The Department of Economics is one of the country's leading departments specialising in the economics of growth and development as well as in political economy and heterodox approaches to Economics. Research and teaching is pursued on a variety of topics and is unique in its depth and range of regional and specialising coverage, including topics from contemporary banking and finance, the economics of the environment, gender economics, global economic theory, as well as the economic development of a variety of regions from Japan to the Middle East. Studying BSc Development Economics will provide you with a thorough grounding in economic theory, analysis and policy, while studying the economics of a wide range of developing and emerging countries.

Why study Development Economics at SOAS?

• 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
• you will be able to flexibly structure your programme using our Open Options modules to take advantage of the expertise of our other departments, including the opportunity to learn a language
• we are specialists in the delivery of languages. Your command of a language from SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities

Apply now via UCAS or visit our upcoming Open Day.

Find out more about how to apply.

Visit our Economics department page to find out more.

Programme Code: L170 BSc/DE

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

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.

After the introductory modules in Year 1, you will then advance into more specialised modules in Years 2 and 3 that dive deeper into economic theory, specific regions in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and specialised fields.  In your final year you should take at least 30 credits from the Regional Development Optional Modules.

Year 1 (For students WITH A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core Modules

Compulsory Modules

• PLUS choose Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

Year 2 (For students WITH A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core Modules

• PLUS choose modules from List A to the value of 30 credits

• OR choose Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

Year 3 (For students WITH A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core Modules

• Plus choose modules from list B to the value of 105 credits

• OR choose 75 credit modules from list B and 30 credit open options. 

Year 1 (For students WITHOUT A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core Modules

Compulsory Modules

• PLUS choose Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

Year 2 (For students WITHOUT A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core Modules

Year 3 (For students WITHOUT A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core Modules

• Plus choose modules from list B to the value of 105 credits

• OR choose 75 credit modules from list B and 30 credit open options. 

List of modules (subject to availability)

List A

List B

Students must take AT LEAST 30 CREDITS and can take NO MORE THAN A TOTAL OF 90 CREDITS in the following regional economic development modules

Prerequisistes

Programme Specification

• BSc Development Economics Programme Specification (pdf; 244kb)

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.

Tuition Fees

Full details of undergraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Undergraduate Tuition Fees page.

Fees for 2020/21 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

An undergraduate degree in Development Economics from SOAS gives students a solid grounding in analytical and critical thinking, statistical and computing skills and knowledge of 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

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.

Alternatively, many others 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

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts