Economic Studies and Global Sustainable Development

Economic studies and global sustainable development is an intellectually ambitious combination that places the tools of economics in direct engagement with the most consequential challenge of our century. Economics provides the analytical framework for understanding how resources are allocated, how markets and policy interact, and how development and growth occur and distribute their benefits. Global sustainable development takes those questions and situates them within the urgent reality of climate change, ecological limits, poverty, inequality, and the institutions and agreements through which the international community tries to respond.

At the University of Warwick you will study this three-year programme, developing genuine depth in both economics and sustainable development. You will engage with microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, environmental and development economics, and the empirical and quantitative methods that underpin rigorous analysis. The sustainable development strand takes you into the politics, ethics and governance of sustainability, examining how international organisations, national governments and civil society navigate the trade-offs between growth, equity and environmental limits.

The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you substantial professional and international experience alongside your academic development.

Graduates of this combination are well prepared for careers in international development organisations, environmental policy and consultancy, sustainability roles in the private sector, impact investment, economic research and analysis, international NGOs, and government departments concerned with environment, trade, development or finance. The combination of economic rigour and sustainability expertise is increasingly valued as organisations across all sectors face pressure to demonstrate environmental and social responsibility. Postgraduate study in development economics, environmental economics, international development, or public policy is a common next step for those who wish to develop their expertise and pursue research or policy careers.