BA (HONS) in History & Economics

The History and Economics course integrates these two subjects into a coherent and intellectually stimulating programme, the combination of which allows insights that neither subject can realise alone. However, it is possible to specialise primarily in either History or Economics while still preserving the benefits of an integrated approach. The combination of economics, economic history and history (political as well as social) equips you to view real-world issues from a variety of contrasting perspectives. You will learn both the historian’s careful approaches to evidence and argumentation, and the economist’s analytical and quantitative methods. This provides an excellent foundation for a range of professional, financial and academic careers.

For First Year mandatory course structure and information on examinations.

Finals courses in History and Economics consist of seven courses plus a compulsory undergraduate thesis. All students take the compulsory course Development of the World Economy since 1800. In addition to this you must take at least three other Economics courses of which at least one must be either Microeconomics or Quantitative Economics. In History you choose a History outline course. There is a very large range of additional optional courses in History and/or Economics. Full details below.

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YEAR 1

Four courses are taken:

Introductory economics
European and World history: four options available
Quantification in History (available options: Approaches to history; Historiography: Tacitus to Weber; Foreign texts)
Optional subject (involving the use of primary sources): 21 options available

YEARS 2 AND 3

Core courses in Economics and Economic History

Second Year Economics papers:

Development of the World Economy Since 1800

At least one of:

Microeconomics
Quantitative Economics

In addition to the two courses above, students offer between two and four further courses in Economics. These may be any of the courses listed in Year Two and Year Three in the table below.

History Core papers:

A period of British history or European/World history
Compulsory Thesis

Optional papers:

Select from a wide range of papers offered by the History Faculty and the Department of Economics.

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YEAR 1

Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Probability and Statistics

YEAR 2

Development of the World Economy Since 1800

At least one of:

Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Quantitative Economics

Optional Second Year Paper:

Macroeconomics

YEAR 3

Typical options:

Microeconomic Analysis
Money & Banking
Public Economics
Economics of Industry
Labour Economics and Inequality
International Economics
Economics of Developing Countries
Behavioural and Experimental Economics
Econometrics
Finance
Game Theory
International Economics
Environmental Economics and Climate Change
Thesis

The best way to prepare for the History component of the degree is to read the history books which interest you, either related to your school work or ranging beyond it – and be prepared to discuss your views of those books and their arguments. To find such material, you might want to follow up on references made in your school or college text books, or your History teacher may also be able to recommend particular works for you to read on topics that you find most interesting.

One good way of broadening your historical horizons is to read one of the popular History magazines: History Today or BBC History, which has weekly podcasts. You may like to look at the books which are being reviewed in the press. You may also like to explore the websites of public institutions which have excellent links to historical materials, such as the British Museum or BBC Radio 4 archives. Lastly, delving into some historical sources can be a great way to develop your ideas and understanding. You could try exploring literature, art, music or even films produced by different societies, and consider what these can tell us about the people of that time.

Find some useful introductory resources to get started in Economics