Economics and Finance (with Professional Practice Year)

This course teaches you to apply economic theory and analysis to real-world financial problems. It provides you with the subject knowledge to understand key developments in global markets and the challenges faced by economies alongside building the technical and analytical skills you need to find innovative solutions. You gain an in-depth understanding of the main ideas and principles of modern economics and finance, and how they shape the operation of businesses, policies of governments and interactions between countries.

Professional Practice Year
Take your course over four years and include a Professional Practice Year after your second year of studies. It is an opportunity to apply your learning in the workplace while enhancing your knowledge and skills through fee-free paid practice. It also builds your CV and industry contacts with many students progressing to employment within their practice-year organisation or institution.

Facilities and Specialist Equipment

• New business analytics suite to support data analytics, 'big-data', data mining, SEO and other management skills needed in today's workplace.

• Access to industry-standard applications and platforms to aid practical learning including Sage, Refinitiv Workspace and econometrics software STATA.

• Access to digital learning platforms and knowledge tools.

• A well-equipped trading room to access economic data and enhance your financial skills.

• Gain competencies in key digital skills such as Excel through SIMnet, our Microsoft Office training platform.

Your Student Experience

• Benefit from our connections with top financial firms, including Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte, along with professional bodies like the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

• Our business analytics suite and state-of-the-art trading room give you the opportunity to simulate real-world economic decision-making; you experience what it’s like to be on the trading-room floor, reacting to live ‘stock-market’ data and building international investment portfolios.

• Build your transferable skills and experience in critical thinking, problem solving, presentation and team working as well as in using information technology.

• Learn from masterclasses from industry experts, benefitting from their experience and keeping at the leading edge in the finance field.

• Enhance your student experience with conferences, Industry networking events and field trips to major financial institutions including the Bank of England.

• Working with the University’s Research and Innovation Service (RIS), get involved in solving real-life problems for businesses, from start-ups to established corporations, through our business development packages.

• Companies that have benefited from our business development packages include Vauxhall; Drax Technology; the Royal Air Force; Luton and Bedford Borough Councils; and a range of national charities.