Economics with a Year in Business

Economics equips you to understand one of the most consequential questions in public life: how scarce resources are allocated, who benefits and who does not, and what happens when governments, firms and individuals make different kinds of decisions. It combines the rigour of formal modelling with empirical investigation of real-world markets, institutions and policies, developing a distinctive way of thinking that is analytically demanding and practically valuable. A year embedded in a business context deepens that value considerably, connecting academic frameworks to the operational realities organisations face.

At Royal Holloway, University of London, you will study economics over four years, with one of those years spent in a business placement. That year gives you direct experience of how economic reasoning is applied in commercial, financial or public-sector environments, and it strengthens your graduate profile significantly. A year abroad is also included in the programme, situating your economic education in an international context and developing the cultural and intellectual adaptability that employers in global industries value.

You will study microeconomics and macroeconomics in depth, alongside areas such as econometrics, international trade, development, financial economics and public policy, building both theoretical understanding and quantitative skills.

Economics graduates are among the most versatile in the labour market. Careers span financial services, banking and investment, management and strategy consultancy, government and public policy, international organisations, the charitable sector, and technology and data-driven roles in a wide range of industries. The combination of economic thinking and business experience that this programme provides is particularly valued in competitive graduate schemes.

Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in economics, finance, public policy or related fields, building on the quantitative and analytical foundations the degree provides.