Explore how economic theory can be applied to key societal issues with our BA Economics degree.
This three-year course focuses on how economic tools can be applied to different markets and situations. You will acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable you to solve the problems that are challenging policy makers and businesses all over the world.
We also offer a BSc Economics degree at the University of Reading, which covers a narrower range of economic markets and social policy issues but focuses more on techniques for working with data.
Watch a video explaining the differences between our BA and BSc Economics.
Choose economics at the University of Reading
- Established for more than 50 years
- 100% of our research impact has been classed ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ (REF 2021, combining 4* and 3* submissions – Business and Management Studies, and Anthropology and Development Studies).
- The University of Reading is ranked in the top 200 in the world for Economics (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023) and ranked 10th in the UK in Business and Economics subjects (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024, United Kingdom providers only)
Our BA programme will allow you to understand what’s happening in the world and how policy makers can respond to it: how do economies grow, how can policy makers manage business cycles, is inflation a problem, how can unemployment be reduced, is a 5-day week really necessary and so on. You will analyse these issues using a range of economic theories and methods including the theory of games and strategic interactions, natural and behavioural experiments.
Studying in the Department of Economics will help you understand the levers of policy and provide policy advice in response to Economics problems.
You'll study practical economic issues and examine the relationship between economics and society more widely, including:
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- Economic Institutions
- Economics of Social Policy.
You will also be trained in empirical methods used by professional economists to identify economic relationships and make predictions using different types of data.
- Development Economics - understanding of the causes and consequences of underdevelopment and the policies that help to bring people out of poverty.
- Economics of Banking - exploring the weaknesses in the banking sector, the strategies adopted by banks to address risks, and the rationale for government intervention in the financial sector and banking regulation.
- Economics of Sport and Games - studying how the competitive and controlled environments within sport can provide laboratories to study human behaviour, to test theories, and to observe the impacts of policy.
- Public Economics - offering you the chance to assume the role of a government adviser and write policy briefs that address public policy issues.
