| Qualification | Start dates | Entry requirements | Full- or Part-time | UCAS Code | Assessment | |
| Bachelor of Sciences (BSc Hons) | January July September | A-level: ABB-BBB* | Level of English required | Full-time | L1V1 | Exam and written assessment |
Course outline
A proper understanding of economics requires historical perspective. The rationalist structure of modern economic theory is a powerful explanatory tool and is of universal significance – but the importance of the institutional context is often overlooked. If the reality of scarcity, the exercise of choice and the inescapable nature of opportunity cost are timeless and universal, the social mechanisms, laws, conventions and institutions within which individual and collective choices are made evolve continuously. In his book Structure and Change in Economic History (1981) the recent Nobel Prize winner in economics (Douglas North) wrote that ‘for long enough periods of time to be crucial to the historian, human culture produces diverse, conflicting, and inefficient solutions’ (p.7).
The degree programme in Economics with History enables students to develop a fuller appreciation of the forces of economic change. It balances the ‘universalist’ assumptions of the economist with the ‘particularist’ approach of the historian and helps those who have had little previous acquaintance with economics to understand economic theories through the study of historical examples. Thus, students will be better able to use economic theory and to assess economic policy in ways that take into consideration the differing time paths of legal, political and cultural inheritance. It will be of particular interest to those wishing to pursue careers in public policy, international agencies, journalism or education.
Teaching methods
The Department employs a variety of teaching methods in different modules. Lectures and small group tutorials form the backbone of the teaching. Personal contact with members of the academic staff is considered to be essential if each student’s personal enthusiasm for their studies is to be stimulated. A range of activities is pursued within the tutorial groups depending upon the module. Some modules emphasise problem solving as a means of reinforcing and cementing the important ideas – for example the module in Microeconomic Theory. Occasionally we use game playing to encourage discussion and understanding – for example when competing groups of students try to control a computer model of the economy in Principles of Macroeconomics. Other modules place greater emphasis on writing short and accurate technical pieces (Welfare Economics) or longer more discursive papers.
A dissertation on an approved topic may be substituted for a written examination in ONE Second-year elective with the approval of the lecturer concerned and the Head of Department.
*Flexible Entry
All of our undergraduate programmes operate a flexible entry process, and the Admissions Tutor is happy to consider entrants from all backgrounds with slightly lower qualifications, if they are able to demonstrate an alternative eligibility for the course. This may be in the form of relevant work experience, keen aptitude and a passion for the subject, or unlocked potential that you feel can be discovered through your studies at Buckingham. If you are uncertain whether you will be eligible to apply for this course, please contact the Admissions Team.
