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Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

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  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

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  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

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  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

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  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

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  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

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  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

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  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

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  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

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  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

BSc Economics with a Placement Year

  • UCAS code
    L103
  • Typical offer
    ABB
  • Year of entry
    2024/25 See 2023/24 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2024/25 See 2023/24 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Explore how economic theory can be applied to the major domestic and global issues of today – and gain valuable skills in the workplace – with our BSc Economics with Placement Year degree.

This four-year course focuses on how economic tools can be applied to different markets and situations. You will acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable you to solve the problems that are challenging policy makers and businesses all over the world. An integrated placement year gives you the opportunity to put your skills and knowledge into practice.

  • We also offer a BA Economics with Placement Year degree at the University of Reading, which covers a narrower range of economic markets and social policy issues but focuses more on techniques for working with data.

Choose economics at the University of Reading

  • Established for more than 50 years.
  • Ranked among the top 200 universities in the world for Economics (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023).

Our BSc programme will allow you to understand what’s happening in the world and how policy makers can respond to it: how do economies grow, how can policy makers manage business cycles, is inflation a problem, how can unemployment be reduced, is a five-day week really necessary and so on. You will analyse these issues using a range of economic theories and methods including the theory of games and strategic interactions, natural and behavioural experiments.

Your degree will help you to understand the levers of policy and provide policy advice in response to economic problems.

Placement Year

You’ll undertake a year-long work placement, in an industrial setting, between your second and final year. A placement is a valuable way to develop your skills, experience the workplace, and build your network.

We have a dedicated placement coordinator who can provide advice and support in your search for a placement.

Previous students from the Department of Economics have undertaken placements with:

  • Government Economic Service
  • Bank of England
  • NHS England
  • Lloyds Bank
  • Deloitte
  • Disney
  • Nissan
  • IBM.

We also offer a three-year version of this degree, BSc Economics, which does not include an integrated placement year.

Your learning environment 

Our research in the Department of Economics has real-world applications and has informed policy decisions by governments, major multinational organisations, and agencies such as the UN and the World Bank.

At Reading, our researchers are addressing some of the key issues of the twenty-first century, such as the environmental impact of economic growth:

  • Read about Dr Stefania Lovo’s research into calculating the cost of a clean environment.

Elsewhere, our innovative research into leisure and sport is providing vital economic insights:

  • Dr James Reade combines his interests in sports and mathematics to understand what drives people’s economic behaviour.

The modules you’ll study throughout your degree are aligned with our research clusters, keeping you abreast of the latest developments in economics. This learning is complemented by guest speakers from outside the University.

Popular modules include:

  • Economics of Labour
  • Economics of Climate Change
  • Public Economics
  • International Economics
  • Economics of Sports and Games.

As well as traditional lectures, you’ll take part in small-group tutorials, enabling you to discuss and analyse both theory and practice through case studies, group presentations and open debate. 

Supporting your learning

The Department of Economics can support your learning in a number of ways.

  • Economics Surgeries offer one-to-one appointments with staff, allowing you to discuss the topics you’ve studied and gain any assistance you may require.
  • Economics Conversations provide the opportunity for you to network with staff and students from across the department.

The Economics Society also arranges lectures and discussions with economists on a range of topical matters, such as the economics of health and feminism.

Study Abroad

As part of your degree, you can apply to study for a year or a term abroad at one of our partner universities in Australia, Canada, the USA, or across Europe.

Visit our Study Abroad website.

Overview

Explore how economic theory can be applied to the major domestic and global issues of today – and gain valuable skills in the workplace – with our BSc Economics with Placement Year degree.

This four-year course focuses on how economic tools can be applied to different markets and situations. You will acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable you to solve the problems that are challenging policy makers and businesses all over the world. An integrated placement year gives you the opportunity to put your skills and knowledge into practice.

  • We also offer a BA Economics with Placement Year degree at the University of Reading, which covers a narrower range of economic markets and social policy issues but focuses more on techniques for working with data.

Choose economics at the University of Reading

  • Established for more than 50 years.
  • Ranked among the top 200 universities in the world for Economics (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023).

