Careers / HE information

Studying Economics will help you develop transferable skills that will prepare you for studying at university or moving into the world of work. Suitable higher education courses include Economics degrees or degrees in Applied Economics such as Environmental Economics, Labour Economics, Public Sector Economics or Monetary Economics. You might choose to study Business Economics, Econometrics or a Business and Management degree. Economics graduates enjoy some of the highest financial returns of any degree subject.

Economics students can follow a wide range of careers in Industry, Commerce, Finance and the Civil Service.

What careers are directly related?

Economist - As an economist you'll use economic theories and knowledge to provide specialist advice, by studying data and statistics and using your understanding of economic relationships to uncover trends.

Stockbroker - Stockbrokers are individuals who buy and sell stocks and other securities for retail and institutional clients, through a stock exchange or over the counter, in return for a fee or commission.

Actuary - Actuaries are experts in risk management. They use their mathematical skills to measure the probability and risk of future events and to predict their financial impact on a business and their clients.

Chartered Accountant - As a chartered accountant you'll give advice, audit accounts and provide trustworthy information about financial records. This might involve financial reporting, taxation, auditing, forensic accounting, corporate finance, business recovery and insolvency, or accounting systems and processes.

Data Analyst - Data analysts are in high demand across all sectors, such as finance, consulting, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, government and education.

Forensic Accountant - As a forensic accountant, you'll utilise your accountancy skills to investigate financial discrepancies and inaccuracies such as fraudulent activity, financial misrepresentation or misconduct and disputes.

Management Consultant - Management consultants help organisations to solve issues, create value, maximise growth and improve business performance. They use their business skills to provide objective advice and expertise, and help an organisation to develop any specialist skills that it may be lacking.

Business Development Manager - As a business development manager you'll be concerned with improving and growing a business, by fostering and developing relationships with customers, suppliers and other partners. You may work to improve profitability through careful strategic planning and positioning in the appropriate markets, or to enhance the operation of the business, position or reputation in some way.

Insurance Underwriter - As an insurance underwriter you'll decide if applications for insurance cover should be accepted and what the terms and conditions of that acceptance are if so.

Policy Officer - Policy officers work in a variety of departments and roles, such as planning council services in a policy section, or delivering services in a department such as education or housing.

Project Manager - As a project manager, you'll need to track work to be completed, set deadlines and delegate tasks to your project team, identifying any potential risks.

Studying economics gives you a versatile set of skills that you can take into a wide range of different careers.

• Analytical skills – you will be good at distilling and analysing complex problems

• Market insights – from designing and regulating tech industries to understanding consumers, you will have an excellent understanding of markets and incentives

• Working with data – you will be comfortable with handling data and using it to generate real-world insights.

In addition, you will also develop your skills of:

• Self-management.

• Teamwork.

• Business and customer awareness.

• Problem solving.

• Communication and literacy.

• Application of numeracy.

• Application of information technology.

• Entrepreneurship.