About this course

This course is full and closed to new applications. Search similar degrees in related courses or by browsing our course finder.

Politics and economics are at the heart of society and affect everyone. You'll gain an in-depth understanding and interest in both fields. You'll graduate with transferable skills in analysis, critical thinking and independent research. This will put you in a position to pursue a career in government, finance and business or advocacy organisations.

On this BSc Politics and Economics degree you'll gain a specialist knowledge of:

microeconomics (the behaviour of individuals and businesses)
macroeconomics (the behaviour of the economy as a whole)
political concepts such as democracy and international relations

You'll also have the freedom to shape your studies by choosing optional modules to suit your interests or career plans. Examples include Chinese politics, ethics, criminology and industrial economics.

You'll take part in lectures and small classes. You'll be able to use the behavioural economics laboratory and the Bloomberg suite, which is a realistic trading-room environment with access to the most detailed financial data available.

As part of this course you can also:

take part in a 2-week economics summer school at Xiamen University, China
spend a semester abroad in your third year

Course location

This course is based at Highfield.

Awarding body

This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.

Download the Course Description Document

The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.

Changes due to COVID-19

Although the COVID-19 situation is improving, any future restrictions could mean we might have to change the way parts of our teaching and learning take place in 2022 to 2023. This means that some of the information on this course page may be subject to change.

Find out more on our COVID advice page.

ODT

Download 2022-23 Course Description Document

Entry requirements

A-levels

ABB including grade B in AS-level Mathematics or A-level Mathematics or A-level Physics or A-level Statistics

A-levels additional information

Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking.

More information about A-levels

A-levels with Extended Project Qualification

If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: BBB including AS-level Mathematics or A-level Mathematics or Physics or Statistics and grade A in the EPQ

A-levels contextual offer

We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows: BBB including grade B in AS-level Mathematics or A-level Mathematics or A-level Physics or A-level Statistics

International Baccalaureate Diploma

Pass, with 32 points overall with 16 points at Higher Level and 5 points at Standard Level in Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation)

More information about International Baccalaureate Diploma

International Baccalaureate contextual offer

We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.

International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement

Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.

BTEC

D in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AB from two A levels including B in A level Mathematics

DD in the BTEC National Diploma plus B in A-level Mathematics

DDM in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus B in A-level Mathematics

Additional information

The University aims to recruit students from a wide range of backgrounds who we believe have the potential and motivation to succeed on our challenging programmes. We are committed to fair admissions and strive to ensure we give equal consideration to all applicants who possess the necessary knowledge and skills.

More information about BTEC

Entry requirements filter options

Other requirements

GCSE requirements

Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)

Non-academic entry requirements

Got a question?

Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

Course structure

Modules in year 1 provide a foundation in politics and economics. You'll study further compulsory modules in years 2 and 3. Your A level results will determine the compulsory modules you'll need to take.

There are optional module choices in all 3 years. Your module choices in year 1 will depend on whether you studied economics or maths at A level. You’ll also be able to broaden your experience by selecting:

Year 1 overview

Core modules provide a foundation in mathematical and statistical techniques, such as optimisation, probability, hypothesis testing and quantitative modelling. These will prepare you for your dissertation in year 3.

You'll also be introduced to political systems, analysing the differences between democracies, semi-democracies, and authoritarian regimes. This will be studied alongside important concepts within contemporary political theory.

Year 2 overview

Compulsory modules cover microeconomics and macroeconomics, looking at market failure and the factors that affect output.

You'll also be able to choose from a broad range of optional modules. These include Chinese politics, the future of Europe, ethics and social policy.

Year 3 overview

For your dissertation you’ll research an economic or politics and international relations topic of your choice. This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate independent research, analysis and communication skills.

You'll also be able to choose from optional modules on topics as diverse as lobbying, justice or globalisation.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Modules

Please note: in year 3 you'll have the opportunity to choose between doing either a dissertation in Politics and International Relations, or a dissertation in Economics.

For entry in Academic Year 2022-23

You must study the following modules in year 1:

Economics Skills and Employability 1

The aim of this module is to equip you with some analytical and professional skills that will be useful in your economics degree and future careers. The module will also provide information about employability opportunities in your discipline, such as int...

Engaging Political Ideas

Students should gain a knowledge of how political ideas - such as freedom, equality, justice, or democracy - have been understood in different and incompatible ways, and how those different understandings have been the occasion for ideological or normativ...

