Philosophy and Economics

Combine two historically interlinked disciplines and develop a breadth of skills across both economics and philosophy, on this joint honours degree.

Our economics teaching is technically rigorous. You'll build your analytical skills with mandatory units in macro- and microeconomics, mathematics, statistics and econometrics – the application of statistical methods to data to estimate economic models.

You'll benefit from teaching that's informed by the latest developments in economics and our cutting-edge research – research which ranks in the top five for economics and econometrics among UK universities (REF 2021).

This is complemented by units in philosophy, which will equip you with skills in textual analysis, written and verbal expression, collaborative problem-solving, logic, and critical thinking.

You'll be taught by experts from one of the country's largest philosophy departments, with Bristol ranked in the UK's top ten for the subject (QS subject rankings 2024).

You'll also be able to tailor your degree to suit your interests and career ambitions with optional modules. This enables you to explore topics ranging from political philosophy to environmental economics, ethics to international trade, virtue and wellbeing to behavioural economics, and more.

In your final year, you'll also have the opportunity to undertake an extended philosophy essay project on a topic of your choice, applying your knowledge and skills in a specialist area and supervised by a member of staff with relevant expertise.

By the end of the programme, you'll be well-prepared for a successful career. On average, Bristol economics students earn 26% more than other UK economics graduates within 5 years of graduation – typically enjoying salaries between £42,500 and £77,500 per year (discoveruni.gov.uk, 2024).

Recent BSc Philosophy and Economics graduates have gone on to work at organisations including the Department for Transport, PwC, Barclays Investment Bank, Aon, Coutts, Zurich Insurance, Deloitte, Kraft Heinz, RBS International, EY, Goldman Sachs, and RSM.

Job roles of recent course graduates include Data Scientist, Operations Manager, Investment Consultant, Business Tax Analyst, Journalist, Pricing Actuary, and Paralegal.