Economics and Finance with a Year in Industry

Economics and finance together address the forces that shape markets, institutions, and the allocation of resources at every level from household decisions to global capital flows. Economics provides the theoretical and empirical tools for understanding how economies function: how prices are determined, how growth occurs, how inequality emerges, and how policy interventions affect outcomes. Finance zooms in on the workings of financial markets and institutions, examining how capital is raised and allocated, how risk is priced and managed, and how financial decisions are made by firms, investors, and governments.

The combination equips you to understand both the big picture of economic systems and the specific mechanisms through which financial markets operate within them.

At the University of Kent, this four-year full-time programme includes a year in industry, giving you extended professional experience in a financial, commercial, or economic organisation before you complete your degree. The curriculum addresses both microeconomics and macroeconomics alongside financial theory, investment analysis, corporate finance, and quantitative methods. You will develop the ability to use economic reasoning and quantitative tools to analyse market behaviour, evaluate financial decisions, and understand how policy affects economic and financial outcomes.

The year in industry provides practical context for your academic learning and substantially strengthens your employability, as Kent's connections with employers in financial services, consultancy, and related sectors make a range of placements accessible.

Understanding the forces that shape economies and financial systems, as the current course description frames it, is valuable preparation for careers across an exceptionally wide range of professional contexts. Graduates pursue roles in investment banking, asset management, financial analysis, economic consultancy, the civil service and Treasury, central banks, international financial institutions, corporate finance, and management roles in organisations where economic and financial insight matters. Professional qualifications such as those offered by the CFA Institute are a common next step.

Postgraduate study in economics, finance, or related fields supports those seeking research careers or specialist technical expertise.