Introduction
Economics and History at Aberdeen adds to your thorough grounding in the global economy and how it operates by setting it in the context of human history and economic activity through the ages, at a university steeped in 500 years of history, with fabulous collections of historic treasures. You will gain the business and intellectual skills to open up a wide spectrum of career opportunities.
Study Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MA
- Duration
- 48 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- September
- UCAS Code
- LV11
- Pathway Programme Available
- Undergraduate Foundation Programme
In Economics, you will explore the microeconomics of business and society, macroeconomics of the world economy and economic problems in political, social and historical contexts, with a strong emphasis on applied learning. You will thrive in the dynamic, international environment of our Business School of 45 nationalities and be taught by experts including leading petroleum economist and government adviser Professor Alex Kemp and our health economists whose work influences Scottish and UK policy decisions on public health.
We have particular strengths in the history of the Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian peoples – great northern traders. We also have research centres studying the history of global empires and the history and philosophy of science, technology and medicine and fabulous historic treasures from every period in our award-winning library and special collections centre.
In addition to your knowledge of global economics, this subject combination contributes essential skills in critical thinking, core writing, research, communication and other attributes, which will make you attractive to employers in whichever career path you choose.
What You'll Study
- Year 1
-
Year 1: Compulsory Courses
- The Economics of Business and Society (EC1006)
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15 Credit Points
This course is an introductory course in microeconomics where we study the decision making of individual actors (consumers, employees, firms, governments, etc.) in an economy. Actors must make decisions about behaviours because they face scarce resources, but often they find that trading with other actors in markets can increase the wellbeing of all parties. This course models and examines the nature of these interactions, highlighting when they work well and when they fail to increase wellbeing and what might be the solution to these failures.
- The Global Economy (EC1506)
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15 Credit Points
This course is an introductory course in macroeconomics where we study the behaviour of the economy as a whole. Whereas microeconomics focuses on individual markets, macroeconomics addresses the “big issues” such as unemployment, inflation, economic growth, and financial crises. Macroeconomics is a lively subject, full of discussion and debate, as economists and policymakers take different views on macroeconomic issues, their causes and appropriate policy responses. Issues such as: Is the economy growing? What causes unemployment and how can we reduce it? How can we avoid recessions? When is inflation a problem? Are banks lending too much?
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
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This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students and articulating students who are in their first year at the University, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.
Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
- Academic Writing for Business (AW1003)
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This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.
- Making History (HI1027)
-
15 Credit Points
This course will introduce students to the subject of university level history. Team taught lectures will introduce students to approaches, sources, and the dilemmas facing academic historians.
Year 1: Optional Courses
Select a further 30 credit points from level 1 courses in History and/or Art History, plus further credit points from courses of choice to gain a total of 120 credits.
- Year 2
-
Year 2: Compulsory Courses
- Intermediate Microeconomics (EC2003)
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30 Credit Points
This course builds on and is a natural extension of EC 1006. By examining in a more rigorous way concepts introduced in EC 1006 students will develop further their analytical skills and they will obtain a better understanding of consumers and producers behaviour, market structure as well as the effectiveness of economic policy. The course is designed to appeal to all students interested in economics. This includes students who may wish not to enter into any further studies of economics, as well as students who may wish to continue studying economics at the honours level.
- Intermediate Macroeconomics (EC2503)
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30 Credit Points
This course focuses on macroeconomic policy in a global economy. The first part builds an open-economy Keynesian model to investigate what determines the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies, and how exchange rate regimes and capital mobility impact on policy effectiveness. The second part investigates what determines the level of macroeconomic activity and its growth over time. The final part looks at what determines inflation and unemployment. This intermediate level course uses live lectures to develop your analytical skills evaluating economic policy in a rigorous and technical way to equip you with the skills needed for honours level study.
- Building Skills and Experience for Career Success (PD2002)
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This course, which is designed for level 2 students and above, is studied entirely online. Topics include career planning, finding work experience and articulating your skills and experiences in applications and interviews. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’. The course takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Year 2: Optional Courses
Select a further 60 credit points from level 2 courses in History.
- Year 3
-
Year 3: Compulsory Courses
- Thinking History (HI356J)
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30 Credit Points
This course looks at how history is written. It considers the problems involved in studying and explaining the past, and the many dilemmas faced by historians in reconstructing it. By examining the ways in which history has been written from the Ancient Greeks to Postmodernism, it considers the limits of historical study, asks whether history can ever be a science, and reveals the assumptions behind the various approaches to history that inform its writing. It is designed to provide honours history students with an essential understanding of what they are doing when they study history.
Year 3: Optional Courses
Select 30 credit points from Level 3 courses in History, or one of the following approved courses
Plus 60 credit points from Level 3 courses in Economics.
Students are required to have exactly 240 credits at levels 3 and 4, at least 210 of which must be EC or HI coded, and normally no more than 120 credits from either discipline. At least 90 credits must be at level 4.
- History of Medicine (ME33HM)
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30 Credit Points
The course will involve each student working individually on a historical project of his or her own choice, under the supervision of the course co-ordinator.
Students will be required to produce a research proposal and progress reports, to prepare an essay and make a presentation of their findings to the class. The aim of the option is to give students the opportunity to research and present, individually, in spoken and written forms, a history of medicine topic of their own choice, using both primary and secondary sources.
- Year 4
-
Year 4: Compulsory Courses
- Hi40XX -Special Subject
(See the Special Subject options in the History Annexe)
Year 4: Optional Courses
Select one of the following dissertation options:
- Economics Dissertation (EC4526) AND History in Practice (HI4518)
- Dissertation in History (HI4516)
Plus select further credit points from level 4 course(s) in Economics and History to gain a total of 60 credits in each discipline..
