Economics and Finance with a Placement Year

Economics and finance is a combination that gives you both the macroeconomic and microeconomic frameworks for understanding how markets and economies function and the more applied financial tools for analysing how capital is allocated, how risk is priced, and how investment decisions are made at the level of firms and markets. Economics explains the forces that shape aggregate economic outcomes, while finance applies analytical rigour to the decisions made by firms and investors within those markets. Together they produce graduates equipped for the analytical demands of financial services, economic consultancy, corporate management, and policy work.

At the University of East Anglia, this four-year full-time programme includes a placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain professional experience in a relevant organisation as part of your degree. Economics and finance graduates are in demand in banking, investment management, consultancy, and the public sector, and the placement year gives you direct exposure to one of those environments before you graduate. UEA's economics department has a strong research culture and a commitment to rigorous training in quantitative methods, which is reflected in a programme that develops your skills in econometrics, financial modelling, and data analysis alongside your theoretical understanding.

The typical entry tariff of 104 points reflects the programme's approach to admitting students with strong analytical potential.

Economics and finance graduates are consistently among the most sought-after in the UK graduate labour market. Careers in investment banking, asset management, financial analysis, economic consultancy, the civil service, central banking, and corporate treasury are all common destinations. The combination of economic theory and financial analysis is prized by employers in financial services and policy, and the placement year gives UEA graduates a practical advantage.

Many go on to pursue professional qualifications in finance or accountancy, and postgraduate study in economics, finance, or financial economics is a well-established route for those who want to develop specialist expertise or pursue academic careers.