Economics and Education Studies

Economics and education studies is an unusual but intellectually rich combination, bringing together two disciplines that both illuminate how societies organise themselves and develop. Economics offers tools for understanding how resources are allocated, how incentives shape behaviour and how policies produce outcomes, while education studies examines how learning systems are constructed, what they are for and who benefits from them. Placing the two in dialogue allows you to apply economic thinking directly to questions about curriculum, funding, achievement gaps and the social role of schooling.

At the University of Derby, this three-year full-time programme is designed around exactly that connection, encouraging you to apply economic theory to real-life educational scenarios and to engage with current policy debates from a multi-disciplinary social science perspective. You will study economic theory, data analysis and policy alongside the history, sociology and psychology of education, developing an ability to think rigorously across both fields. The programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you professional experience that can span economic research, policy organisations, schools, local authorities or third-sector bodies working in education.

The typical entry tariff is 104 UCAS points.

This combination opens doors in several directions. Graduates go on to work in education policy at local and national level, in research organisations and think tanks, in school leadership and in educational consultancy. The economic training also equips you for roles in financial analysis, public sector management and social research.

Some graduates choose to train as teachers, where the depth of understanding of educational theory and policy provides a strong foundation. Others pursue postgraduate study in economics, education policy, social science or public policy, and a number enter academic research. The blend of analytical and social science skills makes for a versatile degree that translates well across employment sectors.