Economics

Course summary

Economics shapes our lives. We are all affected, either directly or indirectly, by issues such as rising prices, unemployment, global poverty and the performance of particular industries. Economics looks at these wider macroeconomic problems. It also examines microeconomic topics: How are prices set? What determines how much a firm will produce? What shapes the demand for a product? Why are football players paid more than nurses? Why are some countries more developed than others? Why has the volume of international trade grown so rapidly in recent decades and what are the disadvantages of this trend? Many students go on to take the subject at degree level, and it is a highly prized degree amongst employers. It also provides a useful grounding for students thinking of taking related degrees in business and management at university.