Economics and Politics

Economics and politics is a pairing that illuminates the world from two of its most important angles. Economics asks how societies allocate scarce resources, how markets function, how wealth is created and distributed, and what the consequences of policy choices are for individuals and communities. Politics examines how power is organised and exercised, how different political systems function, and how the decisions made by governments and international organisations shape the conditions in which economic life takes place.

Together, the two disciplines offer a deeply integrated understanding of why the world works as it does and how it might be changed.

The four-year full-time Economics and Politics programme at the University of Aberdeen provides a thorough grounding in the global economy and the many factors that influence wealth from social and financial perspectives. The programme focuses on the role of politics, different political systems, and how democracy interacts with and influences economies. You will develop rigorous analytical skills in both quantitative economic reasoning and the qualitative analysis of political institutions and processes, equipping you to engage with the major questions of our time, from inequality and growth to governance and geopolitics.

A year abroad gives you the opportunity to study these disciplines in a different national context, developing the comparative perspective that is central to both economics and politics at an advanced level.

With a typical entry tariff of 152 points, the programme attracts students who are genuinely curious about both subjects. Graduates are well suited to careers in politics, media, business, finance, international organisations, the civil service, economic research, and consultancy, as well as in postgraduate study in economics, politics, international relations, or public policy.