Financial Economics BSc (Honours) 2025 entry

The BSc (Hons) in Financial Economics provides a structured, cumulative and rigorous foundation of economic concepts, principles, analysis, techniques and knowledge. You will develop your analytical and decision-making abilities through training in quantitative and model-based methods of analysis. Over the course of study, students engage with specialist topics including portfolio management, asset pricing and corporate finance. 

UCAS code
L161
Start date
September 2025
End date
September 2029
Duration
Four years full time
School
Business School
“The academics and the support they give to students is so important – there is a great culture of aiding students’ wellbeing in the School. I also liked being able to pick my modules in the first two years, which confirmed that I had made the right decision with this degree, while also giving me a wider skill set to use after graduation.”
Eleanor
- Lincoln, England

Entry requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject-specific entry requirements as outlined on their pages.

  • Standard entry grades:
    AAAAB
    Minimum entry grades:
    AABB
    Gateway entry grades:
    Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.
  • Standard entry grades:
    AAA
    Minimum entry grades:
    ABB
  • Standard entry grades:
    38 (HL 6,6,6)
    Minimum entry grades:
    36 (HL 6,5,5)

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

  • SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:

    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computing science
    • Geography
    • Applications of Mathematics
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Psychology.
  • GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:

    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computing Science
    • Geography
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Psychology.

Other qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No previous knowledge of this subject is required, but advanced school mathematics is an advantage, and an ability to learn mathematical skills is essential.

Alternative study options

Students interested in this course may also be interested in the following:

Master of Arts 

Financial Economics is available as both a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree. The content of the subjects is the same irrespective of Faculty. Two particularly useful joint combinations for future careers are 'Financial Economics and Management' and 'Financial Economics and Mathematics'. Students who have a background in the sciences or who wish to study Financial Economics alongside Science subjects at St Andrews should apply for the BSc. For those interested in studying Financial Economics alongside Arts subjects, the MA in Financial Economics may be of interest instead. The entry requirements are the same for all single Honours Financial Economics degrees, and the chance of receiving an offer is the same for each of these degrees.

Study abroad

Financial economics students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about approved English language tests and scores for this course.

Course details

The BSc (Hons) in Financial Economics is a four-year course run by the University of St Andrews Business School.

In the first two years, you will acquire a solid foundation in general knowledge of economics. This includes an introduction to the principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics; an insight into quantitative techniques; and developing an understanding of economic relationships and the techniques necessary for their analysis. 

Alongside financial economics, in the first year of your studies you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised.  

At Honours level, you may select modules from a range of options on specific topics. These provide an analytical understanding of key aspects of finance, economics and government policy formation. 

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in financial economics alongside modules in at least one other subject. 

Typically, you will take a total of three modules per semester each year.

Students will take all the following compulsory first-year modules: 

  • Macroeconomics: introduces the study of economics at the national and global level. 
  • Microeconomics: explores the basics of the market system and consumer and producer behaviour.

Students with a school qualification in economics may take a more advanced first-year module in economics which assumes prior knowledge. 

Students will take all of the following compulsory second-year modules:

  • Intermediate Macroeconomics: explores theories of the determinants of long-run economic growth and theories of the causes of short-run “business-cycle” fluctuations. 
  • Intermediate Microeconomics: deepens the general understanding of microeconomics gained in first year. 
  • Statistics for Economists: introduces statistical methods and regression analysis.
  • Mathematics for Economists: covers calculus and algebra to provide indispensable mathematical tools for modern economists.

If you decide to take financial economics in your third and fourth years, you must take four compulsory modules: 

  • Econometrics: introduces the application of statistics to study economic data. 
  • Financial Economics: Asset Pricing: provides a critical understanding of essential components of modern finance theory and a rigorous grounding in analytical economic models about the determination of risks and returns in financial markets. 
  • Financial Economics: Corporate Finance: investigates the problem of how a collection of corporate liabilities is affected in value by corporate actions. 
  • Financial Economics: Portfolio Management: develops knowledge and understanding of key issues in asset allocation and portfolio composition and management at an intermediate level. 

In addition, you may choose from a wide variety of advanced options. Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered in previous years: 

  • Behavioural Economics: Individual Decisions and Welfare  
  • Development and Finance  
  • Economic Fluctuations  
  • Economics of the Environment  
  • European Macroeconomics  
  • Game Theory  
  • Health Economics  
  • Incentives, Contracts and Markets  
  • Innovation Economics  
  • International Trade  
  • Mathematical Economics 
  • Monetary and Financial History  
  • Practical Financial Modelling

The modules above are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your course. Please see the module catalogue for more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment.

