Economics with Data Science - BSc (Hons)
with a Year in Industry

This is an archived course for 2023 entry

Develop the skills you need to tackle today’s economic problems with big data. Apply theory to real-world economic situations and exploit big data to guide your economic decisions in finance, government, entertainment, or industry. Data science in economics teaches programming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Overview

Our economists place a particular emphasis on making economics relevant to the real world. Consider the dilemmas facing households, firms, and governments, and develop the skills to analyse and discuss crucial areas such as poverty and economic growth, developing economies, environmental protection, and financial and monetary crises.

Shape your degree outside the classroom with our thriving student led societies. Kent Invest focusses on financial markets holding an annual trading competition. The Economics Society explores issues of the moment through the lens of the discipline, culminating in an annual networking conference.

Reasons to study Economics with Data Science with a Year in Industry at Kent

  • You'll study in a supportive learning community, ranked 22nd for student satisfaction in The Complete University Guide 2023.
  • You'll learn from inspiring lecturers who advise UK, European and international organisations.
  • You'll gain ongoing support through our employability team, regular workshops and alumni talks, as well as our dedicated academic adviser and peer mentoring scheme.
  • Study in our new Kennedy building, home to our economics community, with excellent facilities, ideal for teaching analytic tools.

What you'll learn

Learn how economists think and become familiar with the tools they use for analysing real economic problems. Study modules in macroeconomics, microeconomics together with specific modules on computation, machine learning and big data. You are challenged to contribute and defend your own theories and solutions.

Tailor your degree with our wide range of optional modules to support your career ambitions.

Year in Industry students have previously worked at: Bank of England; Government Economic Service (GES); Deloitte; Ernst & Young; PwC; and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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Entry requirements

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. All applications are assessed on an individual basis but some of our typical requirements are listed below. Students offering qualifications not listed are welcome to contact our Admissions Team for further advice. Please also see our general entry requirements.

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    A level

    BBC from three full A levels including Mathematics. Applicants who have not studied A level Mathematics but hold GCSE Mathematics at grade 6 or higher will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  • medal-empty Access to HE Diploma

    The University welcomes applications from Access to Higher Education Diploma candidates for consideration. A typical offer may require you to obtain a proportion of Level 3 credits in relevant subjects at merit grade or above.

  • medal-empty BTEC Nationals

    The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and National Extended Diploma qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis.

  • medal-empty International Baccalaureate

    30 points overall or 15 points at HL, including HL Mathematics or Maths: Analytics and Approaches at 5.

  • medal-empty International Foundation Programme

    Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average.

  • medal-empty T level

    The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.

International students

If you are an international student, visit our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country, including details of the International Foundation Programmes. Please note that international fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.

Please note that meeting the typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee that you will receive an offer.

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

Please note that if you do not meet our English language requirements, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.

Course structure

Duration: 4 years full-time

Modules 

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.

Stage 1

You take all compulsory modules and then either Mode A or Mode B from the list of optional modules depending on your existing level in Mathematics.

Compulsory modules currently include

EC304 - Principles of Economics (30 credits) 

EC309 - Statistics for Economics (15 credits)

EC314 - Data Analysis for Economists (15 credits)

CO320 – Introduction to Object-Orientated Programming (15 credits)

CO359 – Programming for Artificial Intelligence (Python programming) (15 credits) This is a new module - information available soon

Stage 2

Compulsory modules currently include

EC500 - Microeconomics (30 credits)

EC502 - Macroeconomics (30 credits)

EC580 - Introduction to Econometrics (15 credits)

EC581 - Introduction to Time-Series Econometrics (15 credits)

ECXXX - Modelling and Computation for Economists (15 credits) This is a new module - information available soon

MA5956 – Big Data and Other Analytical Techniques (15 credits)

Optional modules may include

EC305 - Mathematics for Economics Mode A (15 credits)

EC306 - Mathematics for Economics Mode B (15 credits)

You have the opportunity to select elective modules in this stage.

