Economics and International Relations

Economics and international relations is a combination that directly addresses the forces shaping the contemporary world. Economics provides the analytical tools to understand how resources are allocated, how prices are set, how growth occurs and how policy interventions work at both national and international levels. International relations brings a political and institutional framework for understanding how states, international organisations and other actors interact, negotiate and conflict across borders.

The global economy and the international political order are deeply intertwined, and studying them together gives you an integrated understanding of how the world actually works.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year full-time degree includes a year abroad, giving you an international dimension to your education that is highly appropriate for a programme focused on global affairs. With a typical entry tariff of 168 UCAS points, this is a demanding and intellectually stimulating programme taught by internationally recognised experts who engage with contemporary debates at the frontier of both disciplines. You will develop rigorous analytical skills, including quantitative economic methods alongside political and institutional analysis, and the breadth of the degree equips you to understand the complex and constantly changing relationships between nations in both economic and political terms.

Graduates from economics and international relations programmes pursue careers across the diplomatic service, international organisations, financial institutions, consultancies, policy research, journalism, NGOs and the private sector. The combination of economic rigour and international political analysis is highly valued in organisations working on trade, development, security, finance and global governance. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in economics, international relations, international political economy or law, and the degree provides a strong foundation for careers at the intersection of economic analysis and global affairs.