University of Southampton
UCAS Code: L101 | Master of Economics - MEcon
Entry requirements
A level
Typical offer: AAA including Mathematics If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A-level offer: AAB including Mathematics plus grade A in the EPQ
Access to HE Diploma
Typical offer: 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 of which all must be at Distinction. Mathematics must be studied to level 3, A-level standard to be considered.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Typical offer: D3 D3 D3 in three Principal subjects including Mathematics at D3 Cambridge Pre-U's can be used in combination with other qualifications such as A Levels to achieve the equivalent of the typical offer .
Extended Project
The University of Southampton values the Extended Project Qualification. Applicants taking the EPQ in addition to three A levels, will also be made an alternative offer one grade below the standard offer, conditional on an A grade in the EPQ. For more information on the University of Southampton’s EPQ Admissions Policy, please see our EPQ Admissions Policy webpage.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Typical offer: Pass, with 36 points overall with 18 points at Higher Level, including grade 6 in ‘Analysis and Approaches’ or ‘Applications and Interpretation’ International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP): Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Typical offer: H1 H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 including Mathematics at H2
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
DD in the BTEC Diploma plus A in A level Mathematics
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
DDD in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus A in A level Mathematics If you are studying a BTEC Extended Diploma (DDD) you will also need an additional A Level in Mathematics (grade B). However, we can accept an Engineering BTEC Extended Diploma without the additional A Level requirement.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DD in the BTEC National Diploma plus A in A-level Mathematics
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
D in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AA from two A levels including Mathematics
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDD in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A in A level Mathematics If you are studying a BTEC National Extended Diploma (DDD) you will also need an additional A Level in Mathematics (grade A). However, we can accept an Engineering BTEC National Extended Diploma without the additional A Level requirement.
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
D in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AA from two A levels including Mathematics
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact the Faculty of Social, Human and Mathematical Sciences Admissions Office at [email protected] for more information. Unless a more advanced level (Higher or Advanced Higher) is specified in the stated entry requirements, all applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at Standard Grade, Grade 3 or National 5, Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/ Grade 4
We normally consider applicants who offer at least 1 Advanced Higher. Applicants presenting with only Highers will be considered on a case by case basis. Where Highers are taken over two years it might be expected that higher grades are achieved, particularly in any specific subjects required. For example, S5 – S6 (2 years): AABBB (A in specific subject) or S6 (1 year): ABBBB (A in specific subject). Unless a more advanced level (Higher or Advanced Higher) is specified in the stated entry requirements, all applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at Standard Grade, Grade 3 or National 5, Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/ Grade 4"
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Typical offer: AAA from 3 A levels including Mathematics or Alternative offer: AA from two A levels including Mathematics and A from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This integrated master's degree in economics will help you understand advanced economic theory. You'll use facilities such as our Bloomberg Trading Suite and behavioural economics labs. You'll develop the analytical and research skills you need to become a professional economist.
This flexible course has 3 separate pathways you can choose after the first year. These have slightly different module selections. The pathways are:
Economics - this is the default pathway, which will give you a rounded education in the subject.
Econometrics - focuses on the quantitative methods in economics, providing the relevant statistical tools you'll need to analyse economic data and policy.
Behavioural economics - has an additional focus on explaining and predicting human behaviour, and using these insights to evaluate and design economic policy.
You'll graduate with practical transferable skills essential to a successful career or continued learning. Graduate destinations include Goldman Sachs, PwC, Bloomberg LP and the European Commission.
You'll also have the freedom to shape your studies by choosing optional modules to suit your interests or career plans. You could also:
• Spend a year in employment
• Gain vital work experience on a Student Innovation Project
• Spend a semester abroad
• Gain exemptions from professional accounting bodies and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries
Modules
You will study various topics covering the fundamental aspects of Economics.
You can choose between a number of 'pathways' through the degree, to reflect your background and interests. Module choices in year one depend on whether you have studied economics at A level.
Some of the modules you may study include Economics with Data; Industrial Economics; Health and Policy Economics.
Please see the course page online for a list of core and optional modules:
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/economics-degree-mecon#modules
Assessment methods
We'll assess you using: coursework, lab reports and essays; dissertation; group essays; individual and group projects; self-assessment; teamwork; written exams
Tuition fees
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What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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.
Economics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
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
£36k
£46k
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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.
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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?
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