How long does the BSc in Economic Development take to complete?

The BSc in Economic Development is a three-year full-time honours programme with an integrated placement year, or a longer part-time route across online and distance modes. Accelerated study is available for qualified applicants on the BSc in Economic Development.

Can I study the BSc in Economic Development online?

Yes. The BSc in Economic Development is delivered on-campus in central London, online and by distance learning, and each mode shares the same seminar structure and named tutor support.

Is the BSc in Economic Development UK recognised?

The BSc in Economic Development is a UK Level 6 honours degree taught to standards aligned with ODI and IDS analytical traditions, and it prepares graduates for postgraduate study.

What are the entry requirements for the BSc in Economic Development?

Applicants need A-levels at BBB, a UK Access to HE Diploma or equivalent international qualification, GCSE English and Maths at grade 4/C, and IELTS 6.5 where required. International applicants for the BSc in Economic Development receive full visa support.

How much does the BSc in Economic Development cost and is funding available?

Tuition varies by mode and intake. LSLPE admissions publishes current fees at offer stage and discusses instalment plans and scholarships for the BSc in Economic Development on request.

BSc in Economic Development | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BSc in Economic Development at LSLPE is a three-year UK Level 6 honours degree with part-time and accelerated routes available. The programme reads economic development as the study of long-run growth, structural transformation, poverty dynamics and the political economy of state capacity. Modules combine mainstream growth and development economics with the applied appraisal frameworks used inside donors, ministries of finance and think tanks. The syllabus is aligned with the Overseas Development Institute and Institute of Development Studies analytical traditions.

By graduation you will have built country diagnostic reports, run impact evaluations on public survey microdata, produced ODI-style working papers, completed a placement year at a donor, think tank or ministry, and defended a final-year dissertation on an economic-development question.

Key Features

Placement year at the FCDO development directorate, ODI, a multilateral body or a development NGO.
Curriculum aligned with ODI and Institute of Development Studies (IDS) analytical frameworks.
Applied appraisal training against Treasury Green Book and OECD DAC standards.
Impact-evaluation practice using publicly available datasets from LMICs.
Dissertation supervised by a practising development economist or academic.
Careers days linking students to donors, multilateral bodies and development NGOs.

What You Will Learn

Growth theory and empirics from Solow through modern unified growth theory.
Development microeconomics: education, health, agriculture and labour markets.
Poverty measurement and household survey analysis.
Aid architecture, debt sustainability and multilateral finance.
Political economy of development, state capacity and institutions.
Impact evaluation with randomised and quasi-experimental designs.
Trade, industrial policy and structural transformation.
Dissertation research and defence on a development question.

Who This Course Is For

School-leavers targeting careers in donors, multilateral bodies and development NGOs.
International applicants from LMICs preparing for public service in finance or planning.
Career changers moving from NGO operations into economics-heavy programme roles.
Working professionals studying part-time through the distance route.
Applicants planning postgraduate progression to an MSc in Global Development Studies.

Career Pathways

Development Economist at a donor, multilateral body or research institute.
Development Analyst at the World Bank, IMF or regional development bank.
Public Finance Analyst inside an LMIC ministry of finance.
NGO Programme Officer running economics-heavy programmes.
International Development Officer inside the FCDO development directorate.
Research Economist at a think tank such as the IFS, ODI or NIESR.
Economic Consultant serving donor and government clients.

The LSLPE careers service coordinates the placement year and runs at least one careers day each academic year connecting BSc students with donor and multilateral-body recruiters.

Entry Requirements

A-levels (or equivalent) at BBB or above, OR a UK Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Two academic references and a personal statement demonstrating development interests.
International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation support from LSLPE admissions.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE is a specialist division of Harold International College of London that reads economic development in permanent conversation with politics and law. The BSc in Economic Development is delivered in small, tutor-visible cohorts using the case-room and select-committee tradition, so appraisal and impact-evaluation choices are argued in public against evidence.

Central London places the FCDO, ODI, Chatham House and the LSE-adjacent development ecosystem within a short tube ride of every classroom. The LSLPE careers service links students to donor and multilateral recruiters, and three parallel study modes let progressors and field practitioners complete the BSc without leaving posting.

Apply for BSc in Economic Development

Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme with a placement year at a donor, think tank or ministry of finance. Admissions responds within one working day. Enrol Now