Our BSc programme will allow you to understand what’s happening in the world and how policy makers can respond to it: how do economies grow, how can policy makers manage business cycles, is inflation a problem, how can unemployment be reduced, is a five-day week really necessary and so on. You will analyse these issues using a range of economic theories and methods including the theory of games and strategic interactions, natural and behavioural experiments.

Your degree will help you to understand the levers of policy and provide policy advice in response to economic problems.

Placement Year

You’ll undertake a year-long work placement, in an industrial setting, between your second and final year. A placement is a valuable way to develop your skills, experience the workplace, and build your network.

We have a dedicated placement coordinator who can provide advice and support in your search for a placement.

Previous students from the Department of Economics have undertaken placements with:

  • Government Economic Service
  • Bank of England
  • NHS England
  • Lloyds Bank
  • Deloitte
  • Disney
  • Nissan
  • IBM.

We also offer a three-year version of this degree, BSc Economics, which does not include an integrated placement year.

Learning

Your learning environment 

Our research in the Department of Economics has real-world applications and has informed policy decisions by governments, major multinational organisations, and agencies such as the UN and the World Bank.

At Reading, our researchers are addressing some of the key issues of the twenty-first century, such as the environmental impact of economic growth:

  • Read about Dr Stefania Lovo’s research into calculating the cost of a clean environment.

Elsewhere, our innovative research into leisure and sport is providing vital economic insights:

  • Dr James Reade combines his interests in sports and mathematics to understand what drives people’s economic behaviour.

The modules you’ll study throughout your degree are aligned with our research clusters, keeping you abreast of the latest developments in economics. This learning is complemented by guest speakers from outside the University.

Popular modules include:

  • Economics of Labour
  • Economics of Climate Change
  • Public Economics
  • International Economics
  • Economics of Sports and Games.

As well as traditional lectures, you’ll take part in small-group tutorials, enabling you to discuss and analyse both theory and practice through case studies, group presentations and open debate. 

Supporting your learning

The Department of Economics can support your learning in a number of ways.

  • Economics Surgeries offer one-to-one appointments with staff, allowing you to discuss the topics you’ve studied and gain any assistance you may require.
  • Economics Conversations provide the opportunity for you to network with staff and students from across the department.

The Economics Society also arranges lectures and discussions with economists on a range of topical matters, such as the economics of health and feminism.

Study Abroad

As part of your degree, you can apply to study for a year or a term abroad at one of our partner universities in Australia, Canada, the USA, or across Europe.

Visit our Study Abroad website.

Entry requirements A Level ABB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Typical offer

ABB including Maths at grade B

International Baccalaureate

32 points overall, including standard level Maths at grade 5 minimum

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

Not accepted, unless studied alongside A level Maths. The BTEC Extended Diploma cannot be accepted to cover the Maths subject-specific requirement.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Modules

We will be updating this page with module information over the coming weeks. You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*

New international students: £22,350

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Placement year fees

If you spend a full year on placement, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact placements@reading.ac.uk.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

Your analytical skills and specialist knowledge of economics are highly sought by employers. Your degree will also equip you with valuable transferable skills, from problem-solving to communication and presentation.

Overall, 92% of graduates from Economics are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation. [1] Many of our graduates are employed in highly sought-after roles as economists with governmental and commercial organisations. Others have entered related careers in accounting, finance, business, marketing, publishing, public relations, and the media.

Recent economics graduates from the University of Reading have started their careers with organisations such as:

  • Government Economic Service – Office of National Statistics
  • Government Economic Service – Office of Budgetary Responsibility
  • Government Economic Service – Department of Health
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers | PwC.
  • Lloyds Banking Group
  • Johnson and Johnson
  • Hewlett Packard
  • NHS England
  • LinkedIn
  • Toyota
  • Disney
  • BMW.

[1] Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20; includes first degree Economics responders.

A placement year will be your best asset; the network you build is a great start to your career, and the economics degree provides you with the foundations to take on technical roles. A highlight was my placement year as a China Economist at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, where I developed professionally and got to utilise my degree in a job.

Sophie Appleyard
BSc Economics with a Placement Year with the University of Reading

Alicia discusses the course

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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