Economics

Course summary

Economics is a versatile subject and gives you a sophisticated understanding of our country and how the economy works. You will investigate microeconomic topics such as how individual decisions impact economic outcomes, the importance of competition, how markets operate and why they fail and how the distribution of income and wealth is affected. At the same time you will learn about macroeconomics, looking at the ‘big picture’ of how our national economy fits into the global context, the global impact of financial markets and monetary policy and the operation of the international economy. You could work for a big corporation as an economic analyst, or be the next Faisal Islam or Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC. Banks need economists, as do local and national government, and economics is always valuable in careers like marketing, law, journalism or teaching. Economics has become high profile. Junior doctor’s pay, Chinese investment in Africa, HS2, and the energy crisis on the UK and global economy are just four topics rarely out of the news in recent years, throwing a light on the importance of and divisions within the discipline. You will apply economic theory to support analysis of current economic problems and issues, and you will be able to appreciate the interrelationships between microeconomics and macroeconomics.