Economics with Data Science

Economics with data science is a response to a simple but important fact: the analysis of economic questions increasingly requires computational and programming skills alongside traditional economic reasoning. From modelling market behaviour and predicting financial trends to evaluating policy interventions and understanding consumer patterns at scale, economists who can work fluently with large datasets and write code to analyse them are better equipped to tackle the real problems that businesses, governments, and research organisations face.

At Essex this three-year full-time degree gives you a comprehensive grounding in economic theory alongside training in computing, programming, and data analysis. You will study microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, developing the analytical frameworks economists use to understand individual behaviour and aggregate outcomes, while simultaneously building skills in coding, data science, and quantitative methods. Essex has a distinguished reputation in economics and in quantitative social science, and the programme reflects both.

You will apply your computing skills to real economic and financial problems, performing complex analysis of individuals' economic behaviour and market dynamics.

Graduates are exceptionally well placed for careers in economic analysis, financial services, data science, economic consultancy, government statistics, the civil service, and a wide range of other roles where both economic understanding and quantitative technical skills are needed. The combination of these two disciplines is particularly valuable for employers who need graduates who can not only understand economic problems but also build the tools to analyse them. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in economics, data science, or related quantitative fields, and the combination of analytical depth and technical skill provides an excellent foundation for doctoral research.