The BA Economics (two subject degree) combines economics with another discipline or language and takes 3 or 4 years depending on the subject involved. It provides you with a thorough grounding in economic principles while allowing you to create a specialist niche for yourself by studying another subject. See the 'Combinations' tab to see what it may be combined with.

Why study Economics Combined Honours at SOAS?

• we offer the broadest portfolio of modules on economics and political economy
• our unrivalled focus in the study of developing and emerging economies provides you with a more critical approach to economic theory
• our academic staff are specialists within an unparalleled range of emerging and developing economies, and a broad spectrum of theory and policy debates
• theoretical concepts and debates are expertly applied to real issues within the countries of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as in the global economy and interdependencies therein
• we are specialists in the delivery of languages. Your command of a language from SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities
• choosing to study a Combined Honours programme will allow you take advantage of the expertise of one of our other departments allowing you create a specialist niche for yourself

Programme Code: See May be Combined With

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

May be combined with:

• African Studies, (TL51 BA/ECAF)
• Arabic+, (LT16 BA/ECA)
• Chinese+, (LT11 BA/ECCH)
• Development Studies, (LL91 BA/ECDVS)
• Hebrew+, (LQ14 BA/HEEC)
• History, (LV11 BA/HEC)
• Japanese+, (LT12 BA/JEC)
• Japanese Studies, (TL21 BA/JSE)
• Korean+, (LTCL BA/KOEC)
• Law,(LM11 BA/LWEC)
• Middle Eastern studies, (TL61 BA/MESEC)
• Persian, (LTD6 BA/PEC) ( + Compulsory Year Abroad which is split between 2 countries)
• Politics, (LL12 BA/POLEC)
• Social Anthropology, (LL16 BA/SAEC)
• South Asian Studies++ (3 Year), (TLH1 BA/SASEC)
• South Asian Studies++ (4 Year), (TLH1 BA/SASEC)
• South East Asian Studies, (TLJC BA/ECSEA)
• Study of Religions, (LV16 BA/SREC)
• Turkish+, (LTC6 BA/TUEC)

+ 4-year degree with (compulsory) one year abroad
++ 3 or 4-year degree with option of one year abroad

Key Information Set data

Click on a combined programme to load KIS data

Students take 120 credits composed of Core, Compulsory and Optional modules.

Core modules: These are mandatory and must be passed in the year they are taken before the student can progress to the next year.

Compulsory modules: These are mandatory but in the case of a failure, students may carry this into their next year provided that they retake and pass the failed element or exam.

Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

Programme Specification

• BA Economics and... Programme Specification (pdf; 347kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

Our teaching and learning approach is designed to support and encourage students in their own process of self-learning, and to develop their own critical grounds of the economics discipline.

Contact Hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study (see Approaches to teaching and learning at SOAS). It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the Department of Economics, most undergraduate modules have a two-hour lecture every week. Some, but not all, also have a one-hour seminar or tutorial every week.

More information is on the page for each module.

Modules

Teaching combines innovative use of audio-visual materials, practical exercises, group discussions and conventional lecturing. Modules are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, usually a two-hour lecture and an one-hour tutorial weekly. Tutorials are sessions in which students are expected to take lead in discussions and/or present reports or presentations or solve problem sets and applied exercises in quantitative modules. Assessment of most modules is through a combination of written examination and course works.

The Independent Study Project (ISP)

In their final year, students have the opportunity to take an Independent Study Project. Its aim is to provide an opportunity for students to conduct original and independent research on their own initiative, to engage in in-depth analysis of particular subjects and to use a range of economics sources. It too involves no formal classes and is assessed by a single 10,000-word dissertation (including notes but excluding bibliography). For more information on eligibility criteria and how to apply for an ISP, see our guidelines/ independent study project page.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

An undergraduate degree in Economics from SOAS will give you a solid grounding in economic principles and their application to concrete situations.

Skills gained include:

• expertise in key economics and political economy theories from a pluralist stance, appreciating both orthodox and heterodox views
• expertise in the emerging economies of Africa, Asia and the Middle East
• the ability to think laterally, to take a global perspective, and employ critical reasoning
• statistical and computing skills
• analytical skills
• communication and presentation skills
• choosing to study a joint degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge allowing you to develop a specialist niche for yourself

Graduates from the Department have pursued a variety of successful careers, often with Asian or African links, in international organisations, business and industry, banking, accountancy, journalism, consultancy, teaching and higher education. Many have gone on to read for postgraduate degrees either in the Department’s own thriving masters’ and research degree programmes or elsewhere.

Find out more about Economics Graduate Destinations.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

• BBC World Service
• Bloomberg LP
• Capital Economics
• Deloitte
• Goldman Sachs
• Grant Thornton
• Myers Clark Chartered Accountants
• PWC
• Standard Chartered Bank

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

• Assistant Economist
• Equity Derivative Worker
• Financial Analyst
• Freelance Broadcast Journalist
• Graduate Tax Trainee
• Policy Data Manager
• Monitoring Analyst
• Risk Consultant
• Sustainability Consultant
• Trainee Chartered Accountant