Economics and Mathematics
Economics and Mathematics is one of the most demanding and rewarding degree combinations available, bringing together two disciplines that are increasingly inseparable in modern economic analysis. Mathematics provides the formal language in which economic theories are expressed and tested, while economics provides the real-world questions that give mathematical tools their significance. At the highest levels of academic research and professional practice in finance, policy, and business, fluency in both is not an advantage but a prerequisite.
At the University of Bristol, this three-year full-time programme combines high-level mathematics with a technically rigorous economics curriculum that makes extensive use of mathematical tools, including econometrics, which is the application of statistical methods to economic data. You will study calculus, linear algebra, probability, and analysis alongside microeconomics, macroeconomics, game theory, and quantitative methods, developing a genuinely integrated understanding of how mathematical reasoning and economic theory reinforce each other. The programme does not treat mathematics as merely a tool for economists: it takes the mathematics seriously on its own terms, which means you will graduate with a depth of quantitative understanding that sets you apart in the labour market.
Graduates of economics and mathematics programmes are among the most sought-after of any undergraduate cohort. Careers in investment banking, asset management, economic consultancy, central banking, financial risk management, data science, and government economic analysis are all natural destinations. Academic research in economics, finance, or applied mathematics is another well-established route, and this programme provides an excellent foundation for postgraduate study in economics, mathematical finance, statistics, or operational research.
The combination of rigorous quantitative skills and economic literacy is one of the most powerful dual capabilities a graduate can bring to any analytically demanding role.