What causes inflation? Can unemployment be reduced? Can tax be equitable and efficient?
These are some of the questions economists try to answer. They also seek to understand issues such as: how do people decide what to buy and what job to do? How do firms decide what to produce and what to charge? What determines the profit they earn?
Due to its structure and the way it’s taught, Economics is recognised as a good source of transferable skills. Our recent graduates have embarked on a wide range of careers, including management, accountancy and banking, as well as economics itself. Surveys have regularly found Economics to be one of the top four subjects for graduate pay.
In the latest review, all aspects of our teaching had the highest rating. Many of our lecturers have an international reputation.
Entrance requirements
Year 1
Highers BBBB.
A-levels BBC.
IB Diploma with a total of 32 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in graded units.
Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.
Year 2
A-levels or Advanced Highers grades ABB to include Economics.
General entrance requirements apply.
International students can study our Undergraduate Certificate if they do not possess the necessary entrance requirements to be admitted directly to the first year of an undergraduate degree course.
Other information
If examinations are taken over two sittings, or there are repeats or upgrades, the entrance requirements may be higher.
Required subjects
English Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent.
Applicants with English Standard Grade (3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.
Mathematics Standard Grade (3), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent.
Funding
Modes of study
Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).
Course Director
Find out more
http://www.stir.ac.uk/management/about/economics/
Degree course
You will take Economics plus two other subjects in Year 1. Economics may be studied as part of a General degree or to Honours level, either on its own or in combination with other subjects (see Combined Honours Degrees list below).
Semesters 1 - 4
You will take the following core modules:
- Introductory Microeconomics: This module gives a broad introduction to microeconomics, which analyses how individual markets work – how prices are set and resources are allocated in an economy
- Introductory Macroeconomics: Macroeconomics is concerned issues relating to the economy as a whole such as the general standard of living, unemployment and inflation
You will move on to study Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics, which build on the work done in the introductory modules. You will also take Introduction to Quantitative Techniques for Economics in Semester 4.
Semesters 5 - 8
All Honours students take core advanced modules designed to develop their knowledge and understanding of the central methods of economic analysis and major policy issues.
These are:
- Using Economic Data
- Advanced Macroeconomics
- Advanced Microeconomics
- Economic Policy in Britain and Europe
In the final year, you will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice. The remainder of the course consists of a number of options, such as: Modern Banking; Financial Economics; Industrial Economics, and Environmental Economics. Combined Honours students take the same core modules as Single Honours students but replace some of the Economics options with modules in their other subject.
View full module descriptions
Teaching and assessment
There are typically two or three lectures per week on each module. You also attend a weekly meeting in a smaller group, either a tutorial or a seminar, for each module. Your final grade for each module is based on 40 percent for coursework and 60 percent for the examination. Usually the coursework consists of two class tests and some tutorial preparation. In the first two years, a good performance in your coursework gains you exemption from the examination.
Combined degrees
Economics can be studied with:
| Course | UCAS Code |
|---|
| Accountancy |
LN14 |
| Business Studies |
LN11 |
| Environmental Science |
FL91 |
| Finance |
LN13 |
| Marketing |
NL51 |
| Mathematics |
GL11 |
| Politics |
LL12 |
| Politics/Philosophy |
LOV0 |
(For a Combined Honours degree the higher entrance requirements of the subjects usually apply.)
Related degrees
Study abroad
Rating
Teaching provision in Economics has been assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and achieved the highest possible rating of ‘commendable’ in all aspects.
Economics was ranked 4th in Scotland in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
Strengths
A high standard of teaching
Teaching provision in Economics has been assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and achieved the highest possible rating of ‘commendable’ in all aspects.
Many of our lecturers have an international reputation in their specialisms and are at the forefront of research. These strengths are reflected in the modules we offer and underline our commitment to quality in teaching. Strong research improves teaching quality.
In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, 15% of our research was rated as world-leading and a further 45% as internationally excellent, placing us in the top four Economics units of assessment in Scotland and the top 25 in the UK.
Flexible degree courses
The Stirling degree is modular and therefore highly flexible. You are not committed to taking the course for which you applied. You do not need to commit yourself to a particular course before the end of your second year. In the third and fourth years there is a range of courses available that allow you to specialise in Economics or to combine the study of Economics with one or two other subjects.
Useful skills
The structure of our degrees helps to develop useful skills. Assessment is based on coursework as well as examinations. This helps to build up independent learning skills. Communication skills are developed in tutorials where students present arguments orally. Our quantitative modules develop skills in using computers and presenting statistically based arguments.
Most Honours students write a dissertation in their final year on which they work independently with a staff supervisor. A good performance can enhance career prospects as many employers and postgraduate admission selectors are particularly looking for the ability to work independently on a project.
Good information about your progress
The Stirling system of basing grades partly on coursework marked during the semester and on awarding grades for each module taken at the end of each semester means that you are kept well-informed about your progress throughout your university career.
A degree result that fairly reflects all your work at Honours level
In determining the class of an Honours degree, examiners take into account the grades achieved in all the modules taken in the third and fourth years. There are no final examinations covering work in earlier semesters - many students only do a dissertation in their final semester and have no exams at all at the end of their fourth year. Thus your degree result depends on a range of work done over two years, rather than solely on your performance in examinations concentrated in a few days right at the end of your university career. The rules that the Examiners use to determine the class of degree are published, so you can work out semester by semester what class of degree you are likely to get, and make adjustments to your work effort to achieve the result you want.
Career opportunities
Where are our graduates now?
Economics graduates are currently working around the world in countries such as: Thailand, Finland, Canada, Luxembourg, Columbia, Malaysia, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and Norway.
Economics graduates are currently helping shape the performance of the following organisations:
- Accenture
- BMW Group
- Lloyds Banking Group
- Universities around the world
- Barclays Bank
- AEGON UK
- PriceWaterhouseCoopers
- BNP Paribas
- Local and central government
- Disney
- Merrill Lynch
- Deutsche Bank
- John Lewis
- IBM
Economics graduates entering work in the past two years have progressed into roles such as:
- Debt Products Analyst, Merrill Lynch
- Economic Analyst, Scottish Water
- Insurance Consultant, Aviva
- Credit Risk Analyst, Lloyds Banking Group
Graduates of Stirling’s Economics degree from five to ten years ago are now working as:
- Personal Banker, JPMorgan Chase & Co
- Compliance Auditor, National Lottery Commission
- Global Transition Manager, Standard Life Investments
- Partner (International Trade), Clydesdale Bank
- Portfolio Manager, Bergen Energi
- Senior Treasury Analyst, Royal Bank of Scotland
Some of our more established graduates are currently employed as:
- Principal Research Officer, Scottish Government
- Head of Business Transformation, AEGON Scottish Equitable
- Investment Manager, Deutsche Bank
- Head of Risk, Capital One (Europe) Plc
- Senior Economist, Government Economic Service
- Executive Director, Goldman Sachs
An Economics degree can be a solid foundation upon which to base your career and some of our graduates have use this to progress into some potentially less obvious career including: Senior Procurator Fiscal (Crown Office), Group Finance Director (Kwik-Fit Group), HR Partner (Robertson Group), Global Procurement Manager (Syngenta Crop Protection), Assistant Export Manager (British Trade International), Senior Marketing Analyst (Equifax), IT Specialist (IBM Australia), Social Workers, Teachers and Member of Parliament across the UK.
