Are you interested in current affairs and politics? Do you want to know more about the important role different economies play in politics and international relations? Our Economics and Politics joint honours programme provides a thorough grounding in core political and economic concepts.
Our academics in Kent’s School of Economics are internationally recognised for their research and are exciting and innovative teachers who place a particular emphasis on making economics relevant to the real world.
As a Kent Economics and Politics student, you develop the skills to analyse and discuss crucial areas in the discipline and are challenged to contribute and defend your own theories and solutions.
In your first year, you are introduced to economic theory and practice as well as to the fundamentals of political science. You then move on to learn about different research methodologies including statistics that are relevant for both disciplines.
During all stages of your studies, you have the opportunity to choose specialist modules that suit your interests and include topics like financial crises, policy analysis, mathematical economics, political economy, and the politics of the European Union.
In your final year of study, there is an option to take a dissertation module on a subject of your choice, which allows you to focus in detail on an area you are particularly passionate about.
This programme includes an opportunity to spend a year working in industry between Stages 2 and 3. This greatly enhances your CV and gives you the opportunity to apply your academic skills in a practical context. In previous years students have worked at:
You are responsible for finding your placements, but the School offers structured support for the application process. You must pass Stage 2 of your degree before you can embark on the year in industry.
You have access to a wide range of topical journals and books in hard copy and digital format through Kent’s Templeman Library.
Your designated academic adviser provides guidance for your studies and academic development. At the School of Economics, we also run a peer mentoring scheme where experienced final-year students offer advice and support to new students.
Kent’s Student Learning Advisory Service offers useful workshops on topics like essay writing and academic referencing.
There are a number of student-led societies which you may want to join such as:
The School of Economics also hosts events that you are welcome to attend. These include:
The School of Politics International Relations runs a programme of events and activities which focuses on bridging the gap between academic study and real-life politics.
Many of our staff advise UK, European and international organisations. These include:
Through these links we can bring real-life examples and scenarios into our teaching, ensuring it is up to date and relevant.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
Please note that meeting this typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee an offer being made.Please also see our general entry requirements.
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
BBB from three full A levels excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking
Mathematics grade B / 6. However, those who hold GCSE Mathematics at grade 5 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and National Extended Diploma qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case by case basis. Applicants must also have one or more accompanying A levels.
34 points overall or 15 points at HL, including Mathematics SL or HL at 4, or Mathematical Studies at 5
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
However, please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 4 years full-time
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
The year in industry is taken between the second (Stage 2) and third years (Stage 3) of the degree and contributes towards your final degree classification. The placement must be with a suitable employer, but the reference to 'in industry' is intended to cover employers in any service sector as well as in manufacturing.
Students are responsible for finding their placements, but the School offers structured support for the application process in the form of a non-contributory module, 'Preparing for a Placement'.
Students must have passed Stage 2 of their degree before they can embark on the year in industry.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
All of our modules are taught by a combination of lectures and small group sessions, which include seminars, computing practicals, problem sets, debates and role-play games.
The School of Economics is committed to making sure that you leave Kent with much more than just a degree in Economics. We put great emphasis on the development of transferable skills, including numeracy, analytical problem solving, data analysis, and written and oral communication, as well as subject-specific skills for further study at postgraduate level.
The modules are assessed by continuous assessment of coursework throughout the year and an end-of-year exam in the final term. A number of modules at each stage are assessed solely through coursework.
Our main teaching methods are lectures, seminars, working groups, PC laboratory sessions and individual discussions with your personal tutor or module teachers. Assessment is through continuous feedback, written examinations, assessed essays and oral presentations.
Politics Open Forum
We hold a weekly extra-curricular Open Forum organised by our School research groups, where students and staff have the opportunity to discuss and debate key issues of the day that affect higher education and politics in the world today.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes, please see the programme specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes depend on your specific module selection:
In The Guardian University Guide 2020, over 88% of final-year Economics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Of Economics graduates who responded to the most recent national survey of graduate destinations, over 92% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE, 2017).
Over 90% of final-year Politics students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course in The Guardian University Guide 2020.
In The Guardian University Guide 2020, over 91% of final-year Politics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Our graduates have gone on to work in:
Recent graduates have joined:
The School offers an employability programme with specially designed modules aimed at helping you develop the skills you'll need to look for a job. In addition, we offer:
The University also has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:
Alongside a thorough understanding of economic issues and politics, you develop key transferable skills that will appeal to employers. These include the ability to:
You can also gain additional skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
Discover Uni is designed to support prospective students in deciding whether, where and what to study. The site replaces Unistats from September 2019.
Discover Uni is jointly owned by the Office for Students, the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Scottish Funding Council.
It includes:
Find out more about the Unistats dataset on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website.
