Economics and Finance (Industry)

BSc Economics and Finance (Industry) is a four-year career-focused degree that combines the broad sweep and critical thinking of economics with a focus on the markets and investing of finance. The programme is flexible after the first year of your studies, allowing you to choose modules based on your strengths and interests as they evolve. You’ll benefit from our specialist careers coaching throughout your degree, designed to prepare you for the career you want.

Course overview You will learn from leading academic researchers and expert practitioners in economics and finance, and you will begin by learning the foundations of finance theory and methodology and the fundamentals of economics.

Your first year includes the modules Accounting and Finance, Quantitative Methods for Economics, and Principles of Economics A. These will introduce you to the key principles of both fields and are designed to give you solid foundations for the remainder of your degree.

In your second year, you will learn about asset pricing, financial accounting and econometrics, amongst other topics.

Your third year is spent in industry. You’ll be supported in securing a placement, with past students joining companies such as IBM, Lloyds Bank, Microsoft, PwC and the Bank of England. Roles on offer range from project management and logistics to investment, business development and risk. Most placements are in the UK, but there are some options overseas.

In your final year, you choose all your modules, from Game Theory, Portfolio Management, Financial Markets, and Monetary Microeconomics, among other options.

Alongside these academic modules and throughout all three years of your study, you will have modules on careers and employability led by our Careers Coaches. These are designed to prepare you for interviews and internships and show you what careers will be available.

Throughout your studies, you will be led by academics at the frontier of financial research. Our researchers work on major European projects, including investigating how to apply artificial intelligence to banking, and on the art, precision and effectiveness of factor investing and hedge fund strategies. We have developed strong links with the Bank of England, top asset management companies, financial regulators and economists worldwide. Our connections with Invesco allow us to deliver joint conferences and seminars, providing you with insights from both top academics and industry professionals.

Key facts We teach Economics from the ground up, so you do not need an A level in Economics to enrol in this course.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you in finding a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you can transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and will continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.

Course outcomes Employers highly value our Economics and Finance degrees. Graduates from this programme work as economists in the public sector and academia, but also in banking, professional services, international business and international organisations.