Economics and Finance
UCAS code: L1N3
COURSE OVERVIEW
- Establish a launchpad for a career in an area of economics and finance, tailored to your interests
- Gain a wide range of transferable and technical skills to confidently and successfully operate in national and global businesses
- Explore financial management, investments and risk management
- Develop some of the most in-demand skills in the global and digital economies, such as quantitative and data-analysis proficiency
- Complete an optional year-long placement within the industry
- Accredited by The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
In this period of seismic change, the status of the global economy and financial trends are more dynamic than ever. Our Economics and Finance degree gives you a broad and deep working knowledge of these concepts from the perspectives of businesses, industries and governments and their effect on the smaller economic units of individuals, families, and communities.
Over three years, you sharpen your mathematical and statistical skills along with your ability to analyse data, construct and present strong arguments, and solve complex business problems. These are all key skills valued by employers across the business community. No previous experience of economics or finance are required to enter and emerge from this course as an industry-ready professional.
Our course helps you to explore current debates about the relationship between economics, finance and society, and gives you opportunities to specialise in areas of interest and career aspirations.
Throughout the course, you will explore large-scale general economic drivers and their influences on wealth creation at national and international levels (macroeconomics) and how economic units make decisions and distribute goods and services (microeconomics).
Your knowledge of these concepts will deepen as you progress through the course, alongside opportunities to develop your technical and data manipulation skills to operate successfully in an international and globalised work environment. Your independent learning is encouraged and supported by industry-experienced teaching staff to develop your confidence in the professional environment.
And it’s not solely about stats and figures. Our versatile three-year programme enables you to develop your abilities in communication, computing, critical thinking, self-study and research, and collaborative teamwork. These skills are highly sought-after in today’s challenging economic environment, as organisations strive to solve increasingly complex business problems.
An optional one-year placement is available to sandwich between the second and third year, where you will be able to gain real-world experience and employability-enhancing industry practise. The final year allows you to choose from optional modules to further customise your professional acumen and areas of personal interest, including an independent research project allowing you to further explore your own area of interest.
Accreditation
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) offer graduates of this programme exemptions from some professional examinations.
Careers
Our Economics and Finance graduates can expect excellent employment prospects in central banks, international organizations, government, commercial/investment banks, investment companies, education and research, and industry.
Pre-approved for a Masters
If you study a Bachelor Honours degrees with us, you will be pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible, you will need to apply by the end of March in the final year of your degree and meet the entry requirements of your chosen Masters degree.
Suitable for Applicants from:
UK, EU, World
Work Placements
Students are able to undertake a year-long, non-credit bearing industrial placement between year 2 and year 3 of the programme.
Study Abroad
Our BSc (Hons) Economics and Finance course provides an opportunity for you to study abroad in year 3 of the programme. For more information see our Study Abroad section.
Learning and Teaching
Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market.
You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups.
In addition to the formally scheduled contact time such as lectures and seminars etc.), you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.
Independent learning
Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.
Overall workload
Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity.
While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.
Year 1 (Level 4): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
Teaching, learning and assessment: 360 hours
Independent learning: 840 hours
Year 2 (Level 5): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
Teaching, learning and assessment: 360 hours
Independent learning: 840 hours
Year 3 (Level 6): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
Teaching, learning and assessment: 252 hours
Independent learning: 948 hours
*Please note these are indicative hours for the course.
Further detail on the learning and teaching methods employed:
Lectures provide a framework for discussion of key concepts, research, theories and models relating to the field of economics and finance, and explore relationships between these and their application in practice. Seminars and workshops provide students the opportunity to work in small groups on activities which are designed to apply theory to practice and analyse and evaluate implications. Case studies, stimulated business exercises, problem-based learning and real time problems are incorporated into seminar activities.
Presentations from guest speakers including professionals from industry and academic researchers.
- Individual and group projects to encourage collaborative working.
- Student presentations and role-play.
- Guided and supported independent study and research.
- Website technologies to include use of the learning network and students are encouraged to use virtual forums, such as blogs and discussion forums for collaborative working.
- Peer review and feedback in relation to formative assessments develop, for example, student understanding of assessment criteria and their ability to provide constructive and developmental feedback.
- Year-long work placement and opportunities to volunteer providing opportunities to apply learning to workplace context.
Location
Taught elements of the course take place on campus in Winchester.
Teaching hours
All class based teaching takes places between 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wednesday afternoons are kept free from timetabled teaching for personal study time and for sports clubs and societies to train, meet and play matches. There may be some occasional learning opportunities (for example, an evening guest lecturer or performance) that take places outside of these hours for which you will be given forewarning.
Assessment
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:
Year 1 (Level 4)*:
33% coursework
67% written exams
0% practical exams
Year 2 (Level 5)*:
50% coursework
50% written exams
0% practical exams
Year 3 (Level 6)*:
62% coursework
38% written exams
0% practical exams
*Please note these are indicative percentages and modes for the programme
Feedback
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
Further information
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
2024 Entry: 104-120 UCAS tariff points
Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:
- A-Levels: BCC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
- BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
- International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
- T Level: Merit in a T Level
In addition to the above, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications. To find out more about UCAS tariff points, including what your qualifications are worth, please visit UCAS.
