At the University of Greenwich, you’ve got a few different routes into Economics. The two main undergraduate options are:
If you're already thinking ahead, there are also postgraduate routes like the MSc Economics and even research degrees (MPhil or PhD in Economics).
This guide will walk you through what each course is about, who it suits, what you’ll actually learn, and where it can take you. By the end, you should have a good idea of which one feels like you.
Economics, BSc Hons
Good for you if:
You enjoy figuring out why the world works the way it does, and you are not afraid of numbers. You like the idea of using data and theory to unpack big questions surrounding inflation, inequality, climate policy, housing and healthcare systems, as well as smaller questions related to investment analysis and planning.
What the course is about
Economics at Greenwich aims to build your intellectual toolkit, enabling you to understand, analyse, and respond to some of the most challenging issues of our time. You will examine how governments, companies and people behave, but not just in theory. You will learn how to test ideas using data and policy debates.
Across the degree, you will dig into core areas like:
- Microeconomics. How people, households and firms make decisions. Why prices change. How markets behave.
- Macroeconomics. Growth, inflation, interest rates, unemployment, trade, and how governments and central banks react in situations like financial crises or cost-of-living pressure.
- Econometrics and data work. This is where you learn how to use data professionally. You build skills in statistical software, modelling and interpretation, which is gold in analyst roles.
- Policy and global issues. You learn how economics sits inside politics, sustainability, public health, development, financial stability, and the wider social impact of big decisions.
How you learn
You are taught by research-active academics, which means you are learning from people who do this work for real, not just from a textbook. Teaching is not just lectures. You will take part in seminars, workshops, simulations and discussions about current events. You are encouraged to think critically. Why did that policy work in one country but fail in another? Who benefits. Who pays. What would you do differently?
Where it can take you
Typical directions include:
- Economic analyst or researcher in government departments, think tanks or NGOs
- Financial analyst or risk analyst in banks, insurance or financial services
- Policy roles in public sector organisations, charities and international institutions
- Data roles in tech companies, consultancies and large manufacturing and services firms that use economics to drive decisions
- Further study, like a specialist MSc
In plain words, if you see yourself as someone who wants to influence decisions, write smart briefings, challenge decisions with facts, or work on the big systemic questions, the BSc Economics route is for you.
Business Economics, BA Hons
Good for you if:
You are interested in how economies affect businesses and how businesses respond to the economy. You want to understand markets, but you also want to understand how organisations actually run, make decisions, compete and survive. You like the idea of being employable across a wide range of industries.
What the course is about
Business Economics looks at economics through the lens of real organisations. You still learn core economic thinking, but you spend more time applying it to business problems. It is very focused on understanding how businesses operate in changing economic conditions.
You will look at things like:
- How firms react to inflation, interest rates and shifts in consumer spending
- How global events travel through supply chains and pricing
- How organisations make strategic decisions: hiring, expansion, pricing, investment
- How governments and international bodies shape the environment that businesses operate in
- How markets behave in practice, not just on paper
You do not just learn concepts, you learn to use them in context. For example, if energy costs go up, what does that mean for profit margins in different sectors? If a new regulation comes in, how does a company need to respond? If a new competitor undercuts you, what is the smartest reaction that still keeps you sustainable?
That way of thinking is exactly what employers recognise as commercial awareness.
How you learn
You learn through a mix of lectures, seminars and applied tasks. You practise reading the world like a strategist. You get familiar with business language, not just economic language. You learn to communicate recommendations in a way a manager or investor will actually listen to.
Where it can take you
Graduates from Business Economics are not limited to one type of job. You can go into:
- Business analysis and strategy roles
- Consulting and advisory work
- Finance and banking
- Operations, logistics and supply chain planning
- Marketing and market insight
- Public sector or policy roles with a business focus
- Graduate schemes in large organisations
If you see yourself in boardrooms, on calls with clients, pitching ideas, improving how a company works, or helping a business make smarter decisions, the BA Business Economics route fits you.
