Everything you need to know...
-
What is the fee?
Home: See fees section below
International/EU: £17,155 per year -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
-
Where will I study?
-
What are the entry requirements?
-
What is the UCAS code?
A063
-
When do I start?
September 2025
-
Placement year available?
Yes

Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Course summary
- Gain a solid foundation in economics and evaluate the impact of economic policies.
- Learn to analyse social issues such as inequality and environmental sustainability.
- Develop analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills you can apply to the economy.
- Enhance your professional communication and teamwork skills.
- Gain work-ready experience with real-life projects and placements.
Studying marketing and economic theories, you’ll build your decision-making skills by using real-time analysis of global market data. You’ll apply the most current economic theories to real-world challenges – using quantitative data, statistical tools and advanced econometric software. You’ll graduate with a comprehensive understanding of economics, finance, financial markets, and the far-reaching impacts of public policy.
If you don't meet the entry requirements for our BSc (Hons) course, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join the foundation course – which has been designed to encourage exploration and experimentation.
Sheffield Business School accreditation
Sheffield Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and has been awarded the Business School Impact System label by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).
How you learn
You’ll study BSc (Hons) in Economics in our Sheffield Business School, rated in the top 6% globally for excellence in teaching and research. Here, you’ll join a global community where business leaders, researchers and 6,500 business students all come together to solve problems and make things better.
Our academics are highly skilled professionals, bringing their cutting-edge knowledge and diverse experience into the classroom. Not only are they academically qualified – they’ve also worked in various industries, with some actively engaged in current research. You’ll be taught by people who shape national debates, appear on educational TV and radio programmes and are published in top research journals.
You learn through:
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- IT sessions
- Regular formative feedback
- Teamwork and group-based learning
- Practice-based applied learning
- Authentic learning experiences
- Engagement with guest lectures
- Discussions
- Self-managed study
Key Themes
This course starts by helpingyou develop a strong understanding of economics and the practical skills you’ll use to evaluate the impact of economic policies on financial markets and businesses. You’ll develop your understanding of how and when to use appropriate theories, analytical techniques and software to analyse economic data and financial information. You’ll then be able to evaluate market trends, make informed economic decisions and develop strategies that maximise returns while minimising risk.
As you progress, you’ll further build on and refine your knowledge and analytical skills through real-world projects, collaborating in teams to create reports, presentations and recommendations inspired by real industry challenges. This hands-on approach and our award-winning supportive learning environment will prepare you for careers in professional economic analysis, business, finance, and consultancy – as well as many other sectors of the economy where analytical reasoning and economic knowledge are needed.
Towards the course's conclusion, you'll undertake a consultancy project for a real organisation, guided by a dedicated project supervisor. In this capstone project, you'll conduct research and apply the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired throughout your studies.
The combination of teaching methods throughout the course means you’ll gain in-depth knowledge and a diverse skill set through practical implementation, problem-solving, teamwork and self-development activities.
Course Support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly-skilled, graduate-level employment. This includes:
- Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- Access to our Skills Centre for support with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments and assessment preparation.
- Industry-specific employability activities, including work placements, live projects, simulated learning environments, and networking opportunities.
Course leaders and tutors

Tilahun Mekonnen
Senior LecturerCurrently working as a Senior Lecturer in Business Economics and the International Business Development Manager for Sub Saharan African Countries
Applied learning
Live Projects
In your final year of the course, you'll engage in real client-based projects, performing research and analysis to generate findings and recommendations that address client business problems. You’ll present these findings to the client, gaining valuable experience of professional practice.
Previous students have undertaken projects for HSBC, the Bank of England, Costa, Coca-Cola Enterprises, General Motors, Hay, IBM UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Marks & Spencer, the Metropolitan Police, Microsoft, the NHS, Royal Bank of Scotland, TNT Express and Vauxhall Motors.
Additionally, many smaller organisations have also benefited from our students' contributions. It's worth noting that students have often secured placements as a direct result of the outstanding work they've performed on these live projects with host companies.
Work Placements
Between your third and fourth years of the course, you'll have the opportunity to embark on a sandwich placement – a vital step in preparing for your future career within the industry you've been studying.
During this placement, you'll gain practical skills, including proficiency in new software, managing marketing campaigns, developing pricing strategies, optimising business processes, achieving sales targets and crafting financial reports. This hands-on experience will equip you with valuable workplace insights to enhance your readiness for your future career – as well an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.
Our dedicated placement team will provide guidance and support at every stage, from your initial application to the successful completion of your placement.
Previous students have secured positions at organisations such as Investec, Lloyds Bank, PwC, HSBC and Santander.