Stage 3

Compulsory modules currently include

EC542 - Econometrics I: An Introduction to Modern Econometrics using Stata (15 credits)

EC543 - Econometrics 2: Topics in Time Series (15 credits)

ECXXX – Machine Learning for Economists (15 credits) This is a new module - information available soon

Optional modules may include

EC541 - Economics Dissertation (30 credits)

EC565 - Extended Economics Essay (15 credits)

EC569 - Economic Growth (15 credits)

EC570 - Microeconomics of Development (15 credits)

EC538 - Economic Controversies (15 credits)

EC540 - Development Economics (15 credits)

EC534 - The Economics of Money and Banking (15 credits)

EC585 - Mathematical Economics (15 credits)

EC603 - Financial Crises (15 credits)

EC583 - Political Economy (15 credits)

EC582 - The Economics of Human Capital (15 credits)

EC544 - Economic Integration in the EU (15 credits)

EC545 - Economics of the Labour Market (15 credits)

EC546 - Games for Economics and Business (15 credits)

EC547 - Industrial Economics (15 credits)

EC548 - International Finance (15 credits)

EC549 - International Trade (15 credits)

EC550 - Monetary Economics (15 credits)

EC553 - Public Economics (15 credits)

EC562 - Financial Economics: Financial Markets and Instruments (15 credits)

EC563 - Financial Economics and Asset Pricing (15 credits)

EC531 - Policy Analysis (15 credits)

EC631 - Applied Environmental Economics (15 credits)

Fees

The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:

  • Home full-time £9,250
  • EU full-time £13,500
  • International full-time £18,000

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

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.* 

Your fee status

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.

Additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Search scholarships

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. 

The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

All modules are taught by a combination of lectures and small group sessions. These small groups can include workshops, seminars, computer terminal classes, problem-based classes, peer teaching, student presentations, debates, role play, experiments, group work, students own guided work, 1-2-1 supervision, VLE based learning activities and research projects.

In addition, all staff are accessible for student consultations for two hours a week outside direct teaching time.

On average, you have a total of 12-14 hours of lecture, seminar and other formal contact time per week.

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.

Some 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.

Contact hours

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.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

  • provide a flexible and progressive curriculum that is suitable for students who have or have not studied Economics and Data Science before.
  • provide a stimulating education in the principles of Economics and Data Science and their application, in which high quality teaching motivates students to achieve their full potential.
  • stimulate students intellectually through the study of economics and to lead them to appreciate its application to a range of problems and its relevance in a variety of contexts.
  • provide a firm foundation of knowledge about the workings of economic systems and to foster an understanding of alternative approaches to the analysis of economic phenomena.
  • equip students with technical skills and knowledge appropriate for graduates in economics and data science. 
  • provide students with the ability to abstract and to develop simplifying frameworks for studying the real world.
  • develop in students the ability for rigorous reasoning and a logical approach to solving real world problems using economics and data science techniques.
  • develop in students the ability to apply economic and data science knowledge, analytical tools and skills in a range of theoretical, applied and policy problems.
  • develop students understanding of econometric theory and data science, and carry out applied econometric and data science investigations using appropriate software.
  • provide a range of options to enable students to study selected areas of economics and data science in depth, the teaching of which is informed by the research and scholarship of academic staff.
  • provide students with the knowledge and skill base from which they can proceed to further studies in economics and data science, related areas or in multidisciplinary areas that involve economics and data science.
  • develop in all students, through the study of economics and data science, a range of skills that will be of value in employment and self-employment.
  • develop skills and knowledge of relevant economics and data science software.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain a knowledge and understanding of:

  • The main concepts, principles, theories, models and methods of modern economic, econometric, and data science analysis and their application in different areas of Economics.
  • The history and development of economic ideas and the differing methods of analysis that have been and are used by economists.
  • The analytical skills that allow students to formulate and consider a range of economic, econometric, and data science problems and issues.
  • The econometric, mathematical, statistical and computing methods used in Economics, Econometrics and Data Science.
  • Economic data, economic, econometrics and data science methods used to analyse such data.
  • Economic analysis of policy.
  • Critical Discussion of specific problems, issues and policies in a range of areas in Economics, Econometrics, and Data Science.
  • Key concepts affecting decision-making.
  • An economic topic chosen by the student and submitted as a supervised dissertation or extended essay in final year.
  • Information technology skills relevant for Economics, Econometrics, and Data Science.
  • Software, including programming languages and tools, packages, practice, structuring of economic data and information.
  • The role of logical mathematic argument and deductive reasoning used in applying economic modelling, econometrics, and data science techniques.

Intellectual skills

You gain the following intellectual skills:

  • Ability to abstract the essential features of a complex system.
  • Ability to think about what are the important variables and fixed parameters in solving a problem.
  • Ability to analysis complex issues using deductive and inductive reasoning.
  • Ability to organise and use information to analyse complex issues, test hypotheses, and apply core concepts and principles relevant to computing, statistics and econometrics.
  • Ability to review critically alternative explanations and analyses of a problem.
  • Ability to manage a supervised final year dissertation or extended essay on an economic topic chosen by the student.
  • Ability to demonstrate skills in calculation and manipulation of mathematical and statistical material written within the programme and ability to solve problems formulated within it.
  • Ability in computer skills and usage of relevant programming languages relevant.

Subject-specific skills

You gain the following subject-specific skills:

  • Analytical skills in economics, econometrics, machine learning, and economic modelling.
  • Ability to apply economic principles and analysis to a range of issues, problems and policies.
  • Ability to abstract the essential features of an economic issue, problem or system.
  • Knowledge of the principal sources of Economic data and information and ability to use and present this information.
  • Be able to carry out economic, econometric, and machine learning analysis of economic data.
  • Knowledge and ability to make and provide advice on how to make economic decisions.
  • Ability to synthesise and compare critically different economic analyses of an economic issue.
  • Ability to research the literature on an economic issue.
  • Ability to apply economic skills to investigate a supervised final year project on an economic topic chosen by the student.
  • Ability to use key aspects of econometrics, machine learning and economic modelling in analysing real world problems using small and large data set.
  • Knowledge and ability to demonstrate understanding of fundamental concepts and algorithmic thinking including recursive, distributed and parallel possibilities, and their role in machine learning algorithms and economic modelling.
  • Ability to use computational facilities and demonstrate skills in codification and storage of data as well as in pre-processing raw data for analysis.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

  • Effective communication of analysis and ideas both orally, aurally and in written form
  • Ability to assemble, analyse, use and present data.
  • Understanding and ability to use economic, econometric, mathematical and quantitative methods to analyse issues and problems.
  • Ability to analyse and make decisions, using economic concepts, e.g. opportunity cost and strategic behaviour.
  • Development of Information Technology skills through using statistical, econometric, and programming packages.
  • Independence in initiating and executing work.
  • Ability to think critically about proposed analyses and solutions to a problem or issue.
  • Become responsible for managing own learning and academic performance.
  • Manage a supervised final year dissertation or extended essay on an economic topic chosen by the student.
  • Computational skills including coding and programme development.

Independent rankings

Economics at Kent was ranked 22nd for student satisfaction in The Complete University Guide 2023.

Careers

Graduate destinations

Our Economics graduates have developed careers in accountancy, banking and finance, journalism, management consultancy and business. Recent graduates have gone on to work for:

  • Deloitte
  • Government Economic Service
  • HMRC
  • Citibank
  • KPMG
  • PwC
  • Bank of America
  • Schroders
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Barclays.

Help finding a job

The School of Economics supports and advises you in deciding what to do after your Economics degree. We offer:

  • one-to-one advice from a member of our employability team
  • employability workshops
  • talks from alumni and outside employers.

The University also has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:

  • apply for jobs
  • write a good CV
  • perform well in interviews.

Work experience

Internships, either for a week or two or for the whole summer, can be a valuable addition to your studies. We provide guidance and assistance on where to look and how to apply.

Career-enhancing skills

Alongside a thorough understanding of economic issues, you develop key transferable skills that will appeal to employers. These include the ability to:

  • think critically
  • communicate your ideas and opinions succinctly
  • work independently
  • use your initiative and be proactive
  • work as part of a team and independently
  • manage your time and plan effectively
  • problem solve.

You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.

Apply for Economics with Data Science with a Year in Industry - BSc (Hons)

We are no longer taking applications for the 2023/24 academic year. Please visit the 2024 online prospectus for a list of current undergraduate courses.

Contact us

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United Kingdom/EU enquiries

Enquire online for full-time study

T: +44 (0)1227 768896

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International student enquiries

Enquire online

T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk

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