Business Economics BSc (Hons)

This course is in clearing

Why study at UEL?

Top 40 UK university

Guardian University Guide 2026

1st in England

Overall Positivity*, National Student Survey 2026

Fastest Rising in England for graduate employability

Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025

Overview

Course modules

Our extended foundation course is perfect if you want a business economics degree but don't have the standard entry requirements. We prepare you for your degree during the foundation year, bringing you up to speed with academic skills and a firm grounding in the subject. You can then go on to study for a full undergraduate degree, studying the economic factors that affect business.

In Year 1 of the Business Economics programme, core modules provide foundational knowledge in key business areas. You will study business law, accounting, economics, marketing, and organisational behaviour. You'll develop skills in business statistics and data analysis. These modules aim to prepare you for further studies or professional careers in business, accounting, and economics. 

In Year 2 of the Business Economics programme, our core modules deepen your knowledge in financial reporting, management accounting, taxation, and financial management. You will study intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics, digital marketing, project management, and talent management. The modules also aim to develop employability skills, sustainable operations, and strategic decision-making to prepare you for careers in business and economics. 

In Year 3 of the Business Economics programme, core modules focus on advanced financial reporting, strategic management accounting, and the intersection of finance and technology. You will study behavioural economics, international political economy, and corporate social responsibility. You'll develop practical skills in data analytics and business intelligence. The modules cover global enterprise, consultancy, and leadership, preparing you for dynamic roles in business, finance, and economics. 

NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.

Download course specification

Entry requirements

Degree:

112 UCAS points

This is the standard advertised entry requirement for most students applying to this course.

Degree with contextual offer:

96 UCAS points

You may be eligible for a reduced offer based on your personal, educational or socioeconomic background.

Degree with foundation year:

64 UCAS points

If you do not meet the standard entry requirements, you can apply for a foundation year. This additional year prepares you with the academic skills needed to progress to the full undergraduate degree.

 

Missing some qualifications? 


We have a range of pre-entry programmes to help you meet the entry requirements for this course. 

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Your previous qualifications, uncompleted study or industry experience may mean you can start your studies at a later point in the course and influence your eligibility for entry

What makes this course different

High Employability Rate

100% of our students go on to work and/or study within 15 months after the course. (Source: discoveruni.gov.uk)

See Discover Uni survey data

Full marks for overall satisfaction

According to the NSS 2019, 100% of our students were satisfied overall. We invest in our facilities, deliver up-to-date and professionally accredited courses and offer superb teaching.

1st in the UK

Our Business and Management courses ranked 1st in the UK for student satisfaction in the 2026 Complete University Guide (Complete University Guide 2026).

See the full list of rankings

Course options

Select year

Degree

UCAS code: N121

Business Economics BSc (Hons), home applicant, full time

  • Home Applicant ,
  • This course is in Clearing,
  • Full time
  • £ 9,790 per year. Subject to change, see Fees, Funding and Additional Costs below

Business Economics BSc (Hons), home applicant, part time

  • Home Applicant ,
  • Part time, 5 years
  • pro-rata full time fee

Business Economics BSc (Hons), international applicant, full time

  • International Applicant
  • Full time, 3/4 years
  • £ 16020 per year
Applications for September 2027 open soon

Degree with foundation year

with foundation year
UCAS code: N111

Business Economics BSc (Hons), home applicant, full time

  • Home Applicant ,
  • This course is in Clearing,
  • Full time
  • £ 9,790 per year. Subject to change, see Fees, Funding and Additional Costs below

Business Economics BSc (Hons), international applicant, full time

  • International Applicant
  • Full time, 3/4 years
  • £ 16020 per year
Applications for September 2027 open soon

Degree

UCAS code: N121

Business Economics BSc (Hons), home applicant, full time

  • Home Applicant ,
  • Full time, 3/4 years
  • £ 10,050 per year. Subject to change, see Fees, Funding and Additional Costs below

Degree with foundation year

with foundation year
UCAS code: N111

Business Economics BSc (Hons), home applicant, full time

  • Home Applicant ,
  • Full time, 4/5 years
  • £ 10,050 per year. Subject to change, see Fees, Funding and Additional Costs below

Careers Guarantee

The UEL Careers Guarantee is the University’s commitment to supporting you with your career development during your studies and after you graduate. It brings together careers guidance, employability support and opportunities designed to help you prepare for work or further study.

What can I do with this degree?

Graduates from UEL have gone on to work at organisations including Accenture, Ernst & Young, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, KPMG, Deloitte, and PwC. Having Canary Wharf on the doorstep helps students make connections with leading employers throughout their studies. 

Roles graduates have moved into include banker, asset manager, reinsurance broker, data analyst, and financial analyst, as well as roles in consulting, market research, and financial policy.

If you want to continue studying and specialise further, you can stay at UEL on one of our postgraduate courses:

Official student data from Discover Uni

The banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).

How you'll learn

We pride ourselves on giving our business economics students a fantastic experience and great support from day one. We're an inclusive university with a close-knit community of students and our teaching reflects that.

Teaching is delivered through a diverse range of methods, not only to develop your different skills but also to enrich the learning experience.

Knowledge is developed through lectures, workshops, guided reading, seminars and knowledge-based activities with feedback, online discussions and activities. Thinking skills are developed through reflective activities and case studies with feedback, online discussions and activities.

Practical skills are developed through IT activities with feedback, Bloomberg and research skills-based activities with feedback, and skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through presentations, research and coursework.

Guided independent study

When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.

Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, and specialist facilities, such as edit suites, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.

Academic support

If you need a bit of extra help with certain skills such as academic writing, English, maths, or statistics, our Academic Tutors offer workshops, drop-in sessions, and one-to-one appointments to help our students achieve their potential.

You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses.

Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford feature centralised helpdesks to cater to your every need. UEL provides also support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).

Dedicated personal tutor

When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of the academic course team who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.

Workload

Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.

The approximate percentages for this course are:

  • Year 1: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
  • Year 2: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
  • Year 3: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.

Your timetable

Your individualised timetable is normally available within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Class sizes

The size of classes can vary depending on the nature of the course, module and activity. This can range from large groups in a lecture theatre setting, to smaller groups taking part in seminars and collaborative work. You will receive your personalised timetable at the beginning of the academic year depending on your course.

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally attracts 40 - 50 students a year. Lecture sizes are normally 40 plus students.

In workshops, you will be taught in groups of 12 - 15 students. However, this can vary by academic year.

How you'll be assessed

Assessment tasks are mainly spread across the year to make the workload manageable. Assessment methods include group work, exams and individual work including essays, presentations, case studies, professional development and practical activities depending on the nature of the course. All grades count towards your module mark. More details will be included in the student handbook and module guides. 

You will always receive detailed feedback outlining your strengths and how you can improve. 

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 15 working days, although you will receive immediate feedback following many of our face-to-face assessments.

Campus and facilities

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by Royal Docks School of Business and Law

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

What our students and staff say

Economics ug course hero banner
During my studies, I actively engaged with the UEL Career Zone, completing two internships, working with an entrepreneurial team, starting my own freelance business, serving as a student ambassador, winning the BACK:ED Prize, and participating in a mentoring programme. All of that enabled me to be the way I am today."

Crystel Gagan

BSc (Hons) Economics

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Taking the course at UEL was one of the best decisions I ever made. It was a world-class educational environment, which helped me to grasp integrated skills and advanced knowledge of banking and finance. This gave me great confidence in fulfilling all of the requirements of my job."

Tuan Anh

MSc Finance and Risk, now working at Central Bank of Vietnam

Business Economics FAQs