Economics and Accounting

Economics and accounting is a combination that gives you two of the most practically powerful analytical frameworks in the study of business and public life. Economics provides the theoretical and empirical tools to understand how markets and economies function, how incentives shape behaviour, and how policy can correct market failures and distribute welfare. Accounting provides the language and methods through which organisations measure, report, and manage their financial performance, and through which investors, regulators, and managers make decisions based on financial information.

Together, the two disciplines produce graduates who understand both the macroeconomic environment in which organisations operate and the financial details of how they account for and manage their resources.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year programme is taught in one of the UK's leading universities, with strong research communities in both economics and accounting. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the chance to study in another country, which is particularly valuable for those who wish to pursue careers in international finance or multi-national organisations. You will study microeconomic and macroeconomic theory alongside the core areas of financial and management accounting, audit, taxation, and financial reporting, developing quantitative and analytical skills that are highly valued in competitive professional markets.

Graduates are well placed to pursue professional qualifications in accounting with bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the ICAEW, or ACCA, and the combination degree provides strong exemptions from professional examinations. Careers in public accounting and audit, corporate finance, investment banking, management consulting, financial analysis, and the civil service are all natural destinations. The economics training is particularly valued in roles that require judgement about market conditions, regulatory environments, and economic policy, including senior finance roles and those at the interface of business and government.

Postgraduate study in economics, finance, or accounting is another option for those who wish to deepen their expertise.