Program Overview

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Key Information

Start Date

September

Duration

3 years

Attendance Mode

Full-time

Location

On Campus

Fees

• Home: £9,535
• International: £22,870

Course Code

L100

Entry Requirements

• A Levels: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Austria: Reifeprufungszeugnis / Maturazeugnis: four subjects at 1, 1, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs: 80% (8/10, 16/20) overall
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie: 5.5 and 5.0 in two State Maturity Exams
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Canada: High School Diploma: 83% with 5 acceptable Grade 12 subjects (most territories). British Colombia: AAABB in Grade 12 subjects.
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• China: Senior Secondary Graduation Certificate + Gaokao: 80% overall in Gaokao PLUS 85% overall in Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate (year 11 and 12)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Croatia: Matura Certificate: 5 overall with 5 in 2 Higher level subjects
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Cyprus: Apolytirion with 2 A-Levels: Apolytirion 18/20 + A-level grades AB
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Czech Republic: Matura Certificate: 1, 1, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Denmark: Studentereksamen; Hojere Forberedelseseksamen; Hojere Handelseksamen; Hojere Teknisk Eksamen: 10 plus 10, 10, 7 in three Level A subjects
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Estonia: Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with the Riigieksamitunnistus: 4.5 with 85%, 85%, and 80% in 3 state exams
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Finland: Ylioppilastukint / Studentexamen: four subjects at 6, 6, 6, 5
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• France: French Baccalaureat or Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB): 14/20
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Germany: Abitur: 1.6
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Greece: Apolytirion of Geniko Lykeio with Pan Hellenic exams: 18.5/20
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Hong Kong: Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education: 554 in two electives and one core module (all other subjects grade 3)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Hungary: Matura (Erettségi): 5 overall
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Iceland: Stúdentspróf: 8
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• India: Standard XII: 80% (CBSE, CISCE, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & West Bengal boards), 85% (all other state boards)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Ireland: Irish Leaving Certificate: H1, H1, H2, H2, H3
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Israel: Bagrut: Overall grade of 8-10, 85% with 3 subjects at 5-unit level
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Italy: Diploma Consequito con L’Esame di Stato: 85% overall
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Latvia: Certificate of General Secondary Education: 88% in four State subject exams
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas: 9/10 and 90%, 90%, 85% in three State Exams
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Malta: Advanced Matriculation Certificate: AA (Advanced) + BBB (Intermediate)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Netherlands: Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs: Overall 7.5 with 8, 8, 8, 7 in four subjects
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Norway: Vitnemål vidergaende opplaering: 4.7 overall
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Poland: New Polish Matura: 80% in three Advanced Level subjects
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Portugal: Diploma de Ensino Secundario: overall 18/20
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat: 9 overall
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Singapore: Polytechnic Diploma (Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Singapore, Temasek and Republic Polytechnic): GPA 3.5
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Slovakia: Maturitná skúška / Maturita / Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške: four subjects at 1, 1, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• South Africa: National Senior Certificate: 77766
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Spain: Curso de Orientación Universitaria / Título de Bachillerato: 8
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Sweden: Slutbetyg / Examensbevis från Gymnasieskolan: A in 1500 credits and no grades below D / 18.5 / mainly A overall (MVG/VG)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Switzerland: Federal Maturity Certificate: 4.7
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Tanzania: Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education: ACSE with AAB in 3 principle subjects
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Trinidad and Tobago: CAPE: Six CAPE units with grade 2 (+two double-unit courses = grade 2)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• Turkey: Lise Diplomasi: 80-85% (depending on high school)
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB
• USA: High School Diploma plus ACT, SAT, or AP exams:
  • High School Diploma GPA 3.2 plus SAT 1300 or ACT 29 and 2 AP's at 5,4/ 3 AP's at 5,4,4 or
  • High School Diploma GPA of 3.4 plus 2 AP's at 5,4 or 3 AP's at 5,4,4 or
  • High School Diploma GPA of 3.5 plus SAT 1340 or ACT 30 or
  • 2-year Associate degree GPA 3.2
• A Level equivalent: AAB
• Contextualised offer: ABB

Subject Required

A-level in Maths grade A and B, or equivalent.

Course Overview

The programme combines a multitude of different assessment types, core modules that include training in the programming language R and the option to take a professional placement module.

Coupled with our renowned expertise in real-world and regional economics and an emphasis to a pluralist approach to teaching economic theory and policy, the degree will help you become a well-rounded, rigorous economist of today.

The Department of Economics is one of the country's leading departments specialising in political economy and heterodox approaches to economics as well as in the economics of development. Research and teaching are pursued on a variety of topics and are unique in their depth and range of regional and specialised coverage including topics from contemporary banking and finance the economics of the environment, gender economics, global economic policy, as well as the economic development of a variety of regions from Japan to the Middle East.

Why Study Economics at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked top 30 in UK for Economics (QS World University Rankings 2025)

Year in Industry

This programme offers a professional placement opportunity designed to improve your employability and put you in a better place for life after university. A professional placement is a great first step to getting necessary work experience and securing the career you want.

During your third year, you will work with a business or organisation and apply the knowledge you've learnt on your course in the workplace. You’ll develop skills like planning, problem-solving, decision making and project management, while getting first-hand experience on how a professional organisation works.

Placement opportunities are organised by the student. If a placement is not found, you will be transferred onto the standard 3-year programme of study.

Structure

Students take 120 credits composed of Core, Compulsory and Optional modules.

• Core modules: These are mandatory and must be passed in the year they are taken before the student can progress to the next year.
• Compulsory modules: These are mandatory but in the case of a failure, students may carry this into their next year provided that they retake and pass the failed element or exam.
• Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

Important Notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Year 1 - Core

30 credits core

• Economic Principles (Macro) - 15 credits
• Economic Principles (Micro) - 15 credits

Year 1 - Compulsory

60 credits compulsory

• Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics
• Mathematics for Economists - 15 credits
• Applied Economic Issues in the Global Economy - 15 credits
• Elementary Statistics - 15 credits
• Statistics - 15 credits

Year 1 - Guided Options - List 1

Up to 30 credits from List 1 or language options

• Introduction to Accounting - 15 credits
• Financial Accounting 1 - 15 credits
• 201 World Social Theory: Imagining Society from 500BCE to 1900 - 15 credits
• Global Development Approaches - 15 credits
• Global Development Issues - 15 credits
• Introduction to Political Economy 1 - 15 credits
• Introduction to Political Economy 2 - 15 credits

Year 2 - Compulsory

• Employability and Career Planning Workshop
• Microeconomic Analysis I - 15 credits
• Microeconomic Analysis II - 15 credits
• Macroeconomic Analysis I - 15 credits
• Macroeconomic Analysis II - 15 credits
• Econometrics 1 - 15 credits
• Econometrics 2 - 15 credits

Year 2 - Guided Options - List 2

Up to 30 credits from List 2 or open options

• Banking and Finance - 15 credits
• International Trade and Investment - 15 credits
• Global Financial Markets - 15 credits
• Development Economics - 15 credits
• 251 Anthropology of Economic Life - 15 credits

Year 3 - Compulsory

• Global Economic Policy - 15 credits
• Contemporary Issues in the Global Economy: Theory and Applications - 15 credits

Year 3 - Guided Options

60-90 credits from from list 2, 3A or 3C

• Independent Study Project in Economics - 30 credits
• The Economics of the Environment - 15 credits
• Asia Pacific Business - 15 credits
• Applied Econometrics - 15 credits
• Banking and Finance - 15 credits
• International Trade and Investment - 15 credits
• Global Financial Markets - 15 credits
• Development Economics - 15 credits
• Professional Placement in Economics - 15 credits
• 251 Anthropology of Economic Life - 15 credits

Year 3 - Guided Options - List 3B

Up to 60 credits from List 3B

• Economic Development in the Asia Pacific Region - 15 credits
• Political Economy of Development and Change in the Middle East - 15 credits
• China and World Development - 15 credits
• Economic Development of Africa (UG) - 15 credits

Teaching and Learning

Our teaching and learning approach is designed to support and encourage students in their own process of self-learning, and to develop their own critical grounds of the economics discipline.

Contact Hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the Department of Economics, most undergraduate modules have a two-hour lecture every week. Some, but not all, also have a one-hour seminar or tutorial every week.

Modules

Teaching combines innovative use of audio-visual materials, practical exercises, group discussions and conventional lecturing. Modules are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, usually a two-hour lecture and an one-hour tutorial weekly. Tutorials are sessions in which students are expected to take lead in discussions and/or present reports or presentations or solve problem sets and applied exercises in quantitative modules. Assessment of most modules is through a combination of written examination and course works.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Fees and Funding

Fees for 2025/26 Entrants per Academic Year

Programme| Full-time
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Home students| Overseas students
BA, BSc, LLB| £9,535| £22,870BA/BSc Language year abroad| £1,385| £11,430

See undergraduate fees for further details.

Employment

Economics graduates leave SOAS with a solid grounding in statistical skills and an ability to think laterally, take a global perspective, and employ critical reasoning.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

• Bain & Co
• Bank of America
• Cabinet Office
• Deloitte
• Ernst & Young
• HM Treasury
• KPMG
• NHS England
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• HSBC
• National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi
• UK Civil Service
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• University of Bayreuth
• HM Treasury
• Department for International Development
• PwC
• UNDP
• King’s Investment Fund
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• The World Bank
• EY
• British Chamber of Commerce
• Oxfam
• RBS

Find out about our Careers Service

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