Introduction to International Relations

• Introduce students to the study of structures, actors and policy processes in international politics • Enable students to distinguish between competing explanations of international relations • Develop students’ ability to restate arguments and apply ...

Political Systems

This module provides an introduction to the study of politics and the key concepts and theoretical approaches in comparative politics. Pre-requisite for PAIR2031, PAIR2037, PAIR3039 and PAIR3046

Principles of Macroeconomics

This module provides an introduction to macroeconomics – the study of the economy as a whole. Combined with Foundations/Principles of Microeconomics this module will provide an appropriate foundation for subsequent economic modules. We begin by discus...

Simple Liars, Damned Liars and Experts: the use of empirical research in social science

A key skill of a social scientist is to be able to assess the quality of evidence presented based on strong methodological foundations. We need to understand what constitutes evidence, including how it can be produced, agreed, disputed, disseminated and m...

Statistics for Economics

All economics students, on both single and joint honours programmes, take this course. It is optional for students outside of economics. The module is designed to prepare students for the econometrics modules taken in second and third year. It also comple...

You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:

Foundations of Microeconomics

This module will provide an introduction to microeconomic analysis, the detailed analysis of individuals and groups within the economy. Combined with Principles of Macroeconomics this module will provide an appropriate foundation for subsequent economic m...

Introduction to Mathematics for Economics

This module provides a bridge between school mathematics and university mathematics. It provides a good grounding and in-depth understanding of the theory and application of differential calculus, and other techniques widely used in Economics and Finance....

Mathematics for Economics

This module provides a bridge between A-level mathematics and university mathematics. It provides a good grounding and an in depth understanding of the theory and application of differential calculus, and other techniques widely used in Economics and Fina...

Principles of Microeconomics

You must study the following modules in year 2:

Applied Social Quantitative Analysis

This module will develop the skills of the student as a social researcher to conduct in depth analyses of secondary, large scale datasets, leading up to the use of these techniques in the final year dissertations and ensuring that students have appropriat...

ECON Dissertation: Prelim Info

This is a blended learning module to provide students with the basic tools and information necessary to embark in their third year dissertation modules.

Economics Skills and Employability 2

Intermediate Macroeconomics

This module will equip students with the central concepts of macroeconomics, building on the foundations laid in ECON1XX4. Students will gain a clear understanding of the equilibrium behaviour of economies at the macro, that is national, level, using aggr...

Intermediate Microeconomics

This module will familiarise students with the central concepts of microeconomics, building on the foundations laid in ECON1001/ECON1003. Students will gain a clear understanding of the role of the price mechanism in organising economic activity and of ch...

The Struggle for Democracy

To introduce the theoretical underpinnings of the democratic state; to outline theoretical and practical changes and challenges to the democratic state both today and in the future; to draw links between theoretical ideas about the democratic state and de...

You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:

American Political Thought

For many people, the phrase “American political thought” either has an obvious meaning – some version of liberal democracy, surely – or it is a contradiction in terms – America has politics, but seems to exercise little thought. This module sets the recor...

Applied Econometrics

The module will enable you to apply statistical and econometric techniques to the estimation and testing of economic models and for causal inference. It will thereby provide you with the skills necessary both to undertake your own empirical studies and to...

Chinese Politics

After briefly considering the relevance of the traditional Chinese world order to contemporary Chinese political life, the module then focuses on two core themes: (1) Chinese domestic politics; (2) China’s external relations. Units on Chinese politics wil...

Cinema and political Theory

Citizenship and Conflict in the United States

Reading and discussing an exemplary document from each period ( Lectures on each topic).

Citizenship in a Globalising World

Contemporary Theories of Justice

Democratic Theory

Most states claim to be democratic. This module looks at the theory of democracy, including foundational questions about political inclusion, participation, and equality. As a result, students will develop a greater understanding of what democracy require...

Democratisation in Global Politics: why do some regimes thrive and others flounder?

Less than a century ago democracy was a relatively rare form of government. Today it is typically seen as the only legitimate type of political regime. Indeed, the language of democracy has assumed such usage that even dictators employ supposedly democrat...

Development Economics

The module will introduce students to the economics of development.

Development and International Relations

• To take a deep and critical look at the contested nature of development and to evaluate the development achievement. • To study in depth the mainstream economic development ideology from the early 1980s to the present, focusing on the Washington and po...

