Key information

Duration
3 or 4 Years
Start of programme
September
Attendance mode
Full-time
Location
Russell Square, College Buildings
Fees

Home student fees: £9,250
Overseas student fees: £21,160

Please note that fees go up each year. 
See undergraduate fees for further details.

Entry requirements

A Levels: AAB

Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Austria: Reifeprufungszeugnis / Maturazeugnis: four subjects at 1, 1, 2, 2 

A Level equivalent: AAB 
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs: 80% (8/10, 16/20) overall

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Belgium

 

Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie: 5.5 and 5.0 in two State Maturity Exams

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Bulgaria

Canada: High School Diploma: 83% with 5 acceptable Grade 12 subjects (most territories). 
British Colombia: AAABB in Grade 12 subjects.

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Canada

 

China: Senior Secondary Graduation Certificate + Gaokao: 80% overall in Gaokao PLUS 85% overall in Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate (year 11 and 12)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from China

 

Croatia: Matura Certificate: 5 overall with 5 in 2 Higher level subjects

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Cyprus: Apolytirion with 2 A-Levels: Apolytirion 18/20 + A-level grades AB

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Czech Republic: Matura Certificate: 1, 1, 2, 2

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Denmark: Studentereksamen; Hojere Forberedelseseksamen; Hojere Handelseksamen; Hojere Teknisk Eksamen: 10 plus 10, 10, 7 in three Level A subjects 

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Denmark

 

Estonia: Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with the Riigieksamitunnistus: 4.5 with 85%, 85%, and 80% in 3 state exams 

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Finland: Ylioppilastukint / Studentexamen: four subjects at 6, 6, 6, 5

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

France: French Baccalaureat or Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB): 14/20

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from France

 

Germany: Abitur: 1.6

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Germany

 

Greece: Apolytirion of Geniko Lykeio with Pan Hellenic exams: 18.5/20

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Greece

 

Hong Kong: Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education: 554 in two electives and one core module (all other subjects grade 3)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Hong Kong

 

Hungary: Matura (Erettségi): 5 overall

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Iceland: Stúdentspróf: 8

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

India: Standard XII: 80% (CBSE, CISCE, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & West Bengal boards), 85% (all other state boards)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from India

 

Ireland: Irish Leaving Certificate: H1, H1, H2, H2, H3

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Israel: Bagrut: Overall grade of 8-10, 85% with 3 subjects at 5-unit level

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Israel

 

Italy: Diploma Consequito con L’Esame di Stato: 85% overall

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Italy

 

Latvia: Certificate of General Secondary Education: 88% in four State subject exams

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas: 9/10 and 90%, 90%, 85% in three State Exams

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Lithuania

 

Malta: Advanced Matriculation Certificate: AA (Advanced) + BBB (Intermediate)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Netherlands: Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs: Overall 7.5 with 8, 8, 8, 7 in four subjects

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Norway: Vitnemål vidergaende opplaering: 4.7 overall

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Norway

 

Poland: New Polish Matura: 80% in three Advanced Level subjects

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Poland

 

Portugal: Diploma de Ensino Secundario: overall 18/20

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat: 9 overall

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Romania

 

Singapore: Polytechnic Diploma (Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Singapore, Temasek and Republic Polytechnic): GPA 3.5

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Singapore

 

Slovakia: Maturitná skúška / Maturita / Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške: four subjects at 1, 1, 2, 2

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

 

South Africa: National Senior Certificate: 77766

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from South Africa

 

Spain: Curso de Orientación Universitaria / Título de Bachillerato: 8

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Spain

 

Sweden: Slutbetyg / Examensbevis från Gymnasieskolan: A in 1500 credits and no grades below D / 18.5 / mainly A overall (MVG/VG)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Sweden

Switzerland: Federal Maturity Certificate: 4.7

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Switzerland

Tanzania: Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education: ACSE with AAB in 3 principle subjects