Networking Opportunities
Throughout the course there are numerous opportunities for you to engage with career planning and development, career fairs and workshops, employer presentations, visits to places of current and historical economic interest, and professional career advisers.
These are all great chances to enhance your confidence, skills development and future employability.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- Economics
- Business Consultancy
- Business Management
- Financial Consultancy
- Public services
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- PwC
- GE
- Lloyds Bank
- The Civil Service (e.g. Department for Work and Pensions)
- Investec
- HSBC
- Santander
- Marks & Spencer
- The Metropolitan Police
- Microsoft
- The NHS
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- TNT Express
- Vauxhall Motor
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour

Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
Construction of the new Sheffield Business School is underway – providing state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities and social space to students.
On this course, you’ll have access to:
- Our virtual learning environment – Blackboard sites
- Updated office software
- Accounting software
- Bloomberg terminals
- Our financial trading floor
- A physical and online library with databases and digital books, journals, newspapers, and magazines
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 64
This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications excluding general studies For example:
- CC at A Level
- MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalent
ACCESS
- Access to HE Diploma, with at least 45 level 3 credits.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
This module develops your knowledge and understanding of the techniques and practice of accounting and finance. You’ll learn through large and small group teaching, relevant software and group activities.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Corporate governance
-
Forensic accounting
-
Fraud investigation
-
UK tax system
-
Audit and assurance
-
UK governance code
-
Foundations of financial and management accounting
-
Presenting financial information
-
Basic financial statement analysis
-
Academic research
This module gives you a foundational understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles related to economics, finance and investments. You’ll learn in large and small group sessions, gaining experience of relevant software.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Basic microeconomics including supply and demand
-
Key macroeconomics indicators such as GDP
-
Time value of money
-
Risk and return investment decision-making
-
Financial markets
-
Bloomberg software
-
Business ethics and sustainability
This module introduces you to university life and the behaviours and knowledge you’ll need to succeed internationally. In practical teaching sessions you’ll learn more about yourself, examine contemporary sources and debate current international perspectives.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Introduction to university study
-
Career goal setting and professional behaviours
-
International business
-
Tourism
-
Sustainability and sustainable development
-
Corporate social responsibility
-
Business ethics
-
Living and working with others
-
Equality, diversity and inclusion
-
Values
This module prepares you for further success on the next level of your course, developing skills and knowledge to support your future career. Practical teaching sessions will enable you to reflect on your year so far, and your future personal strategies.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Future sector trends
-
People resource planning
-
Global labour markets
-
Personal and organisational change
-
Resilience
-
Research and data analysis
-
Digital literacy
-
Life-wide and long-term career planning
-
Professional accreditation and credibility
-
Your learning practice
Year 2
Compulsory modules
This module provides a comprehensive understanding of various quantitative processes for effectively collecting, analysing, managing, interpreting and utilising data within business and economics. You’ll gain knowledge and analytical and mathematical skills to successfully tackle advanced material in later years – for instance examining the relationships between variables with scatter diagrams, correlation coefficients and simple linear regression.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Summarising data by tabulation, graphs and summary measures
-
Analysis through measures of change and index numbers
-
Time series analysis using graphs, moving averages and linear regression
-
Forecasting using additive and multiplicative models
-
Creating future cash flows based on forecast figures and estimation
-
Calculating present, future and outstanding values and the internal rate of return of a project
-
Descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency, variability and graphical representation
-
Regression analysis, correlation, coefficient of determination and hypothesis testing
-
Lagrange multipliers and their applications in constrained optimisation problems
-
Decision making under uncertainty
This module develops your understanding of the principles of finance – such as the ability to read, understand and perform fundamental analysis of financial statements, from income statements to statements of financial position and cash flow statements. You’ll also learn the fundamental concepts of finance – risk, return and the time value of money.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Reading, comprehending and providing basic analysis of core financial statements
-
Describing and interpreting financial ratios
-
Understanding and comprehend the fundamentals of finance
-
The concept of investment analysis – present and future values
-
The role of financial firms (corporate objectives)
-
The principal-agent relationship
-
Conducting and explaining basic investment appraisal analysis
Module Aim:
The main aim of this module is to examine the key mathematical concepts widely applied in modern business and economics. These include algebraic manipulation, functions, and elementary differential calculus, with particular application to optimisation in economics. It is designed to enable all students, regardless of their mathematical background, to apply mathematical concepts to business and economic problems.
Indicative content:
Some of the indicative content that this module will be covering include topics such as:
-
Linear equations
-
Non-linear equations
-
Financial Mathematics
-
Differentiation
-
Partial differentiation
-
Optimisation
-
Integration
This module provides a solid foundation in the fundamental concepts and theories of economics, introducing principles of micro and macroeconomics, market structures and economic systems. We’ll equip you with the analytical tools you need to understand and evaluate economic issues and policies in a wide range of contexts – as well as the opportunity to work collaboratively with a client to explore real-world challenges.
