Economics with Foundation Year

Economics is the study of how individuals, organisations, and societies make choices about the allocation of scarce resources, and of the consequences those choices produce. It is a discipline that ranges from the behaviour of individual consumers and firms to the dynamics of national economies, the mechanisms of international trade, and the policies through which governments attempt to influence growth, employment, and inequality. Economics develops a distinctive way of thinking about the world, training you to identify incentives, trace consequences, evaluate evidence, and think rigorously about trade-offs.

At Aberystwyth this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year for students who would benefit from additional preparation before the main degree. The foundation year provides the academic grounding and skills development needed to succeed in economics at degree level, while the main programme explores the economic issues that impact on everyday life including employment creation, inflationary pressures, international trade, business competition, innovation and growth, development economics, natural resource management, and government policy-making. You will study both microeconomic and macroeconomic theory alongside quantitative methods that allow you to analyse and interpret economic data, developing the analytical toolkit that economics at degree level demands.

Economics graduates are consistently among the most employable in the UK. Careers in finance, banking, economic consultancy, public policy, the civil service, data analysis, and business management are all accessible with this degree. The combination of theoretical rigour and quantitative skill the programme develops is particularly valued in competitive graduate schemes.

Many graduates also pursue professional qualifications in accountancy, finance, or investment management, or continue to postgraduate study in economics or related fields, opening routes into specialist research and policy roles.