Economics
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Studying Economics will help provide the skills to allow the analysis of real-world economic issues and events to enhance students’ understanding of the way the world works, and the way policy decisions are taken. There are two clear target audiences that are catered for – one intending to take economics further at university and then beyond (the ‘specialists’) those is picking economics up out of a general interest in the way the world works (the ‘generalists’). The interests of both these groups are at the heart of the design of this course.
By studying Economics, students will be taught a contemporary, principles-based approach to the subject, encouraging them to develop tools to apply to a wide range of real-world situations, rather than rely heavily on fact-based approaches. The structure is linear and is set out in three main areas of content, namely Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Global economics. Content will be assessed across three different components – Economic Principles, Exploring Economic Behaviour and Evaluating Economic Models and Policies. This approach supports a holistic and synoptic understanding of economic concepts and theories and allows learners to acquire a critical and thoughtful approach to the study of economics, understanding economic behaviour from a range of perspectives and contexts. The greater emphasis now placed on mathematical skills will also mean that learners should routinely be processing, analysing, explaining and discussing the significance of the economic data that emerges on a daily basis from economies around the world.
“Economics is a subject with a huge number of transferable skills. It teaches you the knowledge and concepts which are required to properly understand Politics and History, as well as debates taking place all around you. Despite being innately interesting, it also has great scope for extra research, reading and discussion. It has been a fascinating subject.“
Next Steps
An A Level in Economics is the first step towards a career in diverse job roles covering everything from food and agriculture to business and banking. Depending on their area of interest, an Economics A Level will help students develop analytical skills, enabling them to successfully enter multiple industries. Many students progress to study Economics at university.
Economic degrees are very well regarded and graduate employment figures show that while Economics undergraduates have an average starting salary of £35,000, many other undergraduates earn less when beginning their careers. Economics graduates are also particularly competent in finding employment, with the majority beginning a career in their chosen field within six months of graduating.
Entry Requirements
Standard entry requirements, plus
· Minimum Grade 5 Maths
· Minimum Grade 5 English
· Minimum Grade 5 in one other predominantly written based subject such as History, Geography or Sociology
· Average GCSE score 5.5
Exam board
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