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Tanzania

Trinidad and Tobago: CAPE: Six CAPE units with grade 2 (+two double-unit courses = grade 2)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Turkey: Lise Diplomasi: 80-85% (depending on high school)

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from Turkey

USA: High School Diploma plus ACT, SAT, or AP exams:

  • High School Diploma GPA 3.2 plus SAT 1300 or ACT 29 and 2 AP's at 5,4/ 3 AP's at 5,4,4
    or
  • High School Diploma GPA of 3.4 plus 2 AP's at 5,4 or 3 AP's at 5,4,4
    or
  • High School Diploma GPA of 3.5 plus SAT 1340 or ACT 30
    or
  • 2-year Associate degree GPA 3.2

A Level equivalent: AAB
Contextualised offer: ABB

Information for prospective students from the USA

Subject required: Applicants without A-level Maths (or equivalent) must have a minimum of Grade B in GCSE Maths (grade 6 in the new structure)

See undergraduate entry requirements and English language requirements for international and alternative entry requirements.

Course overview

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. 

Why study Economics Combined Honours at SOAS?

  • 8th in UK for student satisfaction with teaching (Guardian League Tables 2022)
  • 5th in London (Complete University Guide 2022)
  • 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

Degree combinations

May be combined with

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

Key information set data

Structure

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.

Over the course of a three-year degree, students must complete 360 credits. These can be split evenly between both subjects (180/180), or be varied between the two subjects if the programme structure gives scope for this. Students must have at least 150 credits in the first subject (with a maximum of 240 credits being possible) and 120 credits in the second subject (with a maximum of 210 credits being possible) in order to be awarded a two-subject degree. The subject in which the higher amount of credits has been passed will be named first on the final degree awarded, provided core modules are passed.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes. However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. 

BA Economics and... (with 'Economics' appearing first in the degree title)

Year 1 (A - for students with A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core modules

Module Credits
Economic Principles (Macro) 15
Economic Principles (Micro) 15

Compulsory modules

In addition to the below Compulsory modules students select the following:

  • Module(s) to the value of 30 credits from their 'second subject'
  • A Year 1 guided option module (see list below) to the value of 15 credits or a 'second subject' module to the value of 15 credits. 
  • A language open option module to the value of 15 credits or a 'second subject' module to the value of 15 credits.
Module Credits
Elementary Statistics 15
Statistics 15
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics 0

Year 2 (A - for students with A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Compulsory modules

In addition to the Employability and Career Planning Workshop students select one of the following modules:

Macroeconomic Analysis OR Microeconomic Analysis

They complete their module choices from:

  • Year 2 guided option module(s) (see list below) to the value of 30 credits.
  • 'Second subject' modules to the value of 60 credits.  
Module Credits
Macroeconomic Analysis 30
Microeconomic Analysis 30
Employability and Career Planning Workshop 0

Year 1 (B - for students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core modules

Module Credits
Economic Principles (Macro) 15
Economic Principles (Micro) 15

Compulsory modules

In addition to the below compulsory modules, students select the following:

  • Module(s) to the value of 30 credits from their 'second subject'
  • A Year 1 guided option module (please see list below) to the value of 15 credits or a 'second subject' module to the value of 15 credits. 
  • A language or non-language open option module to the value of 15 credits or a 'second subject' module to the value of 15 credits.
Module Credits
Introductory Mathematics for Economists I 15
Introductory Mathematics for Economists II 15
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics 0

Year 2 (B - for students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Compulsory modules

In addition to the Elementary Statistics, Statistics and Employability and Career Planning Workshop students select one of the following modules:

Macroeconomic Analysis OR Microeconomic Analysis

They complete their module choices from:

  • 'Second subject' modules to the value of 60 credits.
Module Credits
Macroeconomic Analysis 30
Microeconomic Analysis 30
Elementary Statistics 15
Statistics 15
Employability and Career Planning Workshop 0

Year 3 (A&B - all students)

Compulsory modules

Students select one of the below compulsory modules (if not already taken in year 2):

In addition to the above, students select the following:

  • Module(s) to the value of 30 credits from the Year 3 guided option lists A, B, and C below. 
  • Module(s) to the value of 60 credits from their 'second subject'.
Module Credits
Macroeconomic Analysis 30
Microeconomic Analysis 30

BA Economics (with Economics appearing second in the degree title)

Year 1 (A - A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core modules

In addition to the below Core modules, students select:

  • Module(s) to the value of 30 credits from the Year 1 guided option list below.
  • Modules to the value of 60 credits from their 'second subject'. 
Module Credits
Economic Principles (Macro) 15
Economic Principles (Micro) 15

Year 1 (B - for students without A-level or equivalent in Maths)

Core modules

Module Credits
Economic Principles (Macro) 15
Economic Principles (Micro) 15

Compulsory modules

In addition to the below, students select the following:

  • Module(s) to the value of 30 credits from their 'second subject'
  • A Year 1 guided option module (see list below) to the value of 15 credits or a 'second subject' module to the value of 15 credits. 
  • A language open option module to the value of 15 credits or a 'second subject' module to the value of 15 credits.
Module Credits
Introductory Mathematics for Economists I 15
Introductory Mathematics for Economists II 15
Essay Writing Workshop - Undergraduate Economics 0

Year 2 (A&B - all students)

Compusory Modules

In addiiton to Employability and Career Planning Workshop students select one of the following Compulsory modules:

Macroeconomic Analysis OR Microeconomic Analysis

In addition to the above, students select the following:

  • Year 2 guided option module(s) (see list below) to the value of 30 credits.
  • 'Second subject' modules to the value of 60 credits.  
Module Credits
Macroeconomic Analysis 30
Microeconomic Analysis 30
Employability and Career Planning Workshop 0

Year 3 (A&B all students)

Compulsory Modules

Students select one of the following Compulsory modules 

Macroeconomic Analysis OR Microeconomic Analysis (if not already taken in year 2):

In addition to the above, students select the following:

  • Module(s) to the value of 30 credits from the Year 3 guided option lists A, B, and C below. 
  • Module(s) to the value of 60 credits from their 'second subject'.
Module Credits
Microeconomic Analysis 30
Macroeconomic Analysis 30

Year 3 guided option modules - list C

Modules from the below Summer School list may be taken at the end of Year 2 and count towards Year 3 credits. However the modules do not run every year and the Dept. will confirm to the relevant student cohort their availability in advance of the period for module selection.

  • 151040084 Climate Change and Sustainable Finance (15 credits)
  • 153401011 Asia Pacific Business (15 credits)
  • 1534401012 China's Belt and Road Initiative: Challenge and Opportunities (15 credits)
  • 151010055 Economic Globalisation in Asia (15 credits)
  • 153401017 Entrepreneurship in Asia (15 credits)
  • 153401018 Global Mega Trends: Opportunities and Challenges in Asia (15 credits)

Teaching and 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. 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.

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.

Learning resources

SOAS Librar y 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.

Fees and funding

Fees for 2023/24 entrants per academic year

Programme Full-time
Home students Overseas students

BA, BSc, LLB

£9,250

 £21,160
BA/BSc Language year abroad £1,385 £10,580

Please note that fees go up each year.

For full details see undergraduate fees.

Employment

Economics graduates leave SOAS with a solid grounding in statistical skills and an ability to think laterally, take a global perspective, and employ critical reasoning.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • Bain & Co
  • Barclays
  • Bank of America
  • Cabinet Office
  • Deloitte
  • Ernst & Young
  • HM Treasury
  • KPMG
  • NHS England
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • HSBC
  • National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi
  • UK Civil Service
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • University of Bayreuth
  • HM Treasury
  • Department for International Development
  • PwC
  • UNDP
  • King’s Investment Fund
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • The World Bank
  • EY
  • British Chamber of Commerce
  • Oxfam
  • RBS

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