BSc

Economics and Politics

Economics and Politics Code LL13 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

LL13

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 96

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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The BSc Economics and Politics degree at Aberystwyth University offers an enriching experience with exciting intellectual challenges from two departments that have a strong reputation for teaching and research. The combination of Economics and Politics will allow you to develop a solid understanding of global markets and how they are affected by pandemics, natural disasters and how political systems respond and shape their response to them.  

Course Overview

Why study Economics and Politics at Aberystwyth University?

  • You will be taught by world-leading researchers from Aberystwyth Business School and the Department of International Politics.
  • Aberystwyth University was the first university in the world to establish a Politics department. It was founded in 1919 after the end of World War I to help the world understand the world.
  • Economics is the study of how individuals firms, markets, governments and other institutions combine to produce and distribute goods and services in order to achieve desired outcomes for society, and how effective they are in doing so.
  • The Economics element of this degree offers you the opportunity to study the application of economic theory and how it has evolved, explore contemporary issues such as the causes and impact that pandemics such as COVID-19 have on society at domestic and international levels, the subsequent financial crisis, and the proposed solutions to ameliorate the impacts upon trade, globalisation, corruption and ultimately climate change.
  • Politics explores how society tackles challenges. Politics stands at a fascinating but difficult historical juncture - one that, as political beings, we all need to understand, explain and, in part, shape.
  • The politics element of this degree offers you the opportunity to study the concepts, practices, policies, histories and regions that make up politics as a discipline and to explore the ways in which all these factors influence economics.
  • On this degree, you will develop valuable analytical, numerical, data analysis and problem-solving skills, which will allow you to understand how people, businesses, institutions and governments make decisions, and the implications of such decisions on individuals and society. 
Our Staff

Students at the Aberystwyth Business School are taught by lecturers and other teaching staff who are active researchers and expert practitioners in their chosen subject area.

Over 75% of full time members of teaching staff are qualified to PhD level. Most are currently research active, meaning that students benefit from being taught ‘new’ knowledge in their chosen field of study as well as recognized literature. The School also employs part-time and full time staff devoted purely to teaching. Many part-time staff combine teaching duties with consultancy and business activities, ensuring that students have access not only to up to date research but the latest applied knowledge.

Lecturers in the Department of International Politics are all research active and qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
People and Power: Understanding Comparative Politics Today IQ23920 20
Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy Applications AB23220 20
Microeconomics Theory and Policy Applications AB23120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
A War on the Mind: Propaganda and Secret Intelligence from the Great War to the 21st Century IP28320 20
Capitalism and International Politics IQ22820 20
Climate Change Politics IP21420 20
Climate Change and International Politics in the Anthropocene IP20720 20
Contemporary Latin America IP28720 20
Devolution and Wales IP25020 20
Econometrics AB23420 20
International Politics and Global Development IP29220 20
International Relations: Perspectives and Debates IP20120 20
Intervention and Humanitarianism IQ20220 20
Managerial Economics AB23320 20
Militaries and Crisis: Where Strategy Meets Society IP20820 20
Political Theory IP22220 20
Politics in Diverse Societies IQ23720 20
Questions of International Politics IP26820 20
Russian intelligence from Lenin to Putin IQ24920 20
Science, Technology, and International Relations IP23020 20
Strategy, Intelligence and Security in International Politics IQ25120 20
Terrorism & Counter Terrorism in the Modern World: Policing, Intelligence & War IP24520 20
The BRICS in World Politics IQ20320 20
The European Union: Politics, Policies, Problems IP23820 20
The Governance of Climate Change: Simulation Module IP22320 20
The Second World War in Europe IP26420 20
Total War, Total Peace IQ23420 20
Trade Wars and the Liberal Order IQ21620 20
War Crimes IQ25720 20
Warfare after Waterloo: Military History 1815-1918 IP25320 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Your Economics and Politics degree will provide an excellent foundation for a professional career within business, financial or political settings. Aberystwyth Business School offers a dedicated consultancy employability module where students apply as consultants within industry. During the semester where students consult for industry giving them practical exposure to the iterative nature of opportunity development, economists in training are actively sought by industry because of their inherent ability with data.

The Department of International Politics also offers its students work experience, with the opportunity to shadow a Member of Parliament or an elected representative of the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff. 

Studying Economics and Politics will enable you to develop the following key skills:

  • the ability to apply analytical and creative thinking skills to high level decision-making and problem solving
  • advanced numeracy skills and the ability to research, interpret and use business and financial data
  • the ability to communicate clearly in writing and speech
  • the ability to work successfully as part of a team
  • the ability to work independently.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

In your first year, you will explore:

  • the founding elements of economics
  • the fundamental principles of business
  • the mechanisms by which management is discharged in various industries
  • the impact that the business environment and macro-environmental elements (such as Brexit, COVID-19) have on management
  • contemporary economic concepts, models and frameworks
  • impacts on customers and markets
  • political theory
  • key political ideas and how they are applied to international and domestic politics
  • key political issues facing the world and economics and the wider social and financial consequences of such issues. 

In your second and third years you will examine:

  • key political themes such as nationalism, devolution, global inequality and multiculturalism
  • organisational behaviour and theory
  • impacts of market structures and pricing strategies
  • the effective development and utilisation of industry specific techniques for operation management, such as econometrics
  • macroeconomic behaviour and systems.

To solidify your understanding, you will have the opportunity to apply the theories identified above into an independent research project allowing you to explore the analytical skills associated with economics and politics excellence.

How will I be taught?

Our enthusiastic staff will teach you through the medium of lectures, seminars, tutorials, practicals and individual/group- based project work.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework, practicals, projects, workshops and examinations.

Personal Tutor

To ensure that you are performing consistently and to make the most of your university experience, you will be assigned a personal tutor. The role of the personal tutor will be critical to your overall student experience while studying at Aberystwyth University, and your dedicated personal tutor will assist you with all matters relating to both academic and non-academic matters.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 96

A Levels BBB-CCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh and Mathematics

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-MMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-26

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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