BSc Economics and Politics

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Exeter

Program Overview

BSc Economics and Politics — University of Exeter

Program Overview

Exeter's BSc Economics and Politics explores the intricate relationship between two of the driving forces of modern society, covering everything from the ideological content of economics to the economic motives behind political decisions, with no prior subject knowledge required. It suits students who want to understand how power and markets shape each other, with a flexible structure that lets them tailor their degree across both disciplines and specialise fully by their final year.

Curriculum structure

In Year 1, students build foundations across both fields through modules like Economic Principles, Introduction to Comparative Politics, and Global Sustainability Policy and Governance, alongside History of Economic Thought, setting up the analytical grounding for everything that follows.

Year 2 deepens that understanding with modules such as Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics, alongside The Politics of the World Economy and The Economics of Politics, directly exploring how the two disciplines intersect in practice.

Students on the four-year route can choose an Industrial Experience placement or a Year Abroad in their third year, spending it working with a real employer or studying at one of Exeter's international partner universities before returning for their final year.

By the Final Year, students specialise through modules like International Political Economy and Public Finance, alongside options such as Comparative Political Economy: Varieties of Capitalism and Brexit: Causes, Interpretation and Implications, or by choosing a dissertation topic that reflects their own interests.

Focus areas: Economics, comparative and international politics, political economy, public finance, and the ideological and practical relationships between economic and political systems.

Learning outcomes: Graduates leave able to evaluate government policy and economic performance, apply mathematical and statistical analysis to real data, present complex findings clearly to different audiences, and make well-reasoned recommendations that account for wider social and political influences, alongside strong ICT and research skills.

Professional alignment: The degree is delivered within a Business School recognised for world-leading Politics and International Studies research, rated 4-star in REF 2021, giving students access to research-informed teaching across both disciplines.

Reputation (employability rankings): Exeter is ranked Top 10 in the UK for Politics and International Studies research based on REF 2021, Top 100 for Politics in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2026, Top 150 in the world for Economics in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025, and Top 15 in the UK for Economics, 11th in the Complete University Guide 2026 and 12th in The Guardian University Guide 2026.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Exeter's BSc Economics and Politics gets students analysing real political and economic systems from day one, through a mix of weekly lectures, in-depth seminars and tutorials, and assessment that goes well beyond exams. Students are based at the purpose-built University of Exeter Business School on the Streatham Campus, working alongside a department recognised for world-leading Politics and International Studies research. Group work, coursework, and project work all form part of assessment, and by final year students can choose to specialise through a dissertation on a topic of their own choosing, backed by academics active in top-rated research. Here's what that looks like in practice:

Purpose-built Business School: teaching happens in the dedicated University of Exeter Business School building on the Streatham Campus.
Group project work: assessment includes genuine group work and project work alongside individual coursework, reflecting how political and economic analysis happens in real teams.
ICT and digital skills: the degree explicitly builds practical Information and Communications Technology skills, including word processing, databases, internet communications, information retrieval, and online searches.
Research-led teaching: students learn within a department whose Politics and International Studies research is rated 4-star in REF 2021, keeping teaching connected to live academic debate.
Optional dissertation: final-year students can choose their own dissertation topic, giving them the chance to research a question in economics or politics that genuinely interests them.
Optional industrial placement: the four-year "with Industrial Experience" route gives students a full paid year in a professional placement, with past students placed at organisations including BMW's Corporate Governance team.
Optional year abroad: students can spend a year studying at one of 60 partner universities across 26 countries, with the option to combine study and work placement abroad.
Placement support team: students on the Industrial Experience route are supported by the Business School Careers Team and assigned an academic tutor for the full duration of their placement.
Study abroad support: the Business School Study Abroad Team helps students choose a destination, build a strong application, and stay supported while abroad.
Careers support: the Business School Career Zone provides dedicated careers and employability guidance throughout the degree.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Exeter's BSc Economics and Politics graduates leave with the analytical and policy-focused skills to step into careers spanning finance, consulting, and public affairs. It's a degree that leads into roles like Business Analyst, Technology Risk Analyst, Commercial Project Manager, and Assistant Economist, giving graduates real versatility across sectors where understanding both economics and politics is a genuine advantage:

Career support services: the Business School Career Zone provides dedicated careers and employability support throughout the degree, helping students build strong applications and prepare for the job market.
Employment stats and salary figures: students on the Industrial Experience route typically earn between 19,000 and 23,000 pounds during their placement year, with salaries ranging up to 52,000 pounds depending on the role and employer.
University-industry partnerships: students on the Industrial Experience pathway have gone on to placements including BMW's Corporate Governance with CEO support team, with over half of placement students later offered a graduate job by their placement employer.
Long-term reputation value: Exeter's Politics and International Studies research is ranked Top 10 in the UK based on REF 2021 and Top 100 for Politics in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2026, alongside a Top 15 UK ranking for Economics, giving the degree strong, lasting recognition with employers.
Graduation outcomes: With Industrial Experience graduates see even stronger results, with 97 percent in graduate employment or postgraduate study within six months of graduating, compared to 93.5 percent of non-placement graduates, and past graduates have gone on to work at organisations including Goldman Sachs, Facebook, Diageo, HM Treasury, and Bloomberg LP.

Further Academic Progression: Students who want to keep developing their expertise across economics and politics have a natural next step through postgraduate study at Exeter, deepening the analytical and policy-focused skills built during the degree. The Business School's global partnerships across 60 institutions in 26 countries also give students a strong platform to pursue further study internationally if they want to specialise abroad.