Apply to study BA, Business Economics
BSc Economics vs BA Business Economics
Still not sure. Ask yourself these questions:
- If you’re drawn to analysing data, working with models and exploring how economic ideas play out in the wider economy and public policy
That leans BSc Economics. - Do you care more about how organisations make decisions in the real world, how they adapt and stay competitive, and how you can help them do that?
That leans towards BA Business Economics. - Do you see yourself advising decision makers on the impact of interest rates, taxation or trade?
That sounds like BSc Economics. - Do you see yourself improving performance inside a company, spotting opportunities, cutting waste and helping leadership plan for growth, often in a consultancy style role?
That sounds like BA Business Economics.
Both routes are respected, and both teach you to think clearly, argue logically and solve real problems. You build the same core, employable skills in either one, and you are not closing any doors. You are simply choosing the angle that fits how you like to work and the type of impact you want day to day.
You can also switch between the programmes after your first year if you realise the other one suits you better.
Whichever route you choose, you still have access to the economics pathways in finance, environment and public policy, and you can either follow one of those tracks or mix and match optional modules based on your interests and career goals.
What both undergraduate degrees have in common
You are studying in London
You will learn economics in a global city that lives and breathes it. Policy announcements, labour market shifts, international trade, cost of living pressure, financial services, logistics, entrepreneurship, all of it is happening around you. You are not stuck in theory. You can literally see the subject on your doorstep.
Experts you can actually talk to
Our academics operate an open-door culture. That means you are not just a number in a lecture theatre. You can ask for help, ask for clarity, or just ask to talk something through. That support matters when the work gets tougher.
A friendly community
You are part of a Business School with students from around the world, and you work alongside people who see economics from different angles. You learn to defend your ideas and listen to others, which is the core of good economics.
Practical learning
This is not just essays. You will have chances to explore case studies, discuss current events, visit organisations, and see how economic thinking applies outside the classroom.
Career mindset from the start
Both courses are built with employability in mind. You are encouraged to think about your next step early, not in final year panic mode. You will hear from people who work in the field, get help with applications, and understand what different roles actually look like.
Open Days and campus visits
You can visit us, walk around the Greenwich campus, talk to staff and students and see what it feels like in real life. If you are torn between courses, sometimes standing in the space and asking a current student is what makes it click.
Thinking beyond undergraduate
Maybe you are already thinking ahead. If you know you want to keep going after your first degree, here is what that path can look like at Greenwich.
MSc Economics
The MSc is for people who want deeper technical training in economics and want to apply it to real policy and real businesses. You build advanced skills in areas like forecasting, modelling, quantitative analysis and international economics. You look at how different economies function, how decisions ripple through systems, and how to give evidence-based advice. It also puts you on a strong research track if that is where you see yourself heading. Recent BSc Economics graduates have gone on to secure competitive PhD scholarships, and the MSc gives you even more of that preparation if doctoral study is part of your ambition.
This route is a good move if you want to work as an economist, policy adviser, analyst or researcher at a higher level or in more specialised environments. For example, central banks, consultancies, government departments, NGOs, international organisations, large corporates and finance. It also sets you up well for PhD research if you find that you enjoy digging into a topic in real depth.
Economics MPhil / PhD
This is the research path. A research degree puts you in the position of creating knowledge, not just learning it. You work one-to-one with supervisors who are experts in their area. You focus on a specific question in economics that actually matters in the world, and you spend time building new insight that can influence policy, practice or academic debate.
This is for you if you want to specialise, teach at university level in the future, or position yourself as an expert voice in a particular economic area such as labour markets, finance, development economics, sustainability, inequality, international trade or monetary policy.
So, which one sounds like you...
If you want to analyse the big questions in society, work with data, and influence decisions at the policy level, look closely at Economics, BSc Hons.
If you want to help organisations make smart choices, understand markets, and stay competitive in a changing world, look closely at Business Economics, BA Hons.
If you are already thinking about career progression, policy impact or specialist expertise, keep an eye on the MSc Economics and even the Economics MPhil or PhD.
Whichever route you choose, you are studying in one of the most interesting cities in the world, at a Business School with real ambition, with people who actually care if you succeed.
Still not sure which one’s for you? Visit us at an Open Day, talk to current students, and see which course feels like your path.
