Subject Overview

Economics is about how people make choices in conditions of resource scarcity and the consequences of these choices for society. But economics is also about how society itself can shape the choices of groups and individuals, for better or for worse. In short, economics is about understanding the world around us and our place in it.  

Economics is a broad social science discipline that seeks to answer some of the biggest questions that we face today. For example: 

• Why are some countries, regions or social groups rich while others remain poor?  
• What can we do about the environmental destruction perpetrated by mankind?  
• When and how should government policymakers intervene in people’s lives?  

Economics provides us with a framework and philosophy from which we can construct answers to such questions. Economics is about developing models that help us to understand the past, so we can create a better future.  

Economics is fundamentally an empirical social science. This means economists deal with data, both quantitative and qualitative. The toolkit of an economist is the ability to analyse data, including understanding the limits of data. 

Key Contacts

Subject Group Leader:  Professor Rob Gilles

Programme Directors
BSc Economics: Dr Chris Colvin
BSc Business Economics: Dr Heather Dickey
MSc Economics: Dr Anthony Ziegelmeyer

Advisers of Study
Year 1: Dr Ryan Kee
Years 2 & 3: Dr Luis Guimaraes

Support Staff
Undergraduate Programmes: Ms Sue Smith
Postgraduate Programmes: Mr Peter Curran

Teaching Staff

The Economics Subject Group at Queen’s Management School currently consists of 20 full-time academic staff. They are all leaders in their fields of research and experts in pedagogical practice.  

As a Russell Group university, our academic staff are all proponents of research-led teaching. This means we bring our research expertise into the classroom, exposing students to the frontiers of knowledge creation. 

Meet our academic staff

Undergraduate Programmes

Single-Honours 

BSc Economics (3 years) 

BSc Business Economics (3 years) 

Joint-Honours and Major/Minor 

BSc Economics and Accounting (3 years) 

BSc Economics with Finance (3 years) 

BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics (3 years) 

Economics with a Language 

BSc Economics with French (4 years) 

BSc Economics with Spanish (4 years) 

Postgraduate Programmes 

Postgraduate Taught 

MSc Economics (1-year) 

Postgraduate Research  

PhD Economics (3-years) 

Why Study Economics at Queen’s?

• We offer a dynamic economics curriculum that reflects the various lessons since the Great Recession of 2008. In practical terms, this means students are never taught mainstream economic theory in isolation; students are instead exposed to real-world economic problems and applications of competing economic theories. 
• Students cover all the core elements they need for an advanced understanding of economics and to develop your analytical and quantitative skill set. But students also have the flexibility to tailor the course to your personal interests and career aspirations. 
• In addition to working with Queen’s own expert faculty, students have the opportunity to learn from external international experts in their fields who come to Queen’s to give seminars and masterclasses. 
• Students have the option of completing their degree with an independent research project where they will receive intensive one-on-one supervision from members of the economics faculty. The best dissertations are awarded a prize and the opportunity to publish in our working paper series. 

Optional Placement and Study Abroad 

• Students on our Economics with a Language programmes enjoy a compulsory work placement abroad, in a country which uses their language of study. This takes place in their third year of study. A dedicated Placement Office helps students in sourcing and securing appropriate placements. 
• Many of our students decide to do an optional work placement between their second and third years of study. Past placements include roles in accounting, research and consulting, in government and the private sector, in the UK and abroad. 
• Queen’s is part of the Study USA programme. This means economics students can study business-related subjects at a US liberal arts college between their second and third year of study. 

Graduate Careers 

An economics qualification opens many doors. Potential career opportunities include: 

• Economics: Economic consultant; Government economist; Economic researcher 
• Data science: Statistician; Data analyst  
• Consulting: Strategy consultant; Marketing analyst 
• Finance: Investment banker; Financial analyst 
• Accounting: Trainee accountant 

Recent graduate employers include: PwC; EY; Bank of Ireland; UK Civil Service; Oxford Economics; Ulster Bank; Barclays; Invest NI; Kainos; Mercer.