates entering employment predominantly move into management, banking and finance and the civil service.
UCL is commited to helping you get the best start after graduation. Read more about how UCL Careers and UCL Innovation and Enterprise can help you find employment or learn about entrepreneurship.
Student view
“I really appreciate the freedom given to students under the programme structure. The flexibility in the course allows me to simultaneously be President of The Economist's Society (UCL's official economics society), a Transition Mentor to first year students and still have time to apply for various internships and graduate roles.”Neerav Handel Subbiah - Economics BSc (Econ) Second Year
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2020/21 academic year. The UK/EU fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2020/21 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
- UK/EU students
- £9,250 (2020/21)
- Overseas students
- £23,290 (2020/21)
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
The Ian and Kate El-Mokadem Bursary has been established to support an undergraduate UK-domiciled student taking a 3-year Economics degree programme or a joint degree programme with another department which is anchored in Economics.
Departmental scholarships
Funding opportunities relevant to the department may appear in this section when they are available. Please check carefully or confirm with the programme contact to ensure they apply to this degree programme.
Robins Bursary
- Deadline
- Deadline: Friday, 3 July 2020
- Value
- £15,660 /yr
- Eligibility
- UK, EU
- Criteria
- Based on financial need
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Application and next steps
Your application
Academic entry requirements reflect the strong competition for places. In addition to academic qualifications we seek candidates who can demonstrate that they have researched what an economics degree involves, and how it is different from a business or management degree. Evidence that you keep yourself abreast of current economic issues and the economic press will be looked on favourably.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Application deadline: 15 January 2020
Selection
UK-based applicants who have been made an offer are given the chance to attend an open day. Each admissions cycle has open days with about 100 applicants attending on each occasion.
At our open days you will attend talks by the Admissions Tutor and, typically, a representative of the Economist's Society. You will then have the opportunity to meet informally with academic staff and students before taking a tour of UCL.
Our admissions selectors will assess your application to determine your academic potential and motivation for this degree programme, as well as the core skills it requires.
For further information on UCL's selection process see: Selection of students.
Page last modified on 24 February 2020