Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
The BA Economics (two subject degree) combines economics with another discipline or language and takes 3 or 4 years depending on the subject involved. It provides you with a thorough grounding in economic principles while allowing you to create a specialist niche for yourself by studying another subject.
May be combined with:
Arabic+, (LT16 BA/ECA)
Chinese+, (LT11 BA/ECCH)
Development Studies, (LL91 BA/ECDVS)
East Asian Studies
History, (LV11 BA/HEC)
Japanese+, (LT12 BA/JEC)
Korean+, (LTCL BA/KOEC)
Languages and Cultures
Law,(LM11 BA/LWEC)
Politics, (LL12 BA/POLEC)
Social Anthropology, (LL16 BA/SAEC)
+ 4-year degree with (compulsory) one year abroad++ 3 or 4-year degree with the option of one year abroad
Why study Economics Combined Honours at SOAS?
We offer the broadest portfolio of modules on economics and political economy.
Our unrivalled focus on the study of developing and emerging economies provides you with a more critical approach to economic theory.
Our academic staff are specialists within an unparalleled range of emerging and developing economies, and a broad spectrum of theory and policy debates.
Theoretical concepts and debates are expertly applied to real issues within the countries of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as in the global economy and interdependencies therein.
We are specialists in the delivery of languages. Your command of a language from SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities.
Choosing to study a Combined Honours programme will allow you to take advantage of the expertise of one of our other departments allowing you to create a specialist niche for yourself.
Employment
An undergraduate degree in Economics from SOAS will give you a solid grounding in economic principles and their application to concrete situations.
Skills gained include:
expertise in key economics and political economy theories from a pluralist stance, appreciating both orthodox and heterodox views,
expertise in the emerging economies of Africa, Asia and the Middle East,
the ability to think laterally, to take a global perspective, and employ critical reasoning,
statistical and computing skills,
analytical skills,
communication and presentation skills,
choosing to study a joint degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge allowing you to develop a specialist niche for yourself.
Graduates from the Department have pursued a variety of successful careers, often with Asian or African links, in international organisations, business and industry, banking, accountancy, journalism, consultancy, teaching and higher education. Many have gone on to read for postgraduate degrees either in the Department’s own thriving masters’ and research degree programmes or elsewhere.
Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:
BBC World Service
Bloomberg LP
Capital Economics
Deloitte
Goldman Sachs
Grant Thornton
Myers Clark Chartered Accountants
PWC
Standard Chartered Bank
Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:
Assistant Economist
Equity Derivative Worker
Financial Analyst
Freelance Broadcast Journalist
Graduate Tax Trainee
Policy Data Manager
Monitoring Analyst
Risk Consultant
Sustainability Consultant
Trainee Chartered Accountant
Structure
Students take 120 credits composed of Core, Compulsory and Optional modules.
Core modules: These are mandatory and must be passed in the year they are taken before the student can progress to the next year.
Compulsory modules: These are mandatory but in the case of a failure, students may carry this into their next year provided that they retake and pass the failed element or exam.
Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.
Programme structure for students studying Economics as a second subject
The Programme Structure for students studying Economics as a second subject can be found at the bottom of the page. For students studying Economics as the first subject in the joint degree can find their programme structure below:
BA Economics and... (with Economics appearing FIRST in the degree title)
Over the course of a three-year degree, students must complete 360 credits. These can be split evenly between both subjects (180/180), or be varied between the two subjects if the programme structure gives scope for this. Students must have at least 150 credits in the first subject (with a maximum of 240 credits being possible) and 120 credits in the second subject (with a maximum of 210 credits being possible) in order to be awarded a two-subject degree. The subject in which the higher amount of credits has been passed will be named first on the final degree awarded, provided core modules are passed.
Year 1 (For students with A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Introduction to economic analysis
Compulsory Modules
Statistics
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics
AND choose modules the value of 30 credits from LIST A OR choose modules to the value of 30 credits from the SECOND SUBJECT
PLUS choose modules from the second subject to the value of 30 credits
Year 2 (For students with A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Students choose one of the following core modules:
Microeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Analysis
Compulsory Modules
Employability and Career Planning Workshop
PLUS choose modules from LIST B to the value of 30 credits
AND modules to the value of 60 credits from the second subject
Year 3 (For students with A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Students choose one of the following core modules:
Microeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Analysis
Compulsory Modules
Survey and Data Literacy Workshop
Plus choose modules from List C to the value of 30 credits
AND 60 credits from second subject
Year 1 (For students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Introduction to economic analysis
Compulsory Modules
Year 1 Economics Students are also required the following compulsory module/s:
Introductory Mathematics for Economists
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics
AND choose modules the value of 30 credits from LIST A OR choose modules to the value of 30 credits from the SECOND SUBJECT
PLUS choose modules from the second subject to the value of 30 credits
Year 2 (For students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Students choose ONE of the following core modules:
Microeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Analysis
Compulsory Modules
Statistics
Employability and Career Planning Workshop
PLUS 60 credits from second subject
Year 3 (For students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Students choose ONE of the following core modules:
Microeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Analysis
Compulsory Modules
Survey and Data Literacy Workshop
Plus choose modules from List C to the value of 30 credits
AND 60 credits from second subject
BA Economics (with Economics appearing Second in the degree title)
Year 1 (For students with A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Introduction to economic analysis
Compulsory Modules
Year 1 Economics Students are also required the following compulsory module:
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics
Students choose one of the following core modules:
Quantitative Methods for Economists
Comparative Growth and Development
Plus
60 credits from second subject
Year 1 (For students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Introduction to economic analysis
Introduction to quantitative methods for Economists
Compulsory Modules
Year 1 Economics Students are also required the following compulsory module:
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics
Plus
60 credits from second subject
or
30 credits from second subject, if possible,
and
Comparative Growth and Development
Year 2 (For students with and without A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Students choose one of the following core modules:
Microeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Analysis
Plus
Choose modules from List A to the value of 30 credits
and
60 credits from second subject
Year 3 (For students with and without A-level or equivalent in Maths)
Core Modules
Students choose one of the following core modules:
Microeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Analysis
Plus
Choose modules from List B to the value of 30 credits
and
60 credits from second subject
List A
Quantitative Methods for Economists
Issues in Development Economics
Banking and Finance
International Economics
Econometrics
Students may also choose an Open Option module(s) or intercollegiate module(s) to the value of 30 credits. Selection of this/these will be subject to approval by the programme convenor.
List B
Issues in Development Economics
Banking and Finance
International Economics
Quantitative Methods for Economists
Econometrics
Gender Economics (UG)
Global Economic Policy
China and World Development
China's Economic Transformation
Economic Development of Japan
Economic Development in the Asia Pacific region
History of Economic Thought and Methods
The Economics of the Environment
Independent study project in Economics
Applied Econometrics for Cross-section Data Analyses
Applied Econometrics for Time-Series Data Analysis
Economic development of Africa: macroeconomic approaches
Economic development of Africa: microeconomic approaches
Political Economy of Development and Change in the Middle East
Topics in the Political Economy of Contemporary Middle East
Topics in the Political Economy of Contemporary South Asia
Political Economy of Development and Change in South Asia
Limits to Growth?
Economic Development of Southeast Asia
Students may also choose an Open Option module(s) or intercollegiate module(s) to the value of 30 credits. Selection of this/these will be subject to approval by the programme convenor.
Prerequisistes
In order to take:
Students should also have taken or provided evidence of equivalence to course convenors for:
Macroeconomic Analysis
Introduction to Economic Analysis
Microeconomic Analysis
Introduction to Economic Analysis
Issues in Economic Development
Introduction to Economic Analysis and/or Comparative Growth in Asia and Africa
International Economics
Introduction to Economic Analysis
Banking and Finance
Introduction to Economic Analysis
The Economics of the Environment
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Global Economic Policy
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Gender Economics
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
The Economics of the Environment
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Econometrics
Quantitative Methods in Economics
Applied Econometrics for Time-Series Data Analysis
Econometrics
Applied Econometrics for Cross-section Data Analyses
Econometrics
Economic development of Africa: microeconomic approaches
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Economic development of Africa: macroeconomic approaches
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
China's Economic Transformation
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
China and World Development
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Political Economy of Development and Change in the Middle East
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Topics in the Political Economy of Contemporary Middle East
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Economic Development of Japan
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Economic Development of Southeast Asia
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Political Economy of Development and Change in South Asia
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
Topics in the Political Economy of Contemporary South Asia
Either Macroeconomic Analysis or Microeconomic Analysis or Issues in Development Economics
History of Economic Thought and Methods
Macroeconomic Analysis and/or Microeconomic Analysis
Economic Development in the Asia- Pacific Region
Macroeconomic Analysis and/or Microeconomic Analysis
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
Admissions and Applications
To apply for an undergraduate degree at SOAS (including students wishing to transfer from another university) you must apply through the UK's central universities application organization, UCAS. An application form and details of courses can be found on their website. UCAS charges an applicant's fee for handling the application.
You can apply to up to five choices of higher education institutions or course on the UCAS form. How you utilise the choice is up to you. In other words, you could apply to do the same subject, for example, economics, at five different universities, or five different courses at the same university, or any combination of subject and institution. Nor do you have to use up all five choices. Whatever you choose you should list your choices in the order they appear in the UCAS handbook.
Entry Requirements
A minimum of Grade B (grade 6 in the new structure) at GCSE for those without A-level Maths.
A-Levels: AAA-AABIB: 37 (666 at HL)
Alternative entry requirements
BTEC: DDD
Access to HE: Minimum of 30 Level 3 Credits at Distinction
Scottish Highers: AAAAA
Scottish Advanced Highers: AAA
Irish LC: 360 points from 5 Higher level subjects at grade C1 or above
Advanced Placement: 4 5 5 (Two semesters - UCAS Group A) plus US HSGD with GPA 3.0
Euro Bacc: 85%
French Bacc: 15/20
German Abitur: 1.5
Italy DES: 85/100
Austria Mat: 1.5
Polish Mat: Overall 80% including 3 extended level subjects
English Language Entry Requirements
You must be able to show that your English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete your course at SOAS. Please note that we take our English language requirements seriously and failure to meet them exactly may well result in your application to SOAS being rejected. It is not possible to negotiate if your scores are below our required levels, with the expectation that because they are 'close enough' they will be accepted. It is important that you plan appropriately, well in advance, so that your English language test comes in good time and so that you have time to retake the test if necessary. We do not accept reasons of inconvenience or financial hardship for not submitting or retaking an English test.
International students
For EU and International students who need a visa, if unconditional entry scores are achieved we accept qualifications from several countries, as well as a range of international qualifications and tests.
If a Tier 4 entry visa is required then a SELT, such as UKVI IELTS may be needed. For this reason, we recommend all Tier 4 visa students to choose the UKVI IELTS Academic test as the test of first resort.