You’ll apply learning and skills such as:
-
Market forces and welfare, market efficiency and inefficient market allocations
-
Consumer choice
-
Firm behaviour, factor markets and market structures
-
Public goods and trades
-
Work experience through a client-led experiential project
-
Reflection on your strengths
-
Professional behaviours
Year 3
Compulsory modules
This module focuses on advanced microeconomic theories and analysis, appreciating how introductory micro economic theories can analyse the choices and constraints facing consumers and producers, while introducing alternatives to the neo-classical economic model. You’ll then shift to more advanced macroeconomic theories – areas such as the GDP, inflation, unemployment, the AS-AD model, economic growth models and business cycle fluctuations – and you’ll gain experience through immersive work experience, in partnership with external organisations.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Demand: income and substitution effects of a price change
-
Supply: isocost and isoquant analysis
-
Transaction cost theory and their influence on the vertical boundaries of the firm
-
Ethical externalities and porter's concept of creating shared value
-
Game theory and the Cournot model
-
Bertrand and Stackelberg models
-
Short-run macroeconomic equilibrium and analysis of economic intervention
-
Combining the money and goods markets
-
ISLMBP model (Mundell-Fleming): open economy macroeconomics
-
Long-run growth, Solow growth and endogenous growth models
This module enhances your understanding of financial markets to help you evaluate choices in funding and financing investment decisions. You’ll explore the role of cash in firm, managing working capital and the management and measurement of risk for decision making – applying core concepts of finance to reduce risk or engage in risk-taking activities, explaining these decisions to all stakeholders of a firm.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Risk, return and the time value of money
-
Business risk and financial risk
-
Sources of finance, including equity finance, debt finance and leasing decisions
-
Working capital management and the management of cash, inventory, receivables and payables
-
Investment appraisal techniques with risk and capital rationing
-
Foreign exchange rate risk management using both internal and external techniques
-
Interest rate risk management using both internal and external techniques
-
The management of liquidity, commodity and operational risk
-
Credit ratings (such as key factors determining ratings, covenant tests, and ratings methodology)
-
The adoption and implementation of enterprise-wide risk management
This module introduces the econometric methods generally used to analyse economic data. We’ll equip you with the knowledge to understand recent developments in econometrics, helping you to carry out future applied econometrics analysis.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Econometrics and statistical concepts
-
Simple linear regression modelling
-
Multiple regression analysis
-
Dummy variable regression models
-
Functional forms of regression model
-
Multicollinearity
-
Heteroskedasticity
-
Autocorrelation
Elective modules
This module presents various heterodox views in economics as alternative approaches to the mainstream economics – a blend between conventional economist wisdom and the opposing heterodox perspectives which treat the social reality as open, processual and implicitly related. You’ll be able to link economics to other social disciples, such as philosophy, sociology, psychology and politics.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Economic thinking in the ancient era
-
Mercantilism
-
The classical economists
-
Radical economics and Marxism
-
The neoclassical approach
-
Keynesian economics
-
Chicago school of thought and the monetarists
-
Austrian school of economic thinking
-
Further heterodox approaches in economic thinking
This module explores the latest technological trends and innovations in the financial industry, from the impact of fintech on traditional banking services to the emergence of new business models – such as peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding and digital currencies. You’ll learn about the opportunities and challenges posed by fintech – regulatory compliance, cybersecurity risks and ethical considerations – while examining the role of big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain in transforming financial services and enhancing customer experience.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Banking and fintech history, evolution and key concepts
-
Fintech players, trends and challenges
-
Fintech and traditional banking: competition, collaboration or coexistence?
-
Mobile payments, e-wallets and contactless
-
Peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, and online marketplaces
-
Cryptocurrencies and other digital assets
-
Fintech legal frameworks, compliance and governance
-
Insurtech, Realtech and emerging markets
-
Transforming customer insights, risk management and fraud detection
-
Chatbots, robo-advisers and predictive analytics
-
Blockchain: distributed ledger technology, smart contracts and usage in finance
This module develops your skills and knowledge in detecting fraud in accounting records, preparing you for the world of big data. You’ll focus on data management skills for importating and analysing data sets in Excel, and data science techniques to identify common types of fraud within organisations.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Overview of the fraud landscape
-
Different types of fraud that can take place within an organisation
-
High level data analysis
-
Duplicates and matching
-
Verification of information using secondary data
-
Benford’s law
-
Correlation
-
Significance testing
-
Time series analysis
-
Interpretation and presentation of results
-
Limitations in analytics techniques
This module is for undergraduate students to study abroad in their second year, Semester 2 (only for courses that offer this option). With this module, you can spend a semester at one of the University’s approved partner institutions worldwide – from Europe to the Americas, Asia Australia or Canada. Study Abroad plays an important role in the University's commitment to an engaging, challenging, and thriving learning culture. It offers opportunities to experience other academic cultures and foster intellectual maturity while enhancing co-curricular skills and students' long-term employability. Study abroad for credit is permitted on existing university-approved courses only. Students are awarded credits and grades at the partner institution, which are converted into Sheffield Hallam credits and grades on return and included in the Sheffield Hallam degree classification. Please check and refer to the webpage “How study abroad works”. You must submit a Learning Agreement outlining the modules you will be taking at the partner institution. The Learning Agreement will be signed off by your academic tutor to ensure that the Learning broadly covers the Learning Outcomes set out in your course curriculum during your study abroad.
