Economics and Finance (Industry)

BSc Hons

  • UCAS code NL32
  • Entry year 2025 or 2024
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 Years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 11

    11th for Research Quality for Economics

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2024)

  • 13

    13th for Accounting and Finance

    The Guardian University Guide (2024)

  • 15

    15th for Graduate Prospects for Economics

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2023)

Introduction

BSc Economics and Finance (Industry) is a four-year career-focused degree that combines the broad sweep and critical thinking of economics with a focus on the markets and investing of finance. The programme is flexible after the first year of your studies, allowing you to choose modules based on your strengths and interests as they evolve. You’ll benefit from our specialist careers coaching throughout your degree, designed to prepare you for the career you want.

Course overview

You will learn from leading academic researchers and expert practitioners in economics and finance, and you will begin by learning the foundations of finance theory and methodology and the fundamentals of economics.

Your first year includes the modules Accounting and Finance, Quantitative Methods for Economics, and Principles of Economics A. These will introduce you to the key principles of both fields and are designed to give you solid foundations for the remainder of your degree.

In your second year, you will learn about asset pricing, financial accounting and econometrics, amongst other topics.

Your third year is spent in industry. You’ll be supported in securing a placement, with past students joining companies such as IBM, Lloyds Bank, Microsoft, PwC and the Bank of England. Roles on offer range from project management and logistics to investment, business development and risk. Most placements are in the UK, but there are some options overseas.

In your final year, you choose all your modules, from Game Theory, Portfolio Management, Financial Markets, and Monetary Microeconomics, among other options.

Alongside these academic modules and throughout all three years of your study, you will have modules on careers and employability led by our Careers Coaches. These are designed to prepare you for interviews and internships and show you what careers will be available.

Throughout your studies, you will be led by academics at the frontier of financial research. Our researchers work on major European projects, including investigating how to apply artificial intelligence to banking, and on the art, precision and effectiveness of factor investing and hedge fund strategies. We have developed strong links with the Bank of England, top asset management companies, financial regulators and economists worldwide. Our connections with Invesco allow us to deliver joint conferences and seminars, providing you with insights from both top academics and industry professionals.

Key facts

We teach Economics from the ground up, so you do not need an A level in Economics to enrol in this course.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you in finding a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you can transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and will continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.

Course outcomes

Employers highly value our Economics and Finance degrees. Graduates from this programme work as economists in the public sector and academia, but also in banking, professional services, international business and international organisations.

Careers

The skills gained from the two areas of your degree are highly desirable to employers, both within the finance industry and elsewhere. Lancaster’s Finance and Economics graduates are able to capitalise on the analytical skills developed during their degree and many find themselves in a good position to win training contracts with major professional accounting firms; find employment within financial institutions and banks, or take up a variety of other posts within various industries.

Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, you also graduate with the relevant life and work-based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability awareness, career development, campus community and social development. Visit our employability section for full details.

Lancaster University Management School has an award-winning careers team to provide a dedicated careers and placement service offering a range of innovative services for management school students. Our high reputation means we attract a wide range of leading global employers to campus offering you the opportunity to interact with graduate recruiters from day one of your degree.

Entry requirements

Grade requirements

A level AAB

Required subjects A level Mathematics grade B

GCSE English Language grade C or 4

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements web pages.

Other qualifications

International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including 6 in HL Mathematics (either analysis and approaches or applications and interpretations)

BTEC May be considered alongside A level Mathematics or Further Mathematics with at least grade B

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions web pages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual Offers

Our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of applicants whose personal circumstances may have impacted their exam results.

Contextual offers

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

Core

Core

Core

Optional

Fees and funding

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2025/26 entry fees have not yet been set.

As a guide, our fees in 2024/25 were:

Home International
£9,250 £24,475

Fees and funding information

Scholarships and bursaries

Details of our scholarships and bursaries for students starting in 2025 are not yet available. You can use our scholarships for 2024-entry applicants as guidance.

Alumni profiles

Link: click to see Laura Conchie
portrait photograph of Laura Conchie

Laura Conchie

BSc Finance and Economics (Industry), 2020

I was very fortunate, throughout my degree, to encounter numerous lecturers who constantly inspired me in their teaching and research.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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