Economics and Finance

Economics and finance are closely related in practice but distinct in their intellectual approaches. Economics asks how societies allocate scarce resources, how markets function, and how policy can correct market failures and promote prosperity. Finance applies economic thinking to the specific domain of capital markets, corporate decision-making, risk management, and the institutions that channel savings into investment.

Studied together, they give you both the theoretical depth to understand why financial systems behave as they do and the analytical tools to work effectively within them.

At Swansea University, this three-year full-time degree provides a grounding in modern economic theory alongside specialised training in financial analysis. You will study microeconomics and macroeconomics, learning how individual agents and national economies behave, and you will develop quantitative skills in statistics and econometrics that allow you to test economic and financial hypotheses with real data. On the finance side you will explore topics such as corporate finance, investment theory, financial markets, risk management, and banking.

The programme develops your ability to think rigorously about both economic principles and their financial applications, preparing you to move fluently between academic argument and practical analysis.

Graduates are well placed for careers in banking, investment management, financial consultancy, insurance, economic research, corporate finance, and the public sector. Many also pursue postgraduate study in economics, finance, financial economics, or quantitative finance, using the first degree as a foundation for more specialist or research-focused careers.