Teaching

First and second year modules generally involve a series of lectures (200 to 450 students), laboratories and small-group tutorials (15 to 20 students) designed to facilitate effective interaction. 

At Honours level, modules are taught through lectures (10 to 140 students), laboratories and smaller group tutorials (10 to 20 students). Students typically attend six hours of lectures and an average of one to two tutorials or labs per week. 

When not attending lectures, tutorials and laboratories, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve: 

  • working on individual and group projects 
  • undertaking research in the library 
  • preparing coursework assignments and presentations 
  • preparing for examinations. 

Progress is monitored through tutorial assignments and assessment is by a combination of graded work and examinations. Almost all of the modules are assessed by at least 50% written exams with the balance of assessment made up by coursework. 

Examinations are held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand. 

Coursework takes the form of essays, along with other kinds of assessed work including oral presentations and class tests.  

The School aims to provide feedback on every assessment within three weeks to help you improve on future assessments. 

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

You will be taught by a research-led teaching team with expertise and knowledge of financial economics. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials under the supervision of the module leader. 

The University’s Student Services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities web page.

Fees

Scotland
£1,820

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man

Following the decision of the UK Government to raise undergraduate tuition fees and maintenance loans in line with inflation from April 2025, we are reviewing the consequences of that decision for fees payable by students from the rest of the UK who have chosen to study in Scotland. We will update the information on this page as soon as possible.

EU and overseas
£31,670

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Joint Honours degrees

You can also take Financial Economics as part of a joint Honours degree in which you will take core modules of your chosen subjects.

Course name UCAS code
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Biology and EconomicsCL11
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Computer Science and EconomicsGL41
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Economics and Geography2A72
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Economics and ManagementLNC2
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Economics and MathematicsGLC1
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Economics and PsychologyLC18
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Economics and StatisticsGL31
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Economics and Sustainable DevelopmentF893
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Financial Economics and ManagementNL23
Bachelor of Science (Honours) Financial Economics and MathematicsL114
Master of Arts (Honours) Ancient History and EconomicsLVD1
Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic and EconomicsLT16
Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic and Economics (With Integrated Year Abroad)TV68
Master of Arts (Honours) Biblical Studies and EconomicsLV16
Master of Arts (Honours) Chinese Studies and EconomicsCH04
Master of Arts (Honours) Chinese Studies and Economics (With Integrated Year Abroad)CW04
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and EnglishLQ13
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Film StudiesLP13
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and GeographyLL17
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and GermanLR12
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and German (With Integrated Year Abroad)LRC2
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and International RelationsLL12
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and ItalianLR13
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Italian (With Integrated Year Abroad)LRC3
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and ManagementNL21
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and MathematicsGL11
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Medieval HistoryLVC1
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Middle East StudiesTL61
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Modern HistoryLV11
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and PersianL1T6
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and PhilosophyLV15
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and PsychologyCL81
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and RussianLR17
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)LRC7
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Social AnthropologyLL16
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and SpanishLR14
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)LRC4
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and StatisticsGLH1
Master of Arts (Honours) Economics and Sustainable DevelopmentF892
Master of Arts (Honours) Financial Economics and ManagementNL22
Master of Arts (Honours) Financial Economics and MathematicsL113

Additional joint degree options are available for students who take the MA in Financial Economics.

"With" degrees

You can take Financial Economics as part of a "with" Honours degree in which the majority of the course deals with the first name subject. St Andrews offers the following "with" degrees in Financial Economics:

  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with German (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code L1RF
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with German - UCAS code L1R2
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code L1RR
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Russian - UCAS code L1RT
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Social Anthropology - UCAS code L1L6
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad) - UCAS code L1RL
  • Master of Arts (Honours) Economics with Spanish - UCAS code L1RK

"With" degrees taken with German, Russian, Spanish are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'.

Careers

Graduates with a degree in financial economics have some highly sought-after skills and pursue careers in a wide variety of fields. A degree in financial economics will greatly enhance your analytic and decision-making abilities. You will significantly improve your quantitative abilities and greatly enhance other transferable skills highly valued by employers. 

Popular career destinations among recent graduates include: 

  • economic consulting 
  • management consulting 
  • accountancy 
  • business intelligence analysis 
  • broadcasting and journalism 
  • risk management 
  • research analysis 
  • financial services analysis 
  • stockbroking 

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

What to do next

Online information events

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.

Undergraduate visiting days

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.

Contact us

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 2439
Email
bschool@st-andrews.ac.uk
Address
Department of Economics (Business School)
Castlecliffe
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9AR

Department of Economics (Business School) website

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