Economic History

Economic history sits at the meeting point of economics and history, using the analytical tools of both disciplines to understand how economies have developed over time and how that development has shaped the modern world. It asks why some countries industrialised earlier than others, how living standards have changed over centuries, what caused major economic crises, how trade and globalisation evolved, and how the economic choices of the past constrain or enable the choices available today. It is a discipline that demands both quantitative rigour and the capacity to read historical evidence critically, and it draws on political science, sociology and other social sciences in addressing questions that none of those disciplines can answer alone.

This three-year full-time degree at the London School of Economics applies concepts and theories from across the social sciences to explore real-world issues in their historical dimensions, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you the opportunity to study in a different national academic environment and to develop comparative perspectives on economic history. You will work with historical data, engage with primary sources and archival material, and develop the ability to construct sustained analytical arguments about economic change and its causes.

Graduates from economic history programmes combine the analytical rigour of economics with the contextual depth of historical scholarship, making them competitive across a wide range of careers. Finance, banking, economic consultancy, policy analysis, the civil service, journalism, academia and international organisations all value the combination of quantitative skill and historical understanding. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in economic history, economics, development studies or policy, building on foundations that are unusually broad.