Mathematics with Economics (Placement Year)

Develop your mathematical expertise with a solid foundation in economics as you delve into the power of maths and how it underpins economic systems and modelling. You will learn how to apply mathematical and statistical theory to understand how governments, commerce and households shape global economic policies and growth. Studying this combination at Lancaster University means you benefit from a curriculum at the cutting-edge of research across two departments including our renowned Lancaster University Management School, providing you with an outstanding education.

As you progress through the degree, you will develop the knowledge and skills to interpret government policy, analyse economic patterns, and critique business decisions, all of which develop your ability to provide solutions to global problems. As you graduate, you will be prepared for a diverse career in areas such as finance, policymaking, statistics, research, business management and much more.

In Year 1, you will develop a solid grounding in the fundamentals of maths, such as calculus, algebra and statistics along with economics, with two core maths modules and one core economics module. This provides you with a robust foundation in both disciplines and you will begin to hone your critical thinking and analytical skills.

In Year 2, you can choose optional modules in both maths and economics as you shape your degree to align with your career interests. These will be studied alongside core maths and economics modules that continue to build on the fundamentals of Year 1. A highlight of this year is taking part in game theory along with strategic behaviour, where you will work with your classmates to use different types of games to model, analyse and solve real-world strategic situations. Depending on the optional modules you select, you may have the chance to work on fascinating projects such as analysing data about food and living costs; epidemic modelling; or even predicting aftershocks from real earthquake data.

In third year, you will undertake a 12-month placement that will allow you to apply the knowledge and skills that you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2, and to gain invaluable experience which will make you highly employable when you graduate. You will also submit monthly learning logs reflecting on your experience.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills. If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.

Returning to Lancaster for your final year you will study three core modules, two of which cover advanced topics in maths theory and the third in econometrics where you will apply statistical modelling to real-world data for economic analysis and decision-making. A further two core modules can be selected from eight and we offer a wide choice of topics, such as artificial intelligence, where you will learn about large amounts of data and how predictive modelling relates to economic forecasting.