Overview
How have historical events shaped the way we buy and sell goods and services? What impact have historical events had on political, social, economic and cultural contexts? Our course gives you a solid education in the history of Britain, Europe and the world from 1500 to present day, whilst also delivering a thorough grounding in economics.
Studying economics provides you with a greater understanding of the world around you; it teaches you how the economy functions, how people make decisions, why an economic crisis occurs and what the different solutions to these crises are. The historical content of the course aids this study through developing your ability to absorb, analyse and assess a wide variety of information and viewpoints. You work with us to break intellectual boundaries and pioneer new solutions to issues of global concern.
On this course you spend equal time studying history-related and economics-related modules, exploring topics including:
- quantitative research methods
- micro- and macroeconomics
- the history of world economics
- colonialism, inequality and multiculturalism
Our Department of Economics is rated consistently highly for student satisfaction, and is Top 5 in the UK for research, with over 90% of their research rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” (REF 2014). Plus we are ranked top 20 in the UK for economics (Guardian University Guide 2019).
Our Department of History also has a strong research and teaching profile, with most of our research rated as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2014).
Placement year
When you arrive at Essex, you can decide whether you would like to combine your course with a placement year. You will be responsible for finding your placement, but with support and guidance provided by both your department and the placements team. If you complete a placement year you’ll only pay 20% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year.
Our expert staff
Our staff are among world leaders in their field, and our enthusiasm for our subject is infectious. Our flexible course is combined with a supportive structure which helps you to pursue the modules best-suited to your interests. We take the time to get to know you as an individual, welcome you into our scholarly community, and value your views.
Specialist facilities
Take advantage of our extensive learning resources to assist you in your studies:
- Extensive software for quantitative analysis is available in all computer labs across the university
- We have several Special Collections in history, including the Essex Society for Archaeology and History Library, the Harsnett Collection, the Hervey Benham Oral History Sound Archive, the Bensusan Collection, and the Colchester Medical Society Library
- Access the UK Data Archive, a national service provider digital resources for historians, which is particularly strong in nineteenth and twentieth-century economic and social history
- Access a variety of textbooks and journals in our Albert Sloman Library which houses materials on Latin America, Russia and the US that are of national significance
Your future
As a graduate of our BA History and Economics you will have strong problem solving, data analysis and quantitative skills, which are valued highly by employers. You will have the ability to understand foreign cultures and new ideas and grasp new systems quickly. All of these skills are highly transferable to the world of work.
Our students find themselves in demand from a wide range of employers in a host of occupations, including financial analysis, teaching, museum and archive services, management, public administration and accountancy.
Our recent graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies including:
- Bank of England
- Barlcays
- Citigroup
- Deloitte
- Ernst and Young
- Morgan Stanley
- House of Commons
- Santander
We also work with the University’s Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
Why we’re great
- We are ranked top 20 in the UK for economics (Guardian University Guide 2019).
- Top 30 for overall student satisfaction for History in the National Student Survey 2021.
- We give you diverse employment potential and the chance to meet future employers.
Structure
Course structure
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.
Teaching and learning disclaimer
Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.
The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently approved for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Teaching
- Teaching is arranged to allow freedom in how you organise your learning experiences
- After receiving a general overview of a topic in your two-hour weekly lecture, you discuss and solve the issues it raises in a class with 15 to 20 fellow students
- Optional support classes in Economics
- History modules include a weekly lecture followed by a seminar, where groups of about 15 students meet with their tutor to discuss their reading, to work together with primary sources, or to make presentations to the rest of the group
Assessment
- Assessment methods include essays, coursework journals, oral presentations, book and film reviews, source analysis, and the dissertation
- The weighting of your Economics modules is set at 50% coursework and 50% exam
- Complete your final year project in consultation with a personal supervisor
