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Economics and Finance

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

A level or AS level Mathematics at grade B. Statistics can be accepted but only when studied alongside Physics and/or Economics

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Distinction in at least 12 level 3 Mathematics Units.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,M2,M2

M2 in Mathematics

Extended Project

B

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.  Eligible applicants would receive two offers,  our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English at grade B (or 5)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

5 in one of the following subjects: Standard level Mathematics Standard level Mathematics: analysis and approaches Standard level Mathematics: applications and interpretations Higher level Mathematics Higher level Mathematics: analysis and approaches Higher level Mathematics: applications and interpretations

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H3,H3,H3,H3

H3 in Mathematics

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DDD

The OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma cannot be accepted on its own to cover the Maths subject requirement. A level or AS level Mathematics at grade B is also required. A level or AS level Statistics can be accepted but only when studied alongside Physics and/or Economics.

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

DDD

The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma cannot be accepted on its own to cover the Maths subject requirement. A level or AS level Mathematics at grade B is also required. A level or AS level Statistics can be accepted but only when studied alongside Physics and/or Economics.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,B,B

Mathematics at grade B

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

Mathematics at grade B

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

A-B

The Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A Level at the grade achieved, except Mathematics.

UCAS Tariff

128-152

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Finance

Economics

Study modern economics and its applications to financial markets with our BSc Economics and Finance degree.

This three-year course will provide a rigorous foundation of economics and financial systems. Learn to apply economic theories to real-life problems in financial markets.

- How do investors make their investment decisions?

- Why did the financial crisis of 2007-2008 happen?

- What can be done to prevent the next financial crisis?

You will engage with specialist topics including:

- financial economics

- financial modelling

- corporate finance.

The programme will equip you with analytical skills, decision-making skills, and advanced financial techniques for a successful career in the financial services sector as a banker, investment analyst, advisor, economist, or other related roles.

**Access to real-world facilities**
You will learn advanced analytical methods using relevant industry-specific software and data sources such as simulation software, Bloomberg, and Thompson Reuters.

Moreover, you will have opportunities to practise your knowledge in asset pricing and risk management by participating in the CME Group University Trading Challenge under the guidance of our academics, who are experts in the field.

**Interdisciplinary study**
Your studies will cover a range of topics, including:

- Financial economics

- Microeconomics

- Macroeconomics

- Derivative securities/trading simulation

- Financial modelling/trading simulation

- Portfolio management

- Corporate finance.

Optional modules will bring your studies to life and relate to life outside the classroom, with interactive modules.

- Fintech and Cryptocurrencies asks how and why firms are implementing blockchain technology in their day-to-day business, as well as addressing the challenges they face. You will also learn about the nature of popular cryptocurrencies and their governance.

- Economics of Banking explores the weaknesses in the banking sector, the strategies adopted by banks to address risks, and the rationale for government intervention in the financial sector and banking regulation.

- Economics of Sport and Games dissects how competitive and controlled environments within sport can provide laboratories to study human behaviour, test theories, and observe the impacts of policy.

Modules

The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2024/25. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change. Core modules for this course: Introductory Economics, Introductory Securities and Markets, Introductory Quantitative Techniques for Business and Finance, Core Competencies in Economics, Introductory Finance/Trading Simulation I, Mathematical Methods for Economists, Intermediate Microeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Corporate Finance, Introductory Econometrics for Finance, Financial Economics, Financial Modelling, Derivative Securities. The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of the final approved modules will be available between May and July 2023. We suggest that you regularly revisit this webpage during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£27,650
per year
International
£27,650
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Reading

Department:

Economics

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.

90%
Finance
78%
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

67%
Staff make the subject interesting
85%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
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

85%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
91%
Course specific equipment and facilities
82%
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?

45%
UK students
55%
International students
73%
Male students
27%
Female students
77%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

Economics

Teaching and learning

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
78%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
70%
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

66%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
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?

80%
UK students
20%
International students
72%
Male students
28%
Female students
73%
2:1 or above
20%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
99%
high
Employed or in further education
93%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

37%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
24%
Architects, town planners and surveyors
20%
Business, research and administrative 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.

£22,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education
81%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

31%
Business, research and administrative professionals
28%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Administrative occupations: finance

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.

£26k

£26k

£35k

£35k

£44k

£44k

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.

£26k

£26k

£32k

£32k

£41k

£41k

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 is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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