Economics and Philosophy & Ethics

Economics and Philosophy and Ethics is a combination that addresses two of the most fundamental questions human societies face: how resources are allocated and who benefits, and how we should think about what is right, just, and valuable. Economics provides rigorous analytical tools for understanding markets, incentives, inequality, and the consequences of policy. Philosophy and Ethics asks what those consequences mean, how we should judge them, and what principles ought to guide collective decisions.

Studying them together gives you a framework for engaging with global challenges that neither discipline could provide alone.

At Liverpool Hope University, this four-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a structured and supportive introduction to both disciplines before you enter the main degree. You will explore major global challenges, from globalisation and financial crises to climate change, migration, and inequality, using the analytical tools of economics alongside the critical and ethical frameworks of philosophy. The combination develops your ability to reason carefully, to evaluate arguments and evidence, and to engage with hard questions about justice, rights, and the kind of society we want to build.

A sandwich placement year, work placements, and a year abroad are available, giving you the opportunity to develop professional experience and to broaden your perspective beyond the classroom.

Graduates are well-placed for careers in policy, public administration, the civil service, international organisations, journalism, the charity sector, financial services, and management consulting. The ability to think rigorously about both the quantitative and normative dimensions of economic and social problems is valued across many professional fields. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in economics, philosophy, public policy, or law, building on the distinctive combination of analytical and ethical thinking the degree develops.