Course description

• Our Financial Markets Lab is the ideal setting to gain hands-on skills while experiencing the pace and excitement of the trading floor
• This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), meaning the course is mapped against the skills employers are looking for and provides you with additional awards and/or exemptions towards professional body memberships
• You’ll learn how to apply economic theories to businesses, markets, industries and countries using the very latest data and information services
• To complement your economics knowledge and boost your career prospects, you’ll also develop broader business, research and analytical skills
• Live consultancy projects with employers are your chance to solve real problems for real businesses
• An optional placement year or summer internship will deepen your understanding and raise your professional profile
• Opportunities for international study trips add an extra dimension to your studies: recent visits have been to Vienna, Copenhagen and Dublin

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

Specialise in applied economics

The BA (Hons) Economics degree will set you apart from graduates of more traditional economics degrees. Our emphasis is on developing forward-thinking economists who can be relied upon for their strategic vision and analytical thinking. You’ll not only gain a solid grounding in economic theory but also become skilled in handling economic data, completing research and analysis, and meeting the high standards of professional practice you need to shape an organisation’s success.

Practical scenarios will give you plenty of opportunities to strengthen your skills, so you could find yourself creating an investment portfolio, undertaking consultancy projects, taking part in business panel debates, conducting broadcast interviews or presenting your economic analysis at conferences.

Hands-on learning

Engaging with employers throughout your studies, you’ll develop the full toolkit of skills that the applied economist needs for business or organisational consultancy. You’ll solve real problems for real organisations, deepening your understanding of the wider business world.

We encourage and support you to take an optional year-long work placement or summer internship to give you a better understanding of how economic analysis can improve organisational performance and practice. Our students have secured placements in roles such as data analyst.

To broaden your horizons further still, you could take part in optional overseas study trips. Among recent opportunities, our students travelled to Dublin to gain insights into the work of IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for inward investment, and to Copenhagen to explore issues surrounding money laundering and international art fraud.

A visit to Vienna featured a tour of the UN Office where students had the chance to observe a live conference and attend talks by specialists such as the Director of UN Information Services Vienna, Martin Nesirky. They also heard from representatives of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) about internship opportunities there.

Specialist facilities and resources

Hands-on experience in the inspiring setting of our Financial Markets Lab will give you a whole new perspective on what it’s like to work at the cutting edge of economics. Harnessing the software used in financial markets worldwide and handling up-to-the-minute data, you’ll gain vital insights into financial market analysis and the fast-paced environment of the trading floor.

The lab puts a wealth of data at your fingertips, including company and director profiles plus analysis of current affairs from Bloomberg Intelligence. You’ll receive training from Bloomberg specialists, have access to their helpdesk and can even work towards the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certificate to complement your degree qualification.

How you will learn

Real-world learning is at the heart of this programme, with the focus on solving genuine business problems as well as engaging with external experts to discuss economic concepts.

You'll learn through a compelling combination of:

• interactive lectures
• expert speakers
• problem-solving seminars
• group work
• group discussion
• workshops
• case study analysis
• computer lab work
• practical analysis

At the start of the course, you will benefit from substantial direction from our teaching team. As your studies progress, you are expected to work more independently, taking greater responsibility for your own learning - but always with the support and advice of your tutors.

Examples of projects

As the culmination of the course, the Applied Economics Project module enables you to apply your research and statistical skills to a theme of your choice. Recent projects have seen our students exploring the role of sanctions in the economic performance of Russia; examining the potential economic impact of large sporting events; looking into contemporary issues relating to migration; and investigating the UK's housing market, international trade and productivity.

Showcasing your skills

You could showcase your know-how and raise your professional profile in prestigious competitions. Our students have scooped major awards at the University Trading Challenge, pitting their wits against fellow undergraduate and postgraduate students from leading institutions countrywide. The competition comprises a simulated trading market which tests students' abilities to strategise, analyse and present their ideas to a panel of traders and bankers in the City of London. There are opportunities to enter other competitions such as the IBM University Business Challenge and the CIMA Global Business Challenge too.

How you are assessed

You'll be assessed in a number of ways, including:

• computer-based assessments
• business reports
• applied economics projects to showcase your analytical and quantitative skills
• data retrieval and quantitative analytics using Bloomberg
• computer-based analysis harnessing Excel and SPSS
• poster presentations and reports to assess your research and consultancy skills

Who you'll meet

At Derby, you'll discover a friendly and supportive learning community, with small classes where you will receive plenty of one-to-one advice.

You will be taught by an enthusiastic team who are experienced in all aspects of economics and whose research will enrich your learning. They are supported by industry experts, including our Visiting Professor of Banking, Professor Trevor Williams who is Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank PLC.

The teaching team includes:

Melanie Powell

As well as teaching on this course, Melanie leads our MSc International Business and Finance and our MSc International Business and HRM. She is widely published and the joint author of a leading Economics textbook, published by Pearson Education and used extensively in universities. Her research focuses on applied economics, behavioural economics and financial market behaviour. As a teacher, she is committed to giving students a new way of looking at the world which nurtures their confidence, decision-making skills and a lifelong fascination with economics. She is the co-author of the University's monthly Economic Bulletin.

Dr Eugene Michaels

Eugene leads our suite of International Business programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His focus is on encouraging students to apply economic reasoning and critical thinking. His academic interests are centred on behavioural economics and their implications for personal financial wellbeing (particularly pensions) and the application of behavioural insights to macroeconomic and business policymaking. He is the co-author of the University's monthly Economic Bulletin.

Dr Weiwei Yang

Senior Lecturer in Economics and Finance, Weiwei teaches various modules on the course. Her research interests lie in areas such as banking efficiency, market competition, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. Her teaching philosophy is to inspire students to move from passive to active learning.

Dr Daphne Athanasouli

Senior Lecturer in Economics and Business, Daphne has research interests which span applied economics, public economics, corruption, business performance, management practices and e-government. She gained valuable consulting and research experience at the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Dr Sayantan Ghosh Dastidar

Lecturer in Economics, Sayantan conducts research into areas such as international trade, economic development and public policy. He has published on various aspects of trade, economic growth and public expenditure in India.