Economics, Politics and International Relations (BSc)

Applicants come from a diverse range of backgrounds and we accept a broad range of qualifications. Special consideration will be given to mature applicants, and we are happy to consider applicants with other qualifications, including QAA-approved Access to HE courses.

Students from overseas should visit the International| pages for further information on the entry requirements from their country and English language requirements.  Royal Holloway International offers an International Foundation Programme and English language pre-sessional courses, allowing students the opportunity to develop their study skills and English language before starting their undergraduate degree.

We make decisions based on achieved or predicted grades, personal statements and references. More information on how your application will be assessed, and tips for your personal statement can be found on our Applying| pages.

 

• Join two departments recognised for their high quality research and teaching; in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 70% of the Department of Politics and International Relations’ research outputs were rated in the top three categories from ‘internationally excellent’ to ‘world leading’, and teaching in the Economics Department has received a score of 22 out of 24 by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).
• Develop an in-depth understanding of economics at all levels – from the company to the state, and beyond.
• The curriculum is advanced and reflects the most recent research in the two disciplines.
• Study in a warm, engaging environment with student-friendly academic and administrative staff, supported by a Personal Adviser who will guide you through your choice of course units, examinations and will advise you on your progress.
• Gain a broad spectrum of transferable skills that can be applied in the workplace and enjoy excellent employment prospects.

Each year you will take two course units in each subject, including both core and optional units, allowing you to specialise in specific areas of interest. 

In the first year, you will take Principles of Economics and Quantitative Methods in Economics I. These will provide the analytical framework of economics and the quantitative and statistical tools used in the field. In the second year, you will take Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and in the final year you will have the choice of two Economics course units, including an optional dissertation, giving you the opportunity to specialise. 

You'll also gain a thorough grounding in politics and international relations by analysing and criticising classic and contemporary texts. You'll study the growth of globalisation and its effects on nations, regions and their dealings with each other. Your studies will address questions such as; how have policy makers guided the evolution of the world's different systems of government? Is democracy a universal pattern that can be applied regardless of history and culture? And how well are international institutions performing in advancing human rights and the rule of law?

Throughout the course, you will:

• appreciate and apply the core theories of micro and macroeconomics
• understand and apply mathematical and statistical techniques to analyse and solve economic problems
• map the political currents that have shaped our world and understand how they interact with each other – and how the models underlying them can be challenged
• appreciate the theory and practice of diplomacy, the mechanisms of international consensus-building, and the role of transnational institutions. 

All undergraduate degree courses at Royal Holloway are based on the course unit system. This system provides an effective and flexible approach to study, while ensuring that our degrees have a coherent and developmental structure. In the case of combined degree courses, this approach also makes it possible to change the balance of your subjects during your time at Royal Holloway.

The websites of the Department of Economics  |and the Department of Politics and International Relations| give detailed lists of the course units taken for each different degree.

View the full course specification for Economics, Politics and International Relations (BSc) in the Programme Specification Repository|.

Teaching is mostly by means of lectures and seminars, the latter providing a forum for students to work through problem sets and applications in a smaller and more interactive setting. Outside of scheduled teaching sessions, students work independently, or collaboratively, researching, reading and preparing for seminars. 

Assessment is usually carried out by end of year examinations as well as class tests and assignments. Final year students can choose to complete an extended essay, which offers students the chance to conduct an original piece of research.

The results of the first year examinations qualify students for entry to the second year but do not contribute to the final degree award. The second and final year results do contribute to the final degree result, with the final year work counting for a larger proportion of the result.

Royal Holloway offers rigorous degree courses which will prepare you for a broad range of careers in both the private and public sectors and also for professional training in areas such as law, accountancy and management. Our graduates are highly employable and, in recent years, have entered many different roles in the Civil Service, accountancy, investment banking, management, journalism, broadcasting, computing, higher education, teaching, and politics and diplomacy themselves.

A substantial number of our graduates go on to further study, entering postgraduate programmes at Royal Holloway or other prestigious institutions at home and abroad.

To learn more about what our graduates do, please visit the Department’s website|.