Diaspora Politics in Transnational Space

A sample of topics addressed in this module includes: a) theoretical approaches to the subject; b) the redefinition of the notions of sovereignty, borders, citizenship, and national identity; c) the role and mobilization of diasporas as transnational poli...

Dilemmas of Leadership

Have you ever considered what it takes to be a political leader? Have you ever wondered why political leaders make the decisions that they do? Have you ever thought about the types of dilemmas that leaders face every day as the seek to enact forms of demo...

Dynamic Macroeconomics

The aims of the module are to develop a simple dynamic framework in order to: (b) give microeconomic foundation to macroeconomic analysis, (a) learn to approach macroeconomic problems from a general equilibrium perspective, (c) enable students to eva...

Econometrics with Big Data

The module will proceed from a review of known content (matrix algebra, linear regression, hypothesis testing) to more advanced topics such as multiple linear regression, heteroskedasticity, restrictions in hypothesis testing, issues of model misspecific...

Ethics of Public Policy

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. The...

Ethics of War

This module provides an overview of ethical challenges associated with the use of force for political purposes. Drawing on historical and contemporary ideas and information, we consider whether, how and why ethical principles influence strategic and tacti...

European Security Governance

It is the first time in history that we can approach the problem of European security architecture in terms of governance, rather than hegemony or the balance of power. The proliferation of European and global institutions concerned with addressing differ...

Games

This module gives a comprehensive overview of the modelling of strategic behaviour in modern microeconomics, building on the foundations laid in Intermediate Microeconomics. It will familiarise students with the central concepts in game theory, covering c...

Gender, Power and Politics

How can we understand the role of gender in political systems? Why is it important to acknowledge the intersections of gender with race, class, sexuality and disability? What can/should be done about male over-representation in legislatures worldwide? Why...

Global Justice: Poverty, Inequality and the Environment

Globalisation and World Politics

The module will look at the main issues and trends, concepts and definitions on globalisation within the discipline of international relations.

Imagining European Futures

The European integration project has achieved a point, at which fundamental questions concerning its near and long-term future need to be urgently addressed. Unfortunately, the current debates are often hindered by the loud and dominant voices of extremis...

Industrial Economics

In this module we study the working of imperfectly competitive markets, the behaviour of firms in these markets, welfare implications and competition policy.

International Security and Climate Change

The module provides a wide overview of the key theories and issues related to contemporary international security. The module includes eight theme-based lectures, preceded by general introductions and finishing with revision and assessment. Each theme-bas...

Introduction to Econometrics

This module provides an introduction to the nature and use of empirical investigation in economics. The module will familiarise students with the basic concepts in econometrics as well as outline the statistical theory underpinning econometrics and statis...

Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind

Equal opportunity In line with the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy, individuals are treated on their relevant merits and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the module, School and University. The aim of the policy is to ensure t...

Political Thinking

An introduction to political thinking, focusing on major thinkers and themes and exploring how to engage in political theorising. Pre-requisite for PAIR3015

Politics of Global Health

This module provides an overview of the politics surrounding efforts to safeguard and promote human health worldwide. Drawing on ideas and information from within and beyond the discipline of International Relations, it incorporates five overlapping persp...

Politics of Protest, Civil Disobedience and Violence

Politics of the Media

This module provides a theoretical and empirical overview of the role played by information, communication, and media within the politics of the modern state. Students are introduced to canonical as well as marginal and emerging perspectives on media poli...

Power and Ethics Before Machiavelli

The framing of this module is that Machiavelli has seriously misled modern political thinking by permitting a wedge to be driven between morality and politics. Even if that was not Machiavelli’s intention, that has been the consequence of his ideas. Thus,...

Public Policy Analysis

This module introduces key theories and models in the study of public policy and seeks to encourage a critical appreciation of the main trends in contemporary public policy-making. It links policy theory with practical skills of analysis and advocacy.

Qualitative Research in Politics & International Relations

This module will introduce students to the practice of qualitative research in politics and international relations. Students will learn and apply key skills involved in gathering and analysing qualitative data, and reflect on the strengths and limitation...

Reinventing Democracy: Innovation, Participation and Power

All over the world the ideal of democratic government has higher support than at almost any time in human history. Yet many citizens of democracies are very frustrated with the way the democracy they live in works. It is one thing to recognise the contemp...

