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Overview

About the Department of Economics

We are one of the oldest Economics departments in the UK with a long track record of world-leading research, which spans the entire range of modern economics. Our mission is to advance economic understanding and its real-world applications.

We produce innovative research that explores economic behaviour and societal problems. Our research:

  • informs and influences economic and social policy at both national and international levels
  • explores interdisciplinary approaches to big questions
  • maintains global recognition within the field

Our insights have shaped UK migration and European Union merger policies. We also advise government bodies on the behavioural impacts of water usage.

We foster an inclusive community which enriches our research and promotes teaching excellence. Our department offers rewarding experiences at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Our economics degrees give students transferable skills, such as critical thinking, research, statistical and problem solving skills. We have a 96.5% employment rate for graduates, 15 months after graduation (2020/2021 data, published 2023, sourced from 87 responses).

Join our diverse community where academics and students from many different nationalities work together.

Students working at the Bloomberg terminals in the financial laboratory.
Undergraduate students on our Economics course.
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Research culture

Our research enhances our teaching, influences policy and has societal impact. We nurture and empower our staff to carry out global research, tackling intricate economic challenges. Our academic team come from 15 countries around the world so we have a diverse perspective. We encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue.

We structure our research around 4 interconnected research groups:

Our priority is to produce high-quality research with global impact. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 found that 93% of our outputs are world-leading or internationally excellent.

We have expertise across a broad range of subjects such as:

  • time series and financial econometrics
  • behavioural economics
  • game theory
  • quantitative and theoretical macro
  • labour economics
  • applied micro-econometrics

We host weekly seminars with external speakers and internal seminars where existing staff or students present their work. Many of our alumni are now themselves academics in prestigious UK and European universities.  

We present our research at:

  • worldwide conferences
  • seminars
  • institutions
  • governmental bodies across the UK, Europe, and the USA
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Teaching culture

Our commitment to teaching excellence is recognised in our rankings. Our Economics and Econometrics course ranks 15th in the UK in the QS World University rankings 2023 and 10th in the UK in the Times Higher Education survey 2024.

Our commitment to teaching excellence is recognised in our rankings. Our Economics and Econometrics course ranks 15th in the UK in the QS World University rankings 2023 and 10th in the UK in the Times Higher Education survey 2024.

In addition the latest National Student Survey found that 90% of our students think staff are good at explaining things. Equally, 90% agree that our course is intellectually challenging.

We nurture the intellectual leaders of tomorrow. We ensure that our students graduate with strong numeracy skills and the ability to interpret data. Our graduates are valued in fields such as:

  • finance
  • business consulting
  • policy development
  • data science

In particular, our BSc in Economics with Data Science offers a unique opportunity to gain in-depth proficiency in economics. It supplements classical training in economic theory and its application, with knowledge of methods in data science. These include algorithmic, machine learning and computational economics tools used to analyse large datasets. They are skills that are increasingly highly rewarded in the labour market in economics and finance. 

We also have excellent facilities for students. They can design decision-making experiments in our experimental laboratory. The Bloomberg suite simulates a trading room environment.  

We are excited for the future of our recent graduates. In addition to the 96.5% employment rate, the average full-time salary for our graduates, 15 months after graduation, is £33,100. (2020/2021 data, published 2023, sourced from 46 responses). 
 

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Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

We’re committed to fostering inclusivity. Our diverse community includes 15 nationalities. The principle of equality and a culture of inclusion are the heart of all the practices followed within the department.

Some of our initiatives include:

  • peer mentoring students
  • supporting students from varied school level educational systems with maths in preparation for studying economics
  • supporting flexible working patterns

Athena SWAN

Our Athena SWAN Bronze Award highlights our dedication to gender balance, as well as our comprehensive plan to address areas where we need to improve.

Athena Swan bronze award logo
Our Athena SWAN Bronze Award demonstrates our commitment to gender equality.
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Research and outreach

Learn more about how our research informs policymakers and how we support the next generation of economists.

Our research community

Our world class quality research in the core areas of economics informs a rigorous undergraduate and postgraduate training with a strong emphasis on quantitative skills and state-of-the-art methods.

People

Work with us

Contact us

Get in touch, we’re happy to help

You can contact us by:
Building 58, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
We’re open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm UK time

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