Economics and Law
Economics and law together provide an exceptionally powerful set of tools for understanding how the world works. Economics analyses the behaviour of individuals, firms, and states under conditions of scarcity and incentive, building formal models of markets, trade, finance, and distribution. Law establishes the rules and institutions through which economic activity is regulated, contracts are enforced, property rights are protected, and disputes are resolved.
Each discipline illuminates the other: legal rules shape economic behaviour, and economic analysis reveals the consequences of legal choices.
At the School of Oriental and African Studies this three-year programme brings a distinctive perspective to both disciplines, rooted in SOAS's global and cross-cultural expertise. You will encounter economics and law as they operate not just in the UK or the Western tradition but across a wide range of societies, legal systems, and economic contexts, including those of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The programme includes a foundation year, giving you additional time to build the foundational skills and knowledge needed for degree-level study in both fields.
You will develop skills in economic analysis and modelling alongside the legal reasoning and doctrinal knowledge required to understand how law functions in practice.
Graduates from economics and law programmes enter careers in law, finance, consulting, international trade, public policy, and development. Those who wish to practise law will typically go on to the vocational stage of legal qualification. Others use the combination to move into roles in economic policy, regulatory affairs, competition law, banking and finance law, or international commercial work.
The SOAS perspective, with its emphasis on non-Western legal systems and development economics, is particularly valuable for careers in international organisations, development finance, and cross-border commercial practice. Further study in law, economics, or development studies is a natural continuation.