In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE is required:
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GCSEs in Mathematics at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not. If you hold another qualification, please get in touch and we will advise further.
If English is not your first language, a formal English language test will most likely be required and you will need to achieve the following:
- IELTS Academic at 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (for year 1 entry)
- We also accept other English language qualifications, such as IELTS Indicator, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and TOEFL iBT.
If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold. UCAS have further information about studying as a mature student on their website which may be of interest.
Course Enquiries and Applications
Telephone: +44 (0) 1962 827234
Send us a message
International Students
If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by emailing our International Recruitment Team at International@winchester.ac.uk or calling +44 (0) 1962 826247
Visit us
Explore our campus and find out more about studying at Winchester by coming to one of our Open Days.
Year 1 (Level 4)
Modules Credits
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 20 | |
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Macroeconomics is a major branch of economic science that studies issues and problems at the level of the national and international economy. This module introduces students to the key fundamental principles of Macroeconomics and covers: technical language, concepts and fundamental methodologies. Topics covered include: modelling, price theory, balance of payments, imports and exports, national income, unemployment, inflation, multiplier-effect, consumption, aggregate demand and supply, and government macroeconomic policy. Where relevant, alternative economic approaches will be identified and considered. Real-world data and case studies will be used to reinforce learning and insight. The module will assess the impact of economic growth on externalities using indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-8 Decent Work and Economic Growth). The circular economy, the blue and green economy, climate change and resource depletion will be considered with reference to ecological economics. |
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| Principles of Microeconomics | 20 | |
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Microeconomics is a major branch of economic science that studies the behaviour of individuals in making decisions as buyers, sellers, business owners and government. This module introduces students to the key fundamental ideas of Microeconomics and covers the principles, technical language, concepts and fundamental methodologies. This includes the utilization and distribution of limited or scarce resources in the creation, production, supply and consumption of goods and services to meet demands. Where relevant, alternative economic approaches will be identified and considered. Real world data and case studies will be used to reinforce learning and insight. Students will be supported in tutorial seminars to build numeric competency through exercises using economic and business mathematics and statistics.
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| Quantitative Methods and Statistics | 30 | |
| Developing Your Subject | 30 | |
| Finance | 20 | |
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This module aims to introduce the core concepts and key topics areas of business finance and financial environment. It will enable students to develop knowledge and understanding of how the financial markets operate, evaluate alternative sources of finance available to a business, analyse the cost of different sources of finance used by a company and the weighted average cost of capital. Students will also learn how to apply the cost of capital in the investment appraisal process and evaluate the investment projects using the main investment appraisal methods. |
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Year 2 (Level 5)
Modules Credits
| Macroeconomic Analysis | 30 | |
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The module builds on the concepts and models developed in the Level 4 Macroeconomics module. Students continue to build competency in macroeconomics using empirical data, statistics, policy analysis and macroeconomic theory. The module will encourage students to understand monetary and fiscal policy, economic growth and growth models, business cycles, Sustainable Development Goals and economic policy, global financial markets, technology and employment, game-theory, currency index and foreign exchange markets, digital economies, stock exchanges and the role of money and liquidity in the world economy. |
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| Microeconomic Analysis | 30 | |
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The module builds on the concepts and models developed in the Level 4 Microeconomics module. Students continue to build competency in microeconomics using empirical data, statistics, policy analysis and microeconomic theory. The module will encourage students to understand the underlying behaviour of economic markets and financial systems in the context of uncertainty and risk. |
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| Financial Management | 15 | |
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The module aims to develop students’ knowledge of investment appraisal techniques, valuation techniques and dividend policy. Students will learn how financial markets operate and how to evaluate the alternative sources of finance available to a business. The module builds on students’ knowledge of finance and financial management from Level 4, as well as preparing students to study more advanced aspects of financial risk management and investing at Level 6. |
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| Year 2 Optional Modules | ||
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Optional Credits
| Macroeconomic Analysis | 30 | |
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The module builds on the concepts and models developed in the Level 4 Macroeconomics module. Students continue to build competency in macroeconomics using empirical data, statistics, policy analysis and macroeconomic theory. The module will encourage students to understand monetary and fiscal policy, economic growth and growth models, business cycles, Sustainable Development Goals and economic policy, global financial markets, technology and employment, game-theory, currency index and foreign exchange markets, digital economies, stock exchanges and the role of money and liquidity in the world economy. |
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| Microeconomic Analysis | 30 | |
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The module builds on the concepts and models developed in the Level 4 Microeconomics module. Students continue to build competency in microeconomics using empirical data, statistics, policy analysis and microeconomic theory. The module will encourage students to understand the underlying behaviour of economic markets and financial systems in the context of uncertainty and risk. |
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| Financial Management | 15 | |
