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Economics and Finance with a Year in Industry

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:33,M:9

From a Business related Access Course.

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a Grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE Grade C or 4 in Mathematics and English or Welsh (first language) is required.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

International students must achieve 4 at Higher Level English Language and/or Literature, or 5 at Standard Level English Language and/or Literature.

Minimum of 360 UCAS Points overall from higher level subjects.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

UCAS Tariff

120-128

Swansea University accepts the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to x1 A-Level.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Finance

Economics

Combining core elements of economics and finance, our BSc Economics and Finance degree is ideal for students who want a career in politics, policy, business or finance. Providing theoretical and practical understanding of economic principles in relation to business environments, as well as the analytical tools and techniques employed in business decision making and strategy, you will be able to effectively apply your knowledge, investigative and model-building skills to advise everything from private businesses all the way through to the government - having a real impact on economic policy.

Economics at Swansea is ranked:
Top 5 in the UK for Course Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2023)
Top 15 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2023)
Top 20 in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2023)
Top 25 in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2023)

Swansea University's Economics department offers students an excellent learning experience, driven by a world-class academic team. With a key focus on preparing you for a successful career on graduation, the department has an Employability Team, who are on hand throughout the year to help you realise your potential and achieve your goals. You will have unlimited access to expert advice and support in relation to placement opportunities, internships, work experience, job application processes, interview techniques and much more.

You can undertake our Year in Industry degree variant, which includes a year’s work placement in a chosen industry. Gain real-world industry experience, network and collaborate with leading business thinkers, and practically apply your theoretical knowledge in the workplace.

For students studying a Foundation programme, a transfer to selected Year in Industry scheme is possible at the end of Year 2.

Modules

Your first year of study is made up of compulsory modules covering a range of themes. Compulsory modules are studied by all students on the programme, meaning you are automatically enrolled. Examples of compulsory modules include:

• Current Issues in Economics
• Finance for Economics
• Exploring Economic Data

In your second and third year you will study a mixture of compulsory and choose optional modules from a vast selection. Examples of optional modules in recent years have included:

• Investments: Assets; Equalities and Bonds
• Principles of Management Accounting
• Financial Market Efficiency
• Forensic Accounting

Your final year will include an optional independent study project.

For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/economics/bsc-economics-finance/

Assessment methods

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:

• Presentations
• Group Work
• Data Sampling

Throughout your undergraduate Economics and Finance degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.

For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences/economics/bsc-economics-finance/ or get in touch with us at [email protected]

The Uni


Course location:

Singleton Park Campus

Department:

Interdepartmental

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

82%
Finance
90%
Economics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Finance

Teaching and learning

73%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
75%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
72%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

86%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
81%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

75%
UK students
25%
International students
72%
Male students
28%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
B

Economics

Teaching and learning

76%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
67%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

82%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
78%
Course specific equipment and facilities
83%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
83%
Male students
17%
Female students
85%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Finance

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

30%
Business, research and administrative professionals
25%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
16%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

Over 2,000 students graduated with a degree in finance in 2015, and a sign of the strength of the finance industry, numbers are on the up. Over half of finance graduates go into the finance industry, with accountancy and financial advice roles particularly popular. It's also quite common for finance graduates to go into jobs which require you to take more training and gain professional qualifications — finance graduates who take further study are more likely to be studying accountancy than finance. About a third of graduates start their careers in London - but Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham are other popular locations for finance graduates to work.

Economics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,400
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
68%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

46%
Business, research and administrative professionals
29%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
12%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

This is a degree in demand, as business increasingly needs workers who can examine and explain complex data. And yet the number of economics graduates fell by nearly 10% last year, which means demand is even greater. As so many economic grads go into banking and finance, it's not surprising that over half of all 2015's economics graduates who did go into work were working in London. And don't think it's just the finance industry that's interested in these graduates - there's a significant number who enter the IT industry to work with data as analysts and consultants. It's quite common for economics graduates to go into jobs such as accountancy and management consultancy which may require you to take more training and gain professional qualifications - so don’t assume you won’t have to take any more exams once you leave uni. And the incentive to take them, of course, is better pay, which will be on top of an already healthy average starting salary of over £30,000 for graduates working in the capital.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Finance

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£25k

£25k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Economics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£23k

£23k

£31k

£31k

£39k

£39k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here