Year 4
Optional modules
Module aim:
The aim of this module is to enhance students’ professional development through the completion of and reflection on meaningful work placement(s).
A work placement will provide students with opportunities to experience the realities of professional employment and experience how their course can be applied within their chosen industry setting. The placement will:
-
Allow student to apply the skills, theories and behaviours relevant and in addition to their course
-
Enable students to enhance their interpersonal skills in demand by graduate employers – communication, problem solving, creativity, resilience, team work etc.
-
Grow their student network and relationship building skills.
-
Provide student with insights into the industry and sector in which their placement occurs
-
Help student make informed graduate careers choices.
Indicative Content:
In this module students undertake a sandwich placement (min 24 weeks / min 21 hours per week) which is integrated, assessed and aligned to their studies.
Their personal Placement Academic Supervisor (PAS) will be their key point of contact during their placement and will encourage and support students to reflect on their experience, learning and contribution to the organisation they work for.
To demonstrate gains in professional development, students will be required to share their progress, learning and achievements with their Placement Academic Supervisor and reflect on these for the summative piece of work.
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module focuses on microeconomic analysis of industries and firms, the structure of industries, the nature of market power and the behaviour of market participants – plus the interaction of firms within imperfectly competitive industries. For the second part, the focus shifts to explaining macroeconomic models using microeconomic foundations – from the consumption behaviour under both certainty and uncertainty, to investigating issues of liquidity constraints and precautionary saving.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Market structure and industrial concentration
-
Limit pricing and entry deterrence
-
Mergers
-
Research and development
-
Advertising
-
Multinational enterprises
-
Inter-temporal model of consumption behaviour
-
Economic growth: the Solow-Swan model and Endogenous growth theory
-
Real business cycle vs new Keynesian economies
-
Monetary policy and Inflation
This module builds on the elementary concepts and methods covered in your level 5 introduction to econometrics, broadening your understanding of the econometric techniques used for empirical analysis of economic and financial data. We’ll consider the link between economic theory and practice, equipping you with the skills to work in the government and the private sector.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Autocorrelation
-
Univariate time series analysis
-
Non-stationary time series and unit root tests
-
Modelling volatility
-
Panel data regression models
This module evaluates behavioural theories to help us better understand the world we live in, examining the strengths and weaknesses of the standard model to aid decision making with a more accurate account of real-life phenomena. We’ll discuss behavioural foundations of decision making, decision making under certainty, risk and uncertainty to intertemporal choice and strategic interactions between agents.
You’ll study topics such as:
-
Basic consumer theory
-
Expected utility theory
-
Choice and risk
-
Prospect theory, reference-dependence and loss aversion models
-
Standard intertemporal choice models and their anomalies
-
Hyperbolic discounting, choice and time
-
Social preferences
-
Social influence and the Herding/bandwagon effect
-
Cognitive dissonance in economics
-
Mere exposure effect, validation bias and other cognitive/perceptive biases
Module Aim:
This module develops consultancy skills and transferable skills via real-world consultancy interventions. It is a capstone module that brings together student learning and previous work-based learning and supports the students becoming career ready through reflection and applied learning.
The module is delivered through lectures, seminars (team meetings) and visits to client premises (where appropriate).
Indicative content:
-
Consultancy Skills
-
Team-working
-
Process focused v Results focused
-
Communication skills
-
Inter-personal skills
-
Real-life consultancy projects working with industry partners and Executives in Residence
-
Opportunity to visit industry clients
-
Work in cross-discipline teams with students from other subject areas reflecting real-life
-
Reflection on current knowledge, skills, abilities and aptitude to support graduate employability
-
Guest lectures from industry experts
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on this course in 2025/26 is £5,760 for the foundation year and £9,535 per year for the degree (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year)

Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Business School (PDF, 255.6KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.