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The module aims to develop students’ knowledge of investment appraisal techniques, valuation techniques and dividend policy. Students will learn how financial markets operate and how to evaluate the alternative sources of finance available to a business. The module builds on students’ knowledge of finance and financial management from Level 4, as well as preparing students to study more advanced aspects of financial risk management and investing at Level 6. |
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| Year 2 Optional Modules | ||
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Optional Sandwich Year
Modules Credits
| Employment Experience | 120 | |
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The aim of this module is to offer students to opportunity to undertake meaningful and relevant employment experience. The employment experience will take the form of a 30 week long work placement and the student will be required to demonstrate the relevance of the work practice to the named route of study. The employment experience will involve students’ demonstrating competency in key skills, such as communication and team working, and tasks relevant to their field of study. This will necessarily require the student to apply learning from their studies to the work place, thus providing the opportunity to fully integrate their academic study with meaningful employment experience. |
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Year 3 (Level 6)
Modules Credits
| Contemporary Issues in Economics and Finance | 15 | |
| Development Economics | 15 | |
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This module presents a wide range of topics about economic development. This will include conceptual questions, such as the different theories of economic growth, but also the key empirical issues that are relevant to the reality of developing countries, such as the role of institutions, agriculture, finance and trade in promoting economic progress. The module will explore these issues with a range of theoretical perspectives, as well as highlight the key policy debates. The overall goal is for students to engage critically with the field of development economics to be able to answer the key issues that are relevant for the historical and contemporary reality of developing countries. The module requires a degree of familiarity with basic economic concepts. |
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| Monetary and Financial Economics | 15 | |
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The module will cover advanced topics in macroeconomics. This includes studies in international economics, financial engineering (hedge funds, derivatives and currency swaps) and a critical appraisal of forecasting techniques. The content of the module will cover economic welfare, trade cycles and sustainable growth. The module will encourage critical thinking, logic and reflection in assessing experimental and behavioural economics, and techniques for exploring issues such as ethics, responsible management and professional codes of practice. Macroeconomic theory will be used to critically consider issues such as orthodoxy versus heterodoxy. Statistics, numeric competency, models in macroeconomics and graphs will be prevalent in the module – this will include materials on GDP, measuring national income and output, and assessing money supply and policy. Topics such as governance and law will be linked to macroeconomic frameworks, regulation and compliance. |
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| Financial Risk Management | 15 | |
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This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the various types and nature of financial risk. It covers the main frameworks and techniques concerning the management of financial risk and will also enable students to understand the practical aspects of financial risk management. |
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| Optional modules | ||
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Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing, for full-time students entering the programme in Year 1. Optional modules are listed where applicable. Please note the University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. For further information please refer to the terms and conditions at www.winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions.
The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed above.
Progression from one level of the programme to the next is subject to meeting the University’s academic regulations.
2024 Course Tuition Fees
| UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland |
International |
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|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Year 2 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Year 3 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Total | £27,750 | £50,100 |
| Optional Sandwich Year* | £1,850 | £3,340 |
| Total with Sandwich Year | £29,600 | £53,440 |
If you are a UK student starting your degree in September 2024, the first year will cost you £9,250**. Based on this fee level, the indicative fees for a three-year degree would be £27,750 for UK students.
Remember, you don't have to pay any of this upfront if you are able to get a tuition fee loan from the UK Government to cover the full cost of your fees each year. If finance is a worry for you, we are here to help. Take a look at the range of support we have on offer. This is a great investment you are making in your future, so make sure you know what is on offer to support you.
UK Part-Time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £77.08 and a 15 credit module is £1,156. Part-time students can take up to a maximum 90 credits per year, so the maximum fee in a given year will be the government permitted maximum fee of £6,935.
International part-time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £122.50 and a 15 credit module is £2,087.
* Please note that not all courses offer an optional sandwich year. To find out whether this course offers a sandwich year, please contact the programme leader for further information.
**The University of Winchester will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.
There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:
Optional
Core Texts
It is recommended that students purchase the latest editions of all of the core textbooks. Some of these texts relate to extensive online material for which you require an access code supplied with a textbook. It is possible for students to purchase second-hand copies where applicable. Indicative cost: £50 - £200 per year
Volunteering and Placements
Students may incur travel costs on optional volunteering placements in the second or third year of study. Indicative cost: £5 - £30 per day
Smart Wear
Students may be expected to dress formally for oral assessments. Costs will vary depending on the students existing wardrobe. Indicatice cost: £0 - £50
Mandatory
Printing and Binding
The University is pleased to offer our students a printing allowance of £5 each academic year. This will print around 125 A4 (black and white) pages. If students wish to print more, printer credit can be topped up by the student. The University and Student Union are champions of sustainability and we ask all our students to consider the environmental impact before printing.
SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS
We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards.
Key course details
- UCAS code
- L1N3
- Duration
- 3 years full-time; 4 years full-time (sandwich); 6 years part-time
- Typical offer
- 104-120 points
- Location
- On campus, Winchester
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