Economics with Politics

Economics with politics is a combination that recognises the deep and persistent relationship between economic analysis and political theory and practice. Economic policy is inherently political: decisions about taxation, public spending, regulation, monetary policy, and trade involve choices that reflect values, power, and competing interests, not just technical calculations. Political life is in turn shaped by economic structures, incentives, and the distribution of resources and opportunities.

Studying the two disciplines together gives you the ability to think rigorously about both the economic and the political dimensions of the major policy questions of our time.

At the University of Bath, this three-year full-time programme carries a typical entry tariff of 184 points and builds your analytical and quantitative skills in economics alongside your understanding of political institutions, ideologies, and processes. The programme is structured so that the final year is devoted entirely to optional units, allowing you to choose at least 40 credits from economics options and at least 15 from politics options, giving substantial flexibility to follow your own intellectual priorities and build a profile that reflects your interests and career ambitions. Bath's economics and politics faculty has strong research credentials, and the university's location in the South West gives the programme good connections with the public sector and regional economy.

Graduates work in government economic services, policy organisations, international organisations, think tanks, the civil service, financial services, consultancy, journalism, and academic research. The combination of economic and political analysis is particularly valuable in policy roles where both technical understanding and contextual judgement matter. Postgraduate study in economics, political economy, international relations, or public policy is a natural next step for many graduates.