As students begin their last year of sixth form, the question of ‘what next’ suddenly bubbles to the surface. Not only do they need to choose whether to continue with their education, but, if they do they need to find a subject they will enjoy and a city they would like to live in. That’s before we even mention finance or housing.
Economics may not be the first subject that springs to a student’s mind. Perhaps it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as music technology or aquatic zoology but economics is a very worthwhile degree to do.
The aim of this pack is to introduce students to the idea of studying economics at university. How or when teachers choose to do this can be entirely up to you. The pack has been made with students from any discipline (not only economics) in mind.
Resources
Careers in Social Science: Economics (PDF)
This is a short handout for schools, provided by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) with key points and pointers for further information. This document is copyright the ESRC, all rights reserved.
What is Economics like at university? (PowerPoint)
The aim of this powerpoint is to introduce students to the idea of studying economics at university. The PowerPoint discusses studying economics at University including; the options economics can give you; what it will be like to study and what jobs you can do with an economics degree.
Why Study Economics? (PowerPoint)
This powerpoint highlights the benefits of studying economics at university.
Economics Quiz
A quick ten-question quiz for students showing them how much they already know about economics.
Except where indicated, these works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License.
We’d like to reassure you that:
- Students who study Economics do so because they enjoy the subject and find it rewarding. This enjoyment encourages them to finish their degree programme.
- An Economics degree develops skills that employers consistently find valuable: communications, writing, and analysis; as well as important skills like numeracy and business acumen. The leads economics graduates to fields as diverse as; teaching, law, and journalism; but they also become managers, advertising executives, and financial advisers. An Economics degree provides the flexibility to pursue almost any ambition.
- Very few Economics graduates face unemployment – fewer than in other fields of the humanities and social sciences (and some physical sciences). An Economics degree provides a broad perspective on business, history, and society, helping students to develop their interests and enthusiasms.
And whilst many people criticise more ‘vocational degrees’ like economics as being overly confining when compared too a more general degree such as English or philosophy this is not necessarily the case. Economics because of its roots in the social sciences, humanities and business faculties provides a breadth of valuable skills and experience.
The rest of this website provides more detailed information for prospective students about why an where to study an Economics degree, what studying Economics involves, and the prospects for employment or further study after their degree.
You may find the after you graduate page useful.