Economics and Data Science with a Year in Business

The ability to combine sound economic reasoning with the technical skills to handle, analyse and interpret large datasets is one of the most sought-after combinations in graduate employment today. Economics and Data Science with a Year in Business at Royal Holloway, University of London, is a four-year programme that develops exactly this combination, giving you the rigour of an economics degree alongside contemporary data science capability, and embedding a substantial year in business that bridges the academic and professional worlds.

You will study microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics alongside quantitative methods, programming and data analysis techniques drawn from the data science field. The economics training gives you the conceptual frameworks to understand why markets, institutions and policies work as they do, while the data science elements give you the practical tools to work with real datasets, build predictive models, and communicate quantitative findings clearly. The year in business, spent working in an organisation relevant to your interests, translates that combined skill set into professional experience, giving you both a meaningful entry on your graduate CV and a clearer sense of the roles and sectors that suit you.

A year abroad is also available within the programme structure, adding an international dimension to your studies and broadening your network. Royal Holloway's location on the edge of London means you are close to the financial, technology and policy institutions that are the main employers of economics and data science graduates.

Career paths include roles in financial services, economic consultancy, the civil service, technology companies, market research, and data analytics across virtually every sector. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in economics, data science, finance or related fields, deepening their technical specialism or moving towards research.