Undergraduate BSc (Hons)
Economics
with a Year in Industry
Develop the tools to analyse real economic problems and find solutions to societal and global issues.
Examine some of today's profound pressing issues - poverty and development, environmental protection, and financial and monetary crises. In an era of Big Data, new technologies, and artificial intelligence, you can discover the solutions to shape your world.
By analysing real-world events and studying the principles of economics, you will gain the skills and tools to make a difference in the world around you, and open doors to a variety of employment opportunities. Recent graduates have gone on to work for Deloitte, HMRC, Goldman Sachs, Barclays and more.
This course includes the opportunity to spend a year working in industry between Stages 2 and 3. This greatly enhances your CV and gives you the opportunity to apply your academic skills in a practical context.
Four alumni share their stories; including Jack Meaning, whose career took him from Kent to advisor to the Bank of England's Chief Economist.
Economics at Kent was ranked 22nd out of 79 for student satisfaction in The Complete University Guide 2023.
Gain real-world skills and experience with a professional placement.
Regular workshops, alumni talks, a peer mentoring scheme and a dedicated academic adviser.
Collaborate with inspiring lecturers who advise UK, European, and international organisations.
Our typical offer levels are listed below and include indicative contextual offers. If you hold alternative qualifications just get in touch and we'll be glad to discuss these with you. Please also see our general entry requirements.
Typical entry requirements for 2023 entry courses remain published on the UCAS course search website. These provide a rough guide to our likely entry requirements for Clearing and Adjustment applicants.
During Clearing (after 5 July), our entry requirements change in real time to reflect the supply and demand of remaining course vacancies and so may be higher or lower than those published on UCAS as typical entry grades.
Our Clearing vacancy list will be updated regularly as courses move in and out of Clearing, so please check regularly to see if we have any places available. See our Clearing website for more details on how Clearing works at Kent.
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
You take all compulsory modules and then either Mode A or Mode B from the list of optional modules depending on your existing level in Mathematics.
The module provides students with a thorough understanding of economics at an introductory level and provides the basis for all subsequent study that is taken on economics degree programmes. It is designed to teach students how to think as an economist and how to construct and use economic models. It also shows them how to be critical of economic models and how empirical evidence can be used in economic analysis.
The module explores how people make choices about what and how to produce and consume. It looks at the differences in economic outcomes between firms, people and countries and how they can be related to the effects of choices they, and others, make. It builds on the very simple and plausible assumption that people make decisions in their own interests and subject to constraints.
The first term covers the principles of microeconomics and shows how they can be applied to real-life situations and economic policy. The second term develops a framework for understanding macroeconomic events and macroeconomic policy. The emphasis throughout both terms is to demonstrate the usefulness of economics as an analytical tool for thinking about real world problems.
The module introduces students to a basic understanding of mathematics necessary for intermediate and advanced level modules (levels 5 and 6) taken in Stages 2 and 3. The module is designed for students who have A-Level mathematics or an equivalent qualification, or who meet the minimum entry standard. The module (or its equivalent for students without A-level mathematics) is compulsory for all Single and Joint Honours degree programmes in economics.
The module considers the following topics: linear equations, quadratic equations, multivariable functions; matrix algebra; differentiation; techniques of optimisation; constrained optimisation; non-linear functions and integration. These topics cover the important uses of mathematics in economics (and business) and are developed within a clear, contextual framework derived from first principles. Each topic is applied to a range of economic phenomena and problems and linked explicitly to the core Stage 1 economics module - ECON3040 Principles of Economics. Notably, the analytical and quantitative skills developed in the module are transferable across many different occupations.
This module introduces students to the basic concepts of probability and statistics, with applications to a variety of topics illustrated with real data. The techniques that are discussed can be used in their own right to solve simple problems, but also serve as an important foundation for later, more advanced, modules. Importantly, the module serves as a prerequisite for Stage 2 econometric modules ECON5800 and ECON5810.
The module commences with an overview of descriptive statistics. It then considers the key ideas in probability theory before moving on to statistical inference - the science of drawing conclusions from data. The main topics covered in the module include:
• Graphical and numerical analyses of data
• The principles of probability
• Probability Density Functions
• Sampling and its use in inference
• Regression and correlation
The module introduces students to fundamental key skills used by economists in the application of economics to real world issues. It develop students' use of information technology and their ability to access electronic and other secondary sources of data. In particular, the module promote students’ computing and quantitative skills within a structured environment.
The module helps prepare students to acquire and develop the employability and transferable skills necessary to search and successfully apply for work experience, internships, placements for Year in Industry degrees and graduate opportunities in the commercial and public sector.
The curriculum introduces applications, CVs, careers advice, interview and assessment centre techniques, numeracy and competency tests, and psychometric evaluation at a level appropriate to students studying at Stage 1. These materials form the building blocks for related employability modules at subsequent stages of academic study.
The module introduces students to the exciting fields of game theory, experimental economics and behavioural economics, and equips them with all the essential tools to analyse strategic interaction, in economics, politics and other social sciences. The module provides an understanding of the basic principles of game theory as well as experience in the practical issues of experimental economics. The emphasis throughout the module is on discussing practical applications and providing hands-on experience of experimental economics and game theory.
This module introduces students to the application of economic analysis and the role of professional economists within the real-world economy. It exposes students to the main fields of activity that require the involvement of economists, to the institutions involved in these fields, their responsibilities, and the types of economic problem that are addressed. It also provides them with opportunities to contextualise their learning of conceptual economic ideas and issues, and to apply their knowledge and understanding to practical everyday issues.
Training to become a professional economist requires students to learn and develop a variety of different skills, many of which go beyond an understanding of the concepts of economic theory or statistical analysis. These skills include the ability to abstract and simplify complex economic behaviour, to adapt the general concepts of economic theory to the particular case of investigation, to think through and present logical arguments, to communicate ideas effectively both verbally and in writing, to engage in critical analysis of arguments and, more generally, to problem-solve, make decisions and organise work.
Module content is organised thematically around a series of both microeconomic and macroeconomic topics. These topics are diverse and updated in line with contemporary issues and developments in the field. Each topic is examined in the context of how professional economists put into practice economics across a range of different institutional settings such as the Government Economic Service, Regulatory Authorities, private sector consultancy and academia.
The main aim of this module is to expose students to cutting-edge research on two inter-related questions in the field of economic history: To what extent does history matter for long-run economic development? What are the potential pathways through which the effect of history is transmitted over time? The specific strands of research attempting to answer these inter-related questions that will be covered in this module are as follows:
1. Introduction
2. History matters – the seminal contributions
3. History matters – the later contributions
4. Why history matters – multiple equilibria and path dependence
5. Why history matters – domestic institutions
6. Why history matters – cultural norms of behaviour
7. Why history matters – knowledge and technology
8. The geography matters vs history matters debate
The delivery of the module will be divided into two parts: lectures and workshops. In the lectures, I will summarize the literature and up to two journal articles on one of the specific strands of research listed above. In the workshops, students will work in groups and carry out a short presentation on the strand of research tackled in the lectures followed by a debate-like activity involving their classmates.
You have the opportunity to select elective modules in this stage.
It's so broad, which is something that I really enjoy – there are so many different aspects of economics to learn about.Karina Maheswaran
All our single honours degree programmes, with the exception of Economics with a Year Abroad, offer a Year in Industry. Our joint honours programmes with Management and Politics also offer this option.
The year in industry is taken between the second (Stage 2) and third years (Stage 3) of the degree and contributes towards your final degree classification. The placement must be with a suitable employer, but the reference to 'in industry' is intended to cover employers in any service sector as well as in manufacturing.
Students are responsible for finding their placements, but the School offers structured support for the application process in the form of a non-contributory module, 'Preparing for a Placement'.
Students must have passed Stage 2 of their degree before they can embark on the year in industry.
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.
Some 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.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programme specification.
If you meet someone in the industry who is also a Kent alumni, they are happy to network with you.
Our Economics graduates have excellent prospects, and we are committed to helping you achieve success.
Economists are in great demand in business, banking and finance, consultancy, the public sector, as well as in international institutions. Some of the top employers for Kent Economics graduates include:
My role is a combination of teaching, doing research, and fulfilling administrative or citizenship roles within the department.
Talk to people at conferences, other departments, in policy institutions and in industry. This will help you discover what the right job for you might be.
I have always been interested in the driving forces behind inequality and poverty.
The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
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