Choosing your optional and elective modules

1. Check the list of approved optional and elective modules

2. Visit the Module Catalogue

3. Check each module's prerequisites

4. Check for clashes

5. Access module registration

6. FAQs

Between Monday 11 September - Sunday 24 September (midnight) you are recommended to pick your optional modules for your first year BSc Economics. This guide will help you navigate the system and understand the steps you need to take.

Watch: Professor Frank Witte talks about transitioning from high school to university education

Watch: Choosing your modules 

1. Check the list of approved optional and elective modules

You should pick your modules from the approved lists for BSc Economics. We recommend you use these lists to make a shortlist of the modules you're most interested in for Year 1 on your degree. 

Note: Optionals are the list of modules you can take from within the Department of Economics. Electives are modules from outside of the Department of Economics that are approved for you to take. You should select your optional credits from these lists only.  

Year 1

2. Visit the Module Catalogue

Use UCL's Module Catalogue to find out more about the modules you're interested in. The catalogue details every module available during the 2023/24 academic year and convers module content, prerequisites, and assessment methods.

Please note, information in the catalogue is subject to change as teaching and assessment arrangements for 2023/24 may need to be adjusted in line with the Teaching and Assessment Operating Model.

3. Check each module's prerequisites

It’s important to check you meet the prerequisites for each module you’re interested, if you apply and you don’t meet the requirements you won’t be able to take that module and you may miss out on other modules you are eligible to take.

4. Check for clashes

Many students like to spread their assessment dates out so their workload remains manageable across the academic year. Make sure you check all of the assessment dates for the module you apply to.

As well as this, you want to be sure that none of your classes clash. Once you have a list of the modules you’d like to take, you can use the Custom Timetable Generator  to create a mock-up of your timetable and identify any clashes. (Please be aware that timetabling is still ongoing as we await Estates to allocate rooms and times and rooms may change after you've made your selection.)

Click on the link above and enter a module name, you can then select the module from the list and it will be added to your virtual timetable. Once you’ve done this for all your modules click ‘create timetable’ and you’ll be able to check for clashes.

Please note that for some modules teaching is split into groups so you might not need to attend every class shown on the Custom Timetable Generator.

5. Access module registration 

When you've completed the above steps you're now ready to register for your modules. 

You can access module registration via the 'My Studies' page on Portico, where you will see a container labelled 'My Modules' which contains:

• a link to the module registration task (where appropriate)
• a link to the UCL Module Catalogue 
• details of your current module selections

Can’t see the link to complete module registration for 2023/24? Check that you've completed your pre-enrolment (new students) or re-enrolment (returning students).

6. Frequently Asked Questions