Students are required to have exactly 240 credits at levels 3 and 4, at least 210 of which must be EC or HI coded, and normally no more than 120 credits from either discipline. At least 90 credits must be at level 4.
- Economics Dissertation (EC4526)
-
30 Credit Points
The dissertation presents students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and research skills of Economics to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic which has been chosen by the student and approved by the Dissertation coordinator and Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the Dissertation, with guidance from the supervisor, the student will study a particular topic, conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate theoretical and/or empirical methods to address the topic and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation of up to 10,000 words.
- History in Practice (HI4518)
-
30 Credit Points
History is not simply a dry, academic study of the past; it shapes a host of contemporary political, economic and cultural attitudes and is a central underpinning to the tourist and heritage industries - now one of the largest sectors of employment among mature western economies. This course is designed to give a critical understanding of the theoretical and practical links (as well as clear distinctions) between the practice of 'academic' History and 'public' History. This is done by having students assess how heritage and tourist businesses project a particular version of the past.
- Undergraduate Dissertation in History (HI4516)
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30 Credit Points
The undergraduate dissertation is the final-year major research undertaking, based on primary and secondary material and providing a critical analysis of a specific subject chosen by the student. It is obligatory for Single Honours students, whereas Joint Honours students choose to write their dissertation in either of the two subjects. After initial sessions about the nature of the dissertation and research approaches, students develop a topic with the help of a member of staff, who will also supervise their project throughout.
- Hi40XX -Special Subject
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page. In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Individual Projects
- Lectures
- Research
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
- Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course;
- Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and
- Written examinations at the end of each course.
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Why Study Economics and History?
- An excellent teaching environment, committed to the needs of industry, which integrates research into teaching, enables transferable skills and develops intellectual skills on a range of contemporary economic problems.
- ACREEF (the Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and Finance) headed by leading international petroleum economist Professor Alex Kemp, adviser to the Scottish Government.
- CELMR (the Centre for European Labour Market Research) leading research in education, skills and labour markets so topical today.
- Benefit from professional training facilities such as the Bloomberg finance lab which is used by major financial services companies across the world and integrating real activity in financial markets directly into our students’ courses.
- A thriving Economics Society, organising annual trips to international economic institutions including the European Union in Brussels, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris
- With a community of over 130 nationalities at the University of Aberdeen, students are immersed in an environment that enables international discourse creating truly global exchanges, generating deep insights that spark innovative change.
- Teaching rated ‘Highly Satisfactory’ in the last national quality assessment and student satisfaction of 95% – way above the national average of 86%.
- Particular strengths in Irish and Scottish studies, Scandinavian studies, late medieval and early modern period and research centres studying the history of global empires, history and philosophy of science, technology and medicine, Russian and Eastern European history.
- Spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, combining top-class study facilities with state-of-the-art technology and an online catalogue giving you access to thousands of books and millions of journal articles on the web.
- Major international treasures including 7,000 early printed books, the magnificent 12th century Aberdeen Bestiary, a large Jacobite collections, works of the Scottish Enlightenment, and fascinating local records dating from the middle ages.
Interested in this programme?
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
General Entry Requirements
- 2027 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: BBBB
Applicants that present with BBBB will usually receive an unconditional offer.
Where we have more applicants than places we may need to ask for more than the minimum so continued engagement in school is recommended.
Widening Access: BBC
Applicants who meet one or more of our widening access metrics and present with BBC, are guaranteed an unconditional offer.
Foundation Apprenticeship: One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.
Note: We do not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but we do consider that a B grade at Advanced Higher is equivalent to an A grade at Higher.
National 5 English (or equivalent) is required at Grade C or above.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBC
Widening Access: CCC
GCSE English (or equivalent) is required at Grade C/4 or above.
BTEC LEVEL 3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA
DMM in related subjects.
Note: BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate (Subsidiary Diploma) achieved at Distinction level, is normally acceptable in lieu of one A Level at grade B.)
GCSE English (or equivalent) is required at Grade C/4 or above. GCSE Mathematics at Grade C/4 is also required for Accountancy, Economics and Finance programmes.
IRISH LEAVING CERTIFICATE
Five subjects at Higher at H3.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
30 points including 5, 4, 4 at HL.
SL in English is also required.
The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
- EU / International students
-
- Tuition Fees for 2027/28 Academic Year
- £20,800
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £20,800
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *)
- £14,800
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The above fee includes the £6,000 Aberdeen Global Scholarship provided to self-funded international students. Full terms and conditions apply.
- Tuition Fees for 2027/28 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *)
- £14,800
-
The above fee includes the £6,000 Aberdeen Global Scholarship provided to self-funded international students. Full terms and conditions apply.
- Home Students
-
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £1,820
- Tuition Fees for 2027/28 Academic Year
- £1,820
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland
-
- Tuition Fees for 2027/28 Academic Year
- £10,050
-
The UK Government has confirmed that the RUK fee cap will continue to increase each year to reflect inflation. Tuition fees will increase in line with the Government fee cap each year, and this should be taken into account when budgeting.
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £9,790
-
The UK Government has confirmed that the RUK fee cap will continue to increase each year to reflect inflation. Tuition fees will increase in line with the Government fee cap each year, and this should be taken into account when budgeting.
Scholarships and Funding
UK Scholarship
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. More about this funding opportunity.
Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.
- More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
- More information on the Careers and Employability Service
Our Experts
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Features
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Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX