BSc in Policy Economics
Course Overview
The BSc in Policy Economics at LSLPE is a UK Level 6 honours degree combining substantive economics with UK public-policy application, running three years full-time with part-time and accelerated routes available on-campus, online and by distance learning. The programme is aligned with Royal Economic Society and Government Economic Service guidance and draws structured case content from IFS, IfG, ODI and Chatham House.
By graduation you will have built policy-costing models to HM Treasury Green Book standards, produced impact assessments, completed a placement year in Whitehall, a think tank or a regulator and defended a final-year policy-economics dissertation. The BSc is a credentialed launch pad for economist and policy-analyst careers in the UK public sector.
Key Features
- Curriculum aligned with Royal Economic Society and Government Economic Service guidance.
- Case sequences drawn from IFS, IfG, ODI and Chatham House publications.
- Year-two placement in Whitehall, a think tank or a regulator.
- Data workshops using ONS microdata, HMRC and Bank of England datasets.
- Final-year policy-economics dissertation with a practising analyst as second supervisor.
- Three parallel study modes on the same weekly rhythm.
What You Will Learn
- Microeconomics and macroeconomics to Level 6 depth.
- Applied policy costing to HM Treasury Green Book standards.
- Impact assessment techniques including distributional analysis.
- Public-finance economics and public-goods theory.
- Behavioural economics for policy application.
- Programme-evaluation methods used by IFS and the Cabinet Office.
- Applied econometrics for policy questions.
- Research methods for a Level 6 policy-economics dissertation.
Who This Course Is For
- School leavers targeting a policy-focused economics degree.
- International applicants preparing for policy-economist roles at home.
- Career changers moving from research, journalism or business into policy economics.
- Part-time learners in local government or think tanks.
- Access to HE students progressing into an economics specialism.
Career Pathways
- Government Economist
- Economic Policy Analyst
- Public Finance Analyst
- Research Economist
- Regulatory Economist
- Behavioural Economist
- Economic Consultant
- Development Economist
The LSLPE careers service runs at least one careers day each academic year connecting BSc in Policy Economics students with the Government Economic Service, think tanks, regulators and consultancies.
Entry Requirements
- A-levels (or equivalent) at BBB or above including Mathematics, 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 outlining your interest in policy economics.
- International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation support from LSLPE admissions.
Why Study at LSLPE
LSLPE reads policy economics inside a wider law-politics-economics conversation, and the BSc is co-taught with that reading in mind. Central London places HM Treasury, the Bank of England, the IFS, the IfG and the LSE-adjacent think-tank ecosystem a short tube ride from every classroom.
Three parallel study modes let progressors, working practitioners and portfolio-route applicants complete the BSc in Policy Economics alongside employment, with named programme-tutor support and a careers service that links each cohort with real policy teams.
Apply for BSc in Policy Economics
Applications for the BSc in Policy Economