Economics

Course summary

Economists study studies human behaviour, how markets work and how they fail. We seek to understand the dynamics of change at a micro level (e.g. within an industry) and a macro level (e.g. within and between countries). The social science of economics has gained increasing prominence since the credit crunch of 2008 with resources, such as money and housing, in critical shortage and seemingly inadequate for a population with unlimited needs and wants. These pressures are evident in and around Southend as the government seeks to cut spending on health and education in an area of population growth and youth unemployment. Our department wants to make students aware of how these economic events may influence their lives. A Level Economics has never been more popular as a course choice and the increasing presence of economics in the national media and consciousness makes this an ideal time to study the subject. At Cecil Jones, we seek to make the study of economics as fascinating, accessible and challenging as possible. ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT THE SOCIETY YOU LIVE IN AND THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU? Economics asks big questions, such as why countries develop, why inequality persists and what the future of work will be like. It thinks about how to design internet platforms health systems and policies to tackle climate change. It also studies human behaviour, including cooperation, peer effects and pro-social behaviour. DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD? Economics is the most powerful social science with economists working in key roles in government departments and at the Bank of England, not to mention international organisations such as the World Bank. DO YOU WANT A WELL-PAID CAREER? Economics graduates are among the highest paid. Studying economics gives students great analytical skills and trains them to be comfortable with data. Most economics graduates won’t go on to be economists; but they will be hired as data analysts, consultants, financial analysts, policy and strategy advisors, researchers, and accountants. The products and services you use every day are only available because of an increasingly complex system of global markets. Economists seek to understand how households, businesses and governments interact and make decisions that influence our present and future living standards. Economics is always changing.