BSc Economics and Politics

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Essex

Program Overview

If you’re someone who likes debating why governments make certain decisions or why economies rise and fall, this course is built for you. It blends economics and politics so you understand how money, power, and public decisions shape the world around us.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 – Building the Basics
You start with the essentials. Core modules like Introduction to Economics, Introduction to Politics, and Introduction to Quantitative Economics give you a solid grounding in how economic systems work and how political institutions make decisions. You’ll also begin developing your analytical and data-handling skills early on.

Year 2 – Becoming an Analyst
In the second year, things get more applied and analytical. You study Intermediate Microeconomics, Introduction to Econometric Methods, and Quantitative Political Analysis, where you start using real-world data to test political and economic theories. Optional modules let you specialise—whether that’s public policy, international politics, or development economics.

Year 3 – Applying it to the Real World
Your final year is where it all comes together. You choose advanced topics like International Political Economy, Comparative Political Economy, or Advanced Quantitative Political Analysis. You’ll also complete a major independent project or dissertation — your chance to dive deep into a topic you’re passionate about and showcase your research skills.

Focus Areas

"Political economy, public policy, quantitative analysis, international relations, global markets"

Learning Outcomes

"Graduates learn to interpret economic and political data, critically evaluate global policies, use quantitative tools like econometrics, and communicate complex ideas clearly in written and spoken form."

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The course is academic rather than professionally accredited — but it’s highly respected in fields like government, think tanks, international NGOs, finance, and policy advisory roles.

Reputation & Employability

Essex is Top 10 in the UK for Economics (Guardian University Guide 2026).
Its Department of Government is ranked 2nd in the UK for political research output.
Graduates go into roles like policy analyst, economic consultant, civil service officer, political risk advisor, and research assistant in global organisations, banks, NGOs, and government departments.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This isn’t a course where you just sit in lectures and take notes. At Essex, you actually get to apply economics and politics to real-world situations — using data labs, political simulation tools, and research spaces where real government experiments and economic studies take place. You’ll work with real datasets, debate policy decisions, run economic models, and be supported by departments known globally for political and economic research.

To make it clear, here’s what hands-on learning looks like in this course:

Real-world learning includes:

ESSEXLab (Experimental Economics Laboratory):
A dedicated lab where students and researchers test how people make economic and political decisions through experiments and behavioural simulations.
Specialist software & data tools:
You’ll use industry-relevant tools in computer labs for political data analysis, opinion polling, and econometrics — just like analysts in governments and think tanks.
Government & economic research projects:
The Department of Government is one of the most research-active in Europe — students often assist in data projects, political behaviour analysis, and public policy research.
Group debates and policy simulations:
Many modules involve teamwork — debating policies, solving global economic problems, or running model parliaments where students simulate political decision-making.
Access to global databases & archives:
Through the Albert Sloman Library and digital portals, you’ll explore IMF, World Bank, OECD datasets, parliamentary records, election data, and more.
Career-focused training:
The university’s Talent Development Centre helps you build a professional CV, take internship placements, and gain experience in areas like political campaigns, NGOs, finance, and public policy roles.

Progression & Future Opportunities

A degree in Economics and Politics from Essex opens doors to careers where decisions really matter — from government policy offices to global financial firms and international organisations. Employers value graduates who can read data like an economist but think critically like a political strategist — and that’s exactly what this course trains you to do. Typical career paths include roles such as Policy Analyst, Economic Consultant, Civil Service Officer, or Political Risk Researcher.

Here’s how Essex helps you turn your degree into a career:

Dedicated career support for life – The university’s Careers Service offers 1-to-1 coaching, CV and LinkedIn workshops, mock interviews, and exclusive access to internships and jobs through the CareerHub, even after you graduate.
Strong graduate outcomes – Around 80–90% of economics and politics graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Economics graduates from Essex earn an average salary of around £27,500 shortly after graduation.
Real employer connections – Essex partners with organisations in government, finance, data research, NGOs, and consulting. Students can take part in employer challenges, skills programmes, internships, and insight days with real businesses and policy institutions.
Skills that never expire – Even though the programme isn’t tied to a specific professional accreditation, it gives you something more valuable in the long run: data literacy, critical political thinking, research experience, and evidence-based decision making — all of which are in high demand across industries worldwide.

Further Academic Progression:

You’ll have a strong foundation to continue with postgraduate study in areas like MSc Economics, MSc Public Policy, MA International Relations, Political Economy, or even PhD research. Many students go on to specialise in areas like economic policy, development studies, diplomacy, or law — especially if they aim for think tanks, academia, civil service, or international organisations like the UN or World Bank.