Source: Lancaster University Management School
Promoted by Lancaster University

Lancaster University: Economics degrees that will take you places

If you want a career that challenges and excites you in all the right ways – in fields such as business, finance, consultancy or government – a bachelor’s degree in economics is the way to go. If you are also looking for a programme that will let you learn by doing, taking you to places near and far, physically and intellectually, then look no further than Lancaster University Management School (LUMS).

“From the moment students join Lancaster, we prepare you for your future careers,” says Dr. Jiawen Li, undergraduate economics admission tutor at LUMS. “You take the career and employability module in the first two years of your study, where you will gain the necessary interview and CV writing skills, everything builds from there.”

As a two-time winner of the Abintegro Employability Index Award, LUMS Careers Services offer students a personalised service that includes workshops and events, ensuring students have access to all the best opportunities to enhance their employability and overall experience. There is even a dedicated economics department career coach.

“We regularly arrange employer-led activities throughout the academic terms, encompassing career fairs, sector-specific events, and speed networking sessions,” says Sophia Wu, economics careers coach. “Additionally, we work in conjunction with the central careers team to bring renowned top 100 employers and local SMEs to campus. This collaboration recognises that students possess diverse preferences when selecting an employer to align with.”

Lancaster University Management School

LUMS students can access a full range of career support, including workshops and events that enhance their employability. Source: Lancaster University Management School

LUMS economics graduates often contribute to this thriving network, giving current students professional insights as well as valuable connections. Graduate employability is further boosted with industry placement options, many of which lead to full-time employment opportunities. Students have turned placements into graduate employment at companies including UBS Asset Management, Fitch Ratings, Nataxis, Mercer, and SMBC Bank.

Placements are a chance for students to use their theory in a practical setting. Pankhuri Gadi, a BSc Economics (Industry) graduate, completed a 12-month placement year at Russell Investments in the Equities Team (Investment Division). Her primary duties involved quantitative performance analysis and macroeconomic research for Russell’s Global, Emerging Markets, Europe and UK Equity Funds. She applied micro and macroeconomic theory from core modules to real-life firm scenarios.

“Identifying limitations in portfolio analysis and using computational skills to improve processes was the biggest learning curve but the best part of my placement year,” Gadi says. “In fact, these skills were the stepping stones in securing my graduate job at FactSet.”

The careers team works with each student to ensure they explore their placement options and find the right one for them. “Students are shown relevant opportunities and then coached in their journey to succeed in securing the placement,” says Paul McCormick, LUMS Financial Careers Coach. “Some of these are unique to Lancaster University, accessed through the alumni network, e.g. with Fitch Ratings or AXA Investment Management.”

Lancaster University Management School

Experiential programmes here connect students to key figures in academia, industry and government. Source: Lancaster University Management School

Three undergraduate programmes stand out in this UK top 10 business school. BA Economics gives you the analytical skills and intellectual toolbox to help answer these pressing questions of the management of resources and labour in a changing world and many more. It is designed such that you can apply skills learned to multiple career options. Available as a four-year programme with a year in industry, this degree features optional modules such as Development Economics, Economic Inequality, Health Economics, and Labour Economics.

The BSc Economics introduces the foundational principles of Economic Theory before diving into quantitatively rigorous training in the subject. This programme is flexible enough to allow you to pursue economics in the business world or reshape public policies.  If you want to learn how to interpret data, understand (and quantify) the decisions made by individuals, organisations, and governments and evaluate economic policies, opt for the BSc in Economics and Finance. Like the BA, these programmes are available as a four-year programme with a year in industry.

These are experiential programmes. “Our student-organised Economics Society provides a great opportunity for our students to connect with academics outside the class and with people working in the industry and government,” says Dr Li. “The study abroad opportunity for some of our degrees allows our students to spend some time at a foreign university, which is a great way to experience a different culture and learning environment.”

Crossing a national border allows students to identify new skills and gives them an international experience that often ignites interest in new subjects and perspectives. Panagiotis Charos, a BSc Economics (Study Abroad) graduate, spent two semesters at Purdue University in the US.

“I was delighted to see that the curriculum between the UK and the US was quite different, and therefore, I had the opportunity to undertake during my year abroad subjects that were not available for economics students in Lancaster, such as a class focusing entirely on case studies regarding Antitrust and Regulation, since law was always a passion of mine,” he says.

To achieve the same dynamic outcomes as LUMS graduates, Lancaster University Management School, click here to apply now.

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