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Economics examines some of the profound issues in our life and times, including: economic growth and sustainable development, emerging market economies, financial and monetary crises, environmental and natural resource problems, international trade and aid to poor countries. When you study at Kent, you have the chance to learn about these issues from economists who are highly regarded within the profession for emphasising the practical application of economics in all of these arenas.
Overview
Student satisfaction with our programmes is very high and we consistently appear in the top ten economics departments in the National Student Survey. Students particularly like the ability of our staff to explain complex relationships, the efficient assessment arrangements and marking, and the organisation and running of the course.
The School has a strong international reputation for research in key areas of economics and was ranked 16th in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, where 75% of our submitted research was awarded a top rank of ‘internationally excellent’. Many staff advise government bodies including the UK’s Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission. Staff also advise international organisations including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Bank of England, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Independent rankings
Economics at Kent was ranked 9th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2016, and 10th in the National Student Survey 2015, with 93% of our students satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Year in industry
You can spend a year working in industry between Stages 2 and 3 with all of our undergraduate degrees. The School has two Employability Officers who can offer advice and guidance for both year in industry and post-graduation employment issues.
Find out more about the benefits of a Year in Industry.
Teaching and assessment
All of our modules are taught by a combination of lectures and small group sessions, which include seminars, computing practicals, problem sets, debates and role-play games. On average, you have a total of 12-14 hours of lecture, seminar and other formal contact time per week.
The School of Economics is committed to making sure that you leave Kent with much more than just a degree in Economics. We put great emphasis on the development of transferable skills, including numeracy, analytical problem solving, data analysis, and written and oral communication, as well as subject-specific skills for further study at postgraduate level.
The modules are assessed by continuous assessment of coursework throughout the year and an end-of-year exam in the final term. A number of modules at each stage are assessed solely through coursework.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- provide a stimulating education in the principles of economics and finance along with their application to the real world, and motivate students to achieve their full potential
- provide a flexible and progressive curriculum that is suitable for students who have or have not studied economics or finance before
- develop in students the ability to apply economic knowledge, analytical tools and skills in a range of theoretical, applied and policy problems
- provide a range of options to enable students to study selected areas of economics and financial economics in depth, informed by the research and scholarship of teaching staff
- provide students with the knowledge, analytical and other skills to equip them for employment in, for example, the City of London, or in a related area to economics and finance or further study in economics and/or finance
- provide information and advice on future employment and higher education opportunities.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- the main concepts, principles, theories, models and methods of modern economic analysis and their application in different areas of economics and finance
- the analytical skills to formulate and consider a range of economic and finance problems
- the mathematical, statistical and computing methods used in economics and finance
- economic data and methods used to analyse such data
- the economic analysis of policy
- specific problems, issues and policies in a range of areas in economics and finance
- key concepts affecting decision making
- critical discussion of economic problems, issues and policies in politics and the media
- an economic topic of your choice, submitted as a supervised final-year project
- the study of other social science subjects in the first year.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual skills:
- abstract the essential features of a complex system
- consider the important variables and fixed parameters in solving a problem
- analyse complex issues using deductive and inductive reasoning
- organise and use information to analyse complex issues and test different hypotheses
- review critically alternative explanations and analyses of a problem
- manage a final-year supervised project on an economic topic of your choice.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- analytical skills in economics
- apply economic principles and analysis to a range of issues, problems and policies in economics and finance
- abstract the essential features of an economic issue, problem or system
- knowledge of the principal sources of economic and financial data, and use and present this information
- carry out economic/econometric analysis of economic data
- the ability to offer advice on how to make economic and financial decisions
- synthesise and compare critically different economic analyses of an economic or finance issue
- research the literature on an economic or finance issue
- apply economic skills to investigate a supervised final-year project on an economic or finance topic of your choice.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- effective communication of analysis and ideas both orally and in writing
- the ability to assemble, analyse, use and present data
- understanding of, and ability to, use economic, mathematical and quantitative methods to analyse issues and problems
- analyse and make decisions using economic concepts, such as opportunity cost and strategic behaviour
- knowledge of IT using statistical and econometric packages
- independence in initiating and executing work
- the ability to think critically about proposed analyses and solutions to a problem
- responsibility for managing your own learning and academic performance
- manage a supervised final-year project on an economic topic of your choice.
Careers
Kent graduates have a high success rate in the graduate employment market, with past students going on to careers in accountancy, banking, finance, journalism, management consultancy and business. The range of modules available on the programme gives you the opportunity to tailor your degree to support your particular career choice, giving you a competitive edge in the employment market. In addition, several modules concentrate on preparing you for life as a professional economist.
Employers who have recruited our graduates in recent years include the Government Economic Service, Bank of England, the Financial Services Authority and PricewaterhouseCoopers and several other financial institutions including the ‘Big Five’ banks.
For more information on the services Kent provides you to improve your career prospects visit www.kent.ac.uk/employability.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB from 3 full A levels, or BBB if A level Mathematics is included. |
| GCSE | Mathematics at grade B |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL, including Mathematics SL or HL at 4, or Mathematical Studies at 6. |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
As a guide only, the 2014/15 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Exceptions may apply. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad or Year in Industry for the full 2014/15 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Our 2015 financial support package includes a £6,000 cash bursary spread over the duration of your course. For Ts&Cs and to find out more, visit our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages.