Degrees Offered

• BSc (Econ) Single Honours Economics (UCAS Code: L100)
• BSc (Econ) Major Honours Economics with Finance (UCAS Code: L1N3)
• BSc (Econ) Major Honours Economics with French (UCAS Code: L1R1)
• BSc (Econ) Major Honours Economics with Spanish (UCAS Code: L1R4)
• BSc (Econ) Joint Honours Economics and Accounting (UCAS Code: LN14)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements: 
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For course information:
The Programme Director 
Queen's University Management School 
T: +44 (0)28 9097 4200 
E: s.smith@qub.ac.uk 
W: www.qub.ac.uk/qums 

Entrance Requirements

BSc Single Honours
Economics 3 yrs (L100)

BSc Major Honours
Economics with Finance 3 yrs (L1N3)
Economics with French 3 yrs (L1R1)
Economics with Spanish 3 yrs (L1R4)

BSc Joint Honours
Economics and Accounting 3 yrs (LN14)


Entrance Requirements

BSc (Econ) Single Honours
A-level: ABB + GCSE Mathematics grade A
Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2B2B2/AB2B2B2B2 + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade A in Mathematics

BSc (Econ) Major Honours with a Minor in Finance
A-level: ABB + GCSE Mathematics grade B
Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2B2B2/AB2B2B2B2 + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade B in Mathematics

BSc (Econ) Major Honours with a Minor in a Modern Language
A-level: ABB + GCSE Mathematics grade B.
For French option: normally A-level French or AS-level French grade B
For Spanish option: normally A-level Spanish or AS-level Spanish grade B or GCSE Spanish grade B or evidence of linguistic ability in another language

Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2B2B2/AB2B2B2B2 + if not offered at Higher Level then Ordinary Level grade B in Mathematics
For French option – Higher Level grade B1 in French
For Spanish option – normally Higher Level grade B2 in Spanish or Ordinary Level grade B in Spanish or evidence of linguistic ability in another language

Note: if the language is studied at a higher level then the grade required at that level must be achieved.

BSc (Econ) Joint Honours in Economics and Accounting
A-level: ABB including Mathematics
Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2B2B2/AB2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grade B2 in Mathematics

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on this degree course. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including:

International Foundation in Business, Humanities and Social Science

International Diploma in Management and Finance

The Subject

Economics is concerned with how people make choices in conditions of resource scarcity and the results of these choices for society. Many of the world's most pressing issues such as global warming/climate change, underdevelopment, rising inequality, inflation and financial instability are economic in nature. In understanding these problems, economists make use of a wide variety of analytical techniques borrowed from numerous other fields including history, philosophy, mathematics and statistics.

Course Content

Students may study Economics as a single discipline or in conjunction with another subject such as Accounting, Finance, a Modern Language or another Social Science or Arts subject.

Irrespective of programme choice, these degrees provide a thorough grounding in micro- and macroeconomics and equip students with the quantitative skills necessary to support their studies. This develops an understanding of the economic issues confronting our society and provides an insight into possible solutions.

All degrees are based on three years of study, with six modules taken each year - three per semester. All students will study a broad range of modules including:

Advanced Macroeconomics
Advanced Microeconomics
Applied Economics
Economic Policy for Business
Managerial Economics
Statistical Methods

Single Honours Economics students will study more mathematical-based subjects, such as:

Applied Econometrics
Financial Institutions and Markets
Introductory Econometrics

Economics with Finance students in addition will study financial modules such as:

Capital Markets
Corporate Finance
Financial Decision Making
Financial Institutions and Markets
Financial Market Theory

Economics with a Modern Language students study a third of their modules each year from the School of Modern Languages.

Economics and Accounting students study seven Accounting modules (Introductory Accounting 1 and 2, Accounting Information Systems, Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Advanced Financial Accounting, and Advanced Management Accounting), plus three Business Law modules (Introduction to Legal Study and Basic Contract Law, Law of Business Organisations, and Taxation), plus three Economics modules (Principles of Economics, Market Theory, and Managerial Economics). There is one Finance module (Financial Decision Making), with the rest chosen from a variety of specialisations.

'I enjoy most aspects of my degree, but the bits I love most are the vast array of topics we study, and the diversity of people I study with.'

Zara Moore
Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Learning and Teaching

Queen’s University Management School is one of the largest Schools in the University with more than 1300 full-time undergraduate students and 300 plus postgraduate students.  The School has been delivering high quality programmes for more than 40 years and was one of the first schools in the UK to introduce undergraduate management education.  Since then, QUMS has been developing and enhancing its teaching portfolio for both local and international students and boasts students from more than 20 different nationalities. 

In recent years, the School has benefited from significant investment resulting in many new academic appointments and state-of-the-art facilities including computer teaching labs with specilaised software and a Trading Room in Riddel Hall.  In addition, the new McClay library houses an excellent selection of Management and related texts and there are extensive IT facilities throughout the campus. 

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.  In line with this, one of QUMS’ primary objectives is to deliver innovative learning and teaching programmes that provide students with the competences and skills to make a positive contribution to business, economic and civic life.

On the BSc Economics with Spanish programme we achieve these goals by providing a range of learning environments which enable our students to engage with subject experts both academic staff and industry guest speakers, develop skills and attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world-class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this degree programme are:

• Lectures: these introduce foundation information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  As the module progresses this information becomes more complex.  Lectures, which are normally delivered in large groups to all year-group peers, also provide opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on key issues as well as gain feedback and advice on assessments.  Additional lectures are also delivered by employer representatives and staff from a range of organisations are involved in the delivery of workshops and more practical sessions. In addition to the academic content of the lectures and workshops, this enables employers to impart their valuable experience to QUMS Economics with Spanish students, introduces important local employers to our students and allows our students to meet and engage with potential future employers. 
• Seminars/tutorials: a significant amount of teaching is carried out in small groups (typically 15-20 students). These sessions are designed to explore, in more depth, the information that has been presented in the lectures.  This provides students with the opportunity to engage closely with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of their peers. During these classes, students will be expected to present their work to academic staff and their peers.
• Computer-Based and Other Practical Sessions: these provide students with the opportunity to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts.
• E-Learning technologies:information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online.  A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree programme through the use of, for example, interactive support materials, podcasts and web-based learning activities.
• Self-directed study:  this is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Work placements: The BSc Economics with Spanish programme has a compulsory placement programme with an organisation in the host country.  This begins after all Level 2 modules have been successfully completed. The dedicated Placement Office within the School facilitates students in sourcing and securing appropriate placements and provides appropriate support whilst the student is with the host organisation. The purpose of this compulsory placement year is to allow the students to practice and finely hone their language skills in an economics related environment.  This might be in the banking industry, corporate finance, economic appraisal and investment analysis or business economics related environments.
• Student Support Systems: QUMS has an active and co-ordinated student support system to assist students in making the transition from school to university. This includes:
• assigning each student an Adviser of Studies to assist with the choice of modules at the beginning of each academic year;
• assigning each student a Personal Tutor (an academic member of staff) when they begin the degree programme.  The Personal Tutoring System includes individual scheduled appointments with personal tutors, small group tutor meetings (4-5 students) and e-mail contact to discuss academic matters, academic performance, skills development, careers and/or prospective placements and issues related to University policies and practices.  Students meet their Personal Tutor at induction and during the first and second year of study they are expected to meet with their Personal Tutor at least once per semester.
• A Peer Mentoring Scheme whereby students in second and third year of their degree programme volunteer to mentor Level 1 students. Developing the programme themselves, with support from academic staff in QUMS, the mentors organise informal meetings, regular contact and a series of events ranging from ice-breaker type events to employer-led sessions with the Level 1 students.
• a formalised induction for all undergraduate students.  For Level 1 students, this includes several half-day sessions the week before the programme begins to allow students to familiarise themselves with the campus and the degree programme.  During Level 1 there are a number of follow-up sessions throughout the year. Topics such as academic writing, referencing, plagiarism, communication skills, examination preparation and managing time effectively are all covered in these practical sessions.
• Personal Development Planning to encourage students to engage in independent learning.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment (general):  The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction. Modules are typically assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and a final written unseen examination. Continuous assessment consists of: class tests, computer-generated practical experiments where students have to manipulate economic data, case study research and analysis of a particular economic issue, small group project and presentations whereby groups of three/four students work on a particular economics related task to provide possible solutions Language refinement exercises including report and essay writing and individual and group presentations in the target language.

Feedback (general):  As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers.  University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted. 
• Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time. 
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. 

Careers

Those pursuing a career in Economics with Spanish should enjoy working with numbers and dealing with a range of information which might be incomplete or provide conflicting advice as they attempt to understand and provide solutions to economics and Spanish-related problems to a range of stakeholders such as the banking industry, investors, policy-makers, industry etc.  They should also be effective communicators and work well with people.

Many of the skills that students will acquire during their studies at Queen’s will be of great value in a range of different career and life situations. Core transferable skills include the ability to learn independently, problem solve, understand and interpret very sophisticated economic and related information, work productively as part of a team and be able to communicate effectively in a second language.

Graduate Careers and Achievements

Students graduating with a degree in Economics with Spanish from Queens’ are well placed to secure a range of employment opportunities in a wide range of positions in the public and private sectors both locally and internationally. In recent years, students have secured positions in economic analysis and appraisal with a range of government and other public sector organisations, specialist careers in economic appraisal and careers with international consulting organisations.

The Prospects website provides further information regarding the types of jobs that attract BSc Economics with Spanish graduates.

Further study is also an option open to BSc Economics with Spanish graduates. Students can choose from a wide range of Masters programmes as well as a comprehensive list of research topics, as shown on the Queen’s University Management School website.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plusin particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies.  These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

Special Features

Exemptions: Joint Economics and Accounting students are eligible for exemptions from some professional accountancy examinations. 

Placements: opportunities exist for summer and year-long placements with a variety of organisations including HM Treasury and major consultancy firms. Study USA provides funded opportunities for study at a US university. 

Prizes: the McKane Medal and Scholarship for proficiency in Economics is awarded to the best final Honours BSc (Econ) student; Shaw Memorial Prizes are awarded to the two best performing second-year students in the BSc (Econ) and BSc (Business Econ) degrees.

Last updated 11.09.13