Strategy and War

The development of Strategy and its implementation, for good or ill, has had enormous impact on shaping the world. It has a fascinating history, traceable from the Hebrew Bible and ancient Greece to the widespread overuse of the word today to cover actio...

The Ethics and Politics of Migration

Migration is both a political topic that is growing in importance under contemporary conditions of global transformation and an issue that raises important (and difficult) questions for political theory. This module is designed to address these questions ...

The Politics and Governance of the EU

This module focuses on the European Union (EU) as a system of public policy-making and aims to provide students with a working knowledge of the history of European integration, the main EU institutions, the EU policy process, main theoretical debates as w...

You must study the following modules in year 3:

Dissertation in Politics & International Relations

The researching and writing of an 8,000-word dissertation provides you with the opportunity to integrate and hone a variety of skills acquired and extended during your studies, and to significantly deepen your knowledge of a topic of your choice. In m...

Dissertation: Literature Review

This module forms the first part of a dissertation in Economics. You will undertake a substantive piece of independent work in composing a literature review on your chosen research topic. You will motivate the research topic, survey and review the relevan...

Economics Skills and Employability 3

The aim of this module is to equip you with professional skills and knowledge that will be useful in your future careers, as well as when applying for graduate jobs. The module consists of up to three timetabled lectures per semester plus independent stud...

International Macroeconomics

This module provides a short course in international macroeconomics. We begin by studying exchange rates before turning to wider issues in international macro, such as the costs and benefits of participation in global capital markets; sovereign debt and c...

You must also choose from the following modules in year 3:

American Political Thought

Applied Economics

The module shows economic analysis at work in a number of areas of policy concern and develops simple and more advance models and empirical methodologies that help us both to understand central problems of economic policy analysis and evaluate alternative...

Chinese Politics

Choice and Decision

This module familiarises students with central concepts and findings in decision theory. It will explore in detail how decisions should be made, introducing normative benchmarks such as rationality and consistency, and will present how decisions are made,...

Cinema and Political Theory

This module explores the relationship between cinema and political theory. More specifically it addresses cinema as a distinct medium of political theorizing or political education. The module explores this topic through critical engagement of SOME of the...

Citizenship and Conflict in the United States

Reading and discussing an exemplary document for each period; lectures on each

Contemporary Theories of Justice

The aim of this module is to familiarise you with several important, but competing, theories of justice. Such theories give guidance on important questions of distributive justice (who ought to get what, when and why?), and provide, to varying degrees, gr...

Democratic Theory

Democratisation in Global Politics: why do some regimes thrive and others flounder?

Development and International Relations

The module will reflect on who or what constitutions the "South" in internal relationships, to take a deep and critical look at the contested nature of development and to evaluate the development achievement, and to study in depth the mainstream economic ...

Diaspora Politics in Transnational Space

A sample of topics addressed in this module includes: a) theoretical approaches to the subject matter; b) the redefinition of the notions of sovereignty, borders, citizenship, and national identity; c) the role and mobilization of diasporas as transnation...

Dilemmas of Leadership

Dissertation: Research Project

This module forms the second part of a dissertation in Economics. You will undertake a substantive piece of independent work in form of composing a piece of economic research on your chosen topic. This is designed to demonstrate your ability to manage you...

Dissertation: Research Topics

This module forms the second part of a dissertation in Economics. You will undertake a substantive piece of independent work in form of composing two reports addressing specific economic questions. This is designed to demonstrate your ability to manage yo...

Ethics of Public Policy

Ethics of War

European Security Governance

Gender, Power and Politics

Global Justice: Poverty, Inequality and the Environment

This module provides an introduction to recent debates within international political theory on the issue of global justice. It addresses questions such as: What obligations do individuals have to those affected by poverty or ecological degradation on t...

Globalisation and World Politics

The module will look at the main issues and trends, concepts and definitions on globalisation within the discipline of international relations.

Imagining European Futures

International Security and Climate Change

International Trade

This module explores key questions in the area of international trade. Should countries trade freely with each other? What are the gains/losses from free trade and are they distributed evenly within the population? What are free trade agreements and what ...

Labour Economics

The module will introduce students to key theories in the analysis of labour markets and to develop knowledge of the relevant institutional framework. The module aims to relate both theory and evidence to key policy issues.

Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind

This course introduces key theories and models in the study of political behaviour and political psychology and seeks to encourage students to develop a critical appreciation of how people develop their political beliefs and preferences, and how this affe...

Political Economy

This module introduces topics at the intersection between politics and economics. It exposes students to substantive issues in political economy, such as the comparative analysis of different electoral systems, distributive justice, the moral limits of ma...

Politics of Global Health

Politics of Protest, Civil Disobedience and Violence

Power and Ethics Before Machiavelli

Principles of Finance

Specifically the module aims to provide a bridge to the more theoretical articles in finance theory, by offering a simple framework of conceptual knowledge that enables thinking while making financial decisions. As such the module gives an appreciation of...

Public Economics

The objectives of this module are to introduce students to the major themes of public economics and to develop their skills in using microeconomic tools to analyse public policy.

Reinventing Democracy: Innovation, Participation and Power

Strategy and War

The Ethics and Politics of Migration

Migration is a topic at the centre of political concerns on scales ranging from local to global. The central question that this module addresses is this: How should transnational migration be governed? It does so by focusing on the key normative deb...

Topics in Macroeconomics

The main objective of this module is to expose students to the state-of-the-art discussion in a range of macroeconomic topics: growth, unemployment, taxation, and monetary policy. The approach is to study a simplified version of some widely used models in...

Transformations of Citizenship in a Globalizing World

Citizenship denotes both a legal status of membership in a polity and a political practice of civic action. This module addresses the transformations of citizenship – and of how we think about and theorize citizenship – in a globalizing world. It addresse...

Learning and assessment

The learning activities for this course include the following:

lectures
classes and tutorials
coursework
individual and group projects
independent learning (studying on your own)

How you'll spend your course time:

Study time

Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:

19%

Scheduled learning & teaching

81%

Independent learning

How we'll assess you

coursework, laboratory reports and essays
dissertations
essays
group essays
individual and group projects
written exams

Your assessment breakdown

Year 1:

42%

Written exam

48%

Coursework

10%

Practical exam

Academic support

You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.

Course leader

Jonathan Havercroft is the course leader.

Fees, costs and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

UK students pay £9,250.
EU and international students pay £20,340.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.

Find out how to:

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:

Bursaries, scholarships and other funding

If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.

If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.

Get in touch for advice about student money matters.

Scholarships and grants

You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.

We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.

Support during your course

The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

Politics and Economics (BSc)

About this course

Course location

Awarding body

Download the Course Description Document

Changes due to COVID-19

Entry requirements

For Academic year 202324

A-levels

A-levels additional information

A-levels with Extended Project Qualification

A-levels contextual offer

International Baccalaureate Diploma

International Baccalaureate contextual offer

International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement

BTEC

Additional information

Access to HE Diploma

Access to HE additional information

Irish Leaving Certificate

Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)

Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)

Scottish Qualification

Cambridge Pre-U

Cambridge Pre-U additional information

Welsh Baccalaureate

Welsh Baccalaureate additional information

Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer

Other requirements

GCSE requirements

English language requirements

IELTS score requirements

Foundation programmes for international students

Non-academic entry requirements

Got a question?

Course structure

Year 1 overview

Year 2 overview

Year 3 overview

Modules

For entry in Academic Year 2022-23

Year 1 modules

Economics Skills and Employability 1

Engaging Political Ideas

Introduction to International Relations

Political Systems

Principles of Macroeconomics

Simple Liars, Damned Liars and Experts: the use of empirical research in social science

Statistics for Economics

Foundations of Microeconomics

Introduction to Mathematics for Economics

Mathematics for Economics

Principles of Microeconomics

Year 2 modules

Applied Social Quantitative Analysis

ECON Dissertation: Prelim Info

Economics Skills and Employability 2

Intermediate Macroeconomics

Intermediate Microeconomics

The Struggle for Democracy

American Political Thought

Applied Econometrics

Chinese Politics

Cinema and political Theory

Citizenship and Conflict in the United States

Citizenship in a Globalising World

Contemporary Theories of Justice

Democratic Theory

Democratisation in Global Politics: why do some regimes thrive and others flounder?

Development Economics

Development and International Relations

Diaspora Politics in Transnational Space

Dilemmas of Leadership

Dynamic Macroeconomics

Econometrics with Big Data

Ethics of Public Policy

Ethics of War

European Security Governance

Games

Gender, Power and Politics