Program Overview

BSc Economics and Politics - 2026 entry

Overview

By studying both Economics and Politics as well as the interrelationship between the two you’ll develop an extensive knowledge of two of the driving forces of modern society. You will consider a breadth of theory from the ideological content of economics, to the economic motives governing politicians. No prior subject knowledge is required as you’ll take introductory modules in economics, politics and in statistical analysis. Tailor your degree to your interests by choosing from a range of modules across both disciplines. Specialise in your final year by selecting from a range of final examination options, or by choosing a suitable dissertation topic.

Entry requirements

Typical offer

• A-Level: A*AA - AAA
• IB: 38/766 - 36/666
• BTEC: D*DD - DDD

Contextual offers

• A-Level: AAB - ABB
• IB: 34/665 - 32/655
• BTEC: DDD - DDM

Other accepted qualifications

• View other accepted qualifications

English language requirements

• International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B1.

Course content

Year 1

• Compulsory modules
  • BEE1025 Statistics for Business and Management (15 credits)
  • BEE1029 Economic Principles (30 credits)
  • BEE1032 History of Economic Thought (15 credits)
  • BEE1035 Basic Quantitative Methods (15 credits)
  • POL1047 Global Sustainability Governance and Policy (15 credits)
  • POL1029 Introduction to Comparative Politics (15 credits)
• Optional modules
  • 15 or 30 credits of optional modules (depending on note A above)
  • Economics and Politics - Stage 1 Politics option modules 2025-6
    • POL1000 Critical Skills for Politics and International Relations (15 credits)
    • POL1017 Globalisation of World Politics (15 credits)
    • POL1018 The Challenges of World Politics in the Twenty-First Century (15 credits)
    • POL1019 Power and Democracy (15 credits)
    • POL1020 Politics in Europe (15 credits)
    • POL1025 Classical Political Thought (15 credits)
    • POL1026 Early Modern Political Thought (15 credits)
    • POL1045 International Politics of the Global South (15 credits)
    • POL1046 The State of the UK: Identifying Marginalised Identities and Addressing Inequalities (15 credits)
    • POL1048 The Politics of Development (15 credits)
    • SPA1002 Population and Society (15 credits)
    • SPA1001 Animal Politics (15 credits)
    • SPA1004 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (15 credits)
    • ARA1010 Politics and Economy of the Contemporary Middle East (15 credits)
    • ARA1041 Religious Communities of the Middle East: Culture, Endangerment and Survival (15 credits)

Year 2

• Compulsory modules
  • BEE2038 Intermediate Microeconomics (15 credits)
  • BEE2039 Intermediate Macroeconomics (15 credits)
  • POL2046 The Economics of Politics (15 credits)
  • POL2027 The Politics of the World Economy (15 credits)
• Optional modules
  • 30 or 60 credits of optional modules (depending on note C above)
  • Economics and Politics - Stage 2 Politics option modules 2025-6
    • POL2020 Contemporary Theories of World Politics (15 credits)
    • POL2026 Political Analysis: Behaviour, Institutions, Ideas (15 credits)
    • POL2047 American Politics (15 credits)
    • POL2050 Political Philosophy (15 credits)
    • POL2057 Security Studies (15 credits)
    • POL2059 Political Thought of Modernity (15 credits)
    • POL2076 Rising Powers, Peace and Conflict (15 credits)
    • POL2079 Contemporary Public Debate in an Age of 'Anti-Politics' (15 credits)
    • POL2081 Thinking about Race: Perspectives from the Biological and Social Sciences (15 credits)
    • POL2082 Changing Character of Warfare (15 credits)
    • POL2098 What is Law? Jurisprudence from Stone Tablet to Brain Imaging (15 credits)
    • POL2102 Explaining Public Policies (15 credits)
    • POL2107 Gender and Comparative Public Policy (15 credits)
    • POL2115 British Foreign Policy (15 credits)
    • POL2122 The Politics and Policies of Youth Engagement (15 credits)
    • POL2128 Introduction to Research Design in Politics and International Relations (15 credits)
    • POL2130 Comparative Electoral Systems (15 credits)
    • POL2131 Environmental Governance (15 credits)
    • POL2132 Decolonising Global Justice (15 credits)
    • POL2164 The Politics of Humanitarian Emergencies (15 credits)
    • POL2165 Foreign Policy Analysis (15 credits)
    • POL2166 Gendering World Politics (15 credits)
    • HAS2010 Work Experience: Building Skills and Unlocking Opportunities (15 credits)

Placement year (if taken)

• This degree offers you the opportunity to spend a year working in a related industry or studying abroad.
• If you choose one of these options your placement year will take place in your third year, before returning to complete your degree at Exeter in your fourth and final year of study.

Final year

• Compulsory modules
  • BEE3042 International Political Economy OR BEE2033 Public Finance (15 credits)
• Optional modules
  • 120 credits:
    • 45 credits from Economics (to include either BEE3042 or BEE2033 if not taken at level 2)
    • 30 credits must be from stage 3 of the Politics programme.
    • A further 15 credits of EITHER Economics or Politics modules.
    • A further 30 credits of optional modules. Students are free to choose a maximum of 30 credits outside their main degree subjects.

