Lay the foundation for a career with global impact
Year of entry: 2025/26
L100
Y50
3 years full-time (plus optional placement year)
AAB (full entry requirements)
September 2025 (semester dates)
Economics is at play every day, in all areas of our lives.
Whether it’s the global implications of the Euro crisis, fluctuations in employment or even the price of milk in the supermarket, economics is the driving force.
Many of our lecturers are recognised for their ‘internationally excellent’ research into economics and its application to the real world. This research-led approach will give you a valuable insight into the ways in which financial decisions affect individuals, businesses and societies on a local and global level.
It's been a long journey, and I always emphasize that it started at York, where I learned so much of the economics I've used throughout my career.
Professor Daron Acemoğlu (BA Economics, 1989; Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, 2024)
The Department received an Athena SWAN Bronze Award in 2020 in recognition of our commitment to gender equality.
We're ranked 19th in the UK for Economics in the Complete University Guide (CUG) 2025.
The first year of our economics courses introduce the key areas that underpin the rest of the course. Years 2 and 3 consolidate and expand upon this knowledge via a series of study modules which have been developed to give you a thorough understanding of the subject. They enable you to tailor your degree to meet your academic and career interests.
There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:
There are opportunities to spend time in industry as part of this course.
The first year provides a broad introduction, covering everything from small-scale economic decisions at an individual and local level, through to issues that impact upon the national and international economy.
You will also study one option module. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.
In the second year you will dig deeper in core economic topics and explore areas of your interest in greater detail.
You will also study three option modules. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
You will also study five option modules from our wide range of specialist modules allowing you the flexibility to tailor the course to your future career path.
In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | £25,800 |
Fees for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year.
The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
These scholarships are worth £3,000 each year to talented students from families of lower income.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
Our teaching, learning and student experience is outstanding, recognised by a Gold rating from the Office for Students in the 2023 national assessment (Teaching Excellence Framework).
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
You will be encouraged to work creatively and independently but you won’t be on your own. Our expert tutors are available to offer guidance and support. Modules are taught via a series of lectures supported by discussion group seminars and practical classes. We place a strong focus on applying academic theory to real-life situations to improve planning, teamwork and research skills.
Our academics have links with industry and are knowledgeable about emerging developments in the sector, so you can be sure you will gain a well-informed account of the issues and challenges facing the field of economics. In addition, each module has its own area on the virtual learning environment that provides easy access to supporting learning materials.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 8-9 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 1-2 hours per week |
| Workshops | 0-2 hours per week |
| Practicals | 0-2 hours per week |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
You will be based in the Department of Economics and Related Studies on Campus West. Your teaching will take place in a variety of locations on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment varies from module to module and includes a combination of exams, written essays and project work.
Your tutors will give feedback in a variety of forms depending on the specific needs of the module. This may consist of written feedback, in-class discussion, model answers, one-to-one discussions or online responses.
This flexible course has been developed to provide you with the skills to meet the needs of the business world. Whether you’re looking for a career in banking, finance, the public sector, an information organisation or in management consultancy, career prospects for graduates are excellent.
Following graduation around a third of our students go on to postgraduate study and many progress to an MSc here at York. The Department of Economics has one of the largest graduate schools in the country for training and research.
In recent years graduates have gone on to work with:
Economics students graduate with a wide range of transferable skills. As well as developing your subject-specific knowledge, an economics degree will equip you with:
I’d advise all students to get involved with student life. Aside from it being good for your employment prospects, it will also be a lot of fun. If you balance a serious society, like the debate club, with a more fun society, such as skydiving, you will mix with a wide variety of people and so you will be more adaptable in the future, this will certainly show up in interviews.Wayne, Graduate, now working as an Economic Analyst.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| A levels | AAB including Mathematics |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 36 credits at Distinction and 9 at Merit or higher plus Level 3 units in Mathematics or in conjunction with an alternative Level 3 Mathematics qualification |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDD including Mathematics or in conjunction with an acceptable alternative Level 3 Mathematics qualification |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D3, D3, M2 including Mathematics |
| European Baccalaureate | 80% overall including Mathematics |
| International Baccalaureate | 35 points with a minimum grade of 6 points in Higher level or 7 in Standard Level Mathematics (either Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretations). |
| T levels | We are currently not accepting T Levels for this course unless an additional A Level (or equivalent qualification) in Mathematics has been taken. |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Advanced Highers - B in Mathematics plus Scottish Highers - BBBB We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
| International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offers | If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers. |
| EPQ | If you achieve A or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | B2 Communicator with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Get in touch if you have any questions
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