Professional Economist

The core responsibilities of a professional economist are to produce rigorous, relevant and impactful economics analysis to drive decision-making at all levels - from operational decisions to strategic, business and policy decisions.

The Professional Economist degree apprenticeship (Level 6) is an exciting programme designed to upskill current employees and attract new staff to economist roles.

The focus of an apprenticeship is to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge required for specific job roles. At the University of Kent, we have a very experienced team with a wealth of expertise in both apprenticeships and economics. 

Benefits of the Programme 

Our award-winning blended learning approach, combining e-learning and block teaching, allows your apprentices to thrive in the workplace while gaining a degree.  

We work with employers nationwide, of any size, to fill skills gaps in their businesses. You employ the apprentice, and we work with you to:  

• provide an academic programme of study (20% of the apprentice’s paid hours should be spent completing off-the-job training) 
• support you and your apprentice with workplace visits 

We can offer advice on funding, advertising, screening and recruitment and workplace competency monitoring.  

We can also work with you to create modules that deepen the knowledge of the standard that relate to your business’ work.  

The University of Kent’s School of Economics advised the trailblazer group for this standard and is the sole supplier for the Government Economic Service. We also have apprentices with high profile regulators, commercial firms, and local authorities.  

Kent’s School of Economics is currently the only supplier of the education component on this apprenticeship and is the recognised leader in the field of apprenticeship delivery in the discipline of Economics. 

Qualification 

The apprenticeship is underpinned by the BSc (Hons) Professional Economics. On successful completion of the end-point assessment, apprentices will hold an honours degree and the apprenticeship qualification.    

Duration and Commitment 

The course is delivered over 4 years. For 80% of their working week, apprentices would be learning on-the-job. They would be expected to spend 20% of their working week towards their degree as off-the-job training. In addition to this, there are three ‘Trimesters’ per year starting in September each lasting for approximately 12 weeks (10 teaching plus exam period). Trimester 1 starts with a 5-day block teaching in Canterbury. There is then one face to face seminar later that term. For the online delivery, a typical week has lecture recordings and ‘homework’ released Monday, and a live Webinar on Friday (webinars are approx. 1 hour per 15 credit Module). Trimester 2 and 3 both have two faces to face seminars (repeated in London and Leeds) – the rest of the course content is delivered by distance learning.    

Entry Requirements 

The University requires applicants to hold at least five GCSE passes (or equivalent), including Mathematics at grade 7 or above and English at grade 4 or above.  

They are also required to have achieved at least 120 UCAS points at A level (equivalent to three Bs). Our experience tells us that students who meet these requirements can become effective economists. We can also advise you on which entry requirements to set to fulfil your needs.  

Modules  

The following modules are typically studied each year. For the award of a BSc (Hons) degree, students must accrue 360 credits which includes the end-point assessment.     

Year 1 
Apprentices take the following compulsory modules:  

• Working with Economic Data on Digital Platforms  
• Principles of Microeconomics  
• Principles of Macroeconomics  
• Applied Statistical Analysis for Economics  
• Economic Policy Analysis  
• Mathematics for Economics  

Year 2 
Apprentices take the following compulsory modules:  

• Microeconomic Analysis  
• Macroeconomic Analysis  
• Applied Econometrics  

Year 3  
Apprentices take the following compulsory modules:  

• Economic Policy Analysis and Evaluation International Economics  
• Modern Economic History  
• Economic Debates  
• Economic Growth  
• Public Economics  

Year 4 
Apprentices take two optional modules from the list below: 

• Topics in Economics Research  

Choice of either:  

• Open Economy Macroeconomics  
• Industrial Economics and Regulation  

Additionally, they undertake an End-point Assessment which includes:  

• Economics Research Dissertation 
• Economics Technical Assessment  
• Competency Based Interview    

Fees and Funding 

The overall fee is £23,000 and this is payable from the Apprenticeship Levy or by Government Co-investment funding.     

Start Dates  

This apprenticeship starts in September each year.

Next Steps

Employers and Employees

Our team are there to offer support with developing apprenticeships in your organisation, be it upskilling existing employees or recruiting for new roles.

Contact us by emailing recruitapprenticeships@kent.ac.uk or by calling 01634 888467 (9:30am - 4pm Monday to Friday).

Students and Prospective Apprentices

Apprenticeships are available to those already employed in a relevant position and require the support of an employer to take part. If you are not already employed in a relevant role, please visit our please visit our Becoming an Apprentice page.  

The Professional Economist Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6) is underpinned by the Economics BSc (Hons). On successful completion of of the end-point assessment, apprentices will hold an honours degree.

Economics BSc (Hons)