Course variants

BSc Economics and Politics with Industrial Experience

• UCAS code: LL1G
• Why choose a year in industry?
  • Gain a proven work history that is excellent to discuss at job interviews and gives you a head start in the working world
  • Get paid! Typical salaries range from £19,000 to £23,000 but can extend from £15,000 to £52,000
  • Over 50% of students are offered graduate jobs from their placement employer
  • 97% of With Industrial Experience graduates were in graduate employment or postgraduate study within 6 months of graduating, compared to 93.5% of non-WIE graduates (DLHE 2017)
  • Increase your confidence and resilience, and make friends for life
• What does a year in industry mean for me?
  • The ‘With Industrial Experience’ (WIE) pathway is a four-year version of your degree, in which your third year is spent in a professional placement before returning to university for your fourth and final year.
  • The Business School Careers Team supports you every step of the way, helping you identify placement providers, create a strong application, practice interview techniques, and support you while you are in placement.
  • The placement year assessment currently comprises of:
    • Progress reports provided by employers
    • A reflective essay
    • A business report
• How do I secure a placement and where can I go?
  • You are responsible for sourcing and securing a work placement, but you will be supported throughout by the Business School Careers Team and assigned an academic tutor for the duration of your placement.
  • Placements are available internationally. Previous placement providers include Adidas, Apple, ASOS, Bank of England, Deloitte, Disney, EY, GlaxoSmithKline, Goldman Sachs, PwC
• Does it count towards my degree?
  • The placement year is assessed and contributes 1/7th of your final degree classification when you graduate.
• Does it affect my tuition fee?
  • During your placement year you will pay a reduced tuition fee of approximately 20% of the maximum fee for that year.

BSc Economics and Politics with Year Abroad

• UCAS code: LL13
• Why choose a year abroad?
  • In a complex and hyper-connected world, it is more important than ever to demonstrate a global outlook to employers
  • A report by Universities UK International shows that graduates who are mobile during their degree are more likely to earn more than non-mobile peers
  • Broaden your perspective in a way that benefits you for life: accelerating your resilience and flexibility, developing your ability to communicate across cultures, and demonstrating that you take the initiative
  • We find students return from their year abroad with heightened self-confidence and an impressive work ethic.
• What does a year abroad mean for me?
  • The ‘With Year Abroad’ (WYA) pathway is a four-year version of your degree, in which your third year is spent studying at one of our 60 partner universities (spanning 26 countries), before returning to university for your fourth and final year.
  • There is also the opportunity to combine study and work abroad, doing a semester of study at one of our partner universities followed by a semester of work in a placement that you secure anywhere in the world.
  • The Business School Study Abroad Team supports you every step of the way, helping you to decide where to go, create a strong application, and supporting you while you are abroad.
• Where can I go?
  • We have partners in: Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand
• Does it count towards my degree?
  • The placement year is assessed and contributes 1/7th of your final degree classification when you graduate.
• Does it affect my tuition fees?
  • If you spend a full academic year studying abroad you will pay a reduced fee of approximately 15% of the maximum fee for that year.

Fees

• Please note: The fees for students starting in 2026 have yet to be set. The fees provided below are the fees for students starting in 2025 and are for guidance only.
• Tuition fees for 2025 entry
  • UK students: £9,535 per year
  • International students: £24,700 per year

Scholarships

• The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships.
• Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

Learning and teaching

• How will I learn?
  • You will learn through a mix of:
    • Lectures of one or two hours once a week for each module. These give you the information central to the module and help you understand complex ideas.
    • Seminars and tutorials every week or every other week for each module. They cover in-depth discussions of topics introduced in lectures.
    • Total timetabled study hours (lectures, seminars, tutorials) for your whole degree are on average between 11 and 14 hours per week. In addition you are expected to complete an average of 20-25 hours of independent or group study per week.
• How will I be assessed?
  • Modules are assessed through a mixture of:
    • Group work
    • Coursework
    • Project work
    • Examinations
  • The weighting of these components varies according the module. Coursework is typically between 2,500 and 6,000 words in length, and exams are usually held at the end of the module in January and May/June.

Your future

• The University of Exeter Business School provides a range of careers and employability support for Undergraduate students.
• Global opportunities
  • The BSc Economics and Politics degree adopts an international outlook meaning you will develop an understanding of the global economic environment. Combined with the opportunity to study abroad or work a year in industry, you will be well placed to work for local or international companies.
• Your degree demonstrates that you have the following professional skills
  • Evaluate government policy and assess performance against home and global economies
  • Apply mathematical and statistical analysis to qualitative and quantitative data
  • Present findings and explain complex data to a wide range of audiences
  • Perform confidently in group discussions and produce a high standard of written technical and non-technical materials
  • Make logical recommendations whilst considering the wider social and political influences
  • Use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills – including word processing, databases, internet communications, information retrieval and online searches
• Examples of BSc Economics and Politics graduate roles
  • Business Analyst
  • Technology Risk Analyst
  • Sponsorships Executive
  • Commercial Project Manager
  • Actuarial Analyst
  • Assistant Economist
• BSc Economics and Politics graduates have worked for
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Facebook
  • Diageo
  • HM Treasury
  • Fortress Wealth Partnership
  • Bloomberg LP
  • Accenture
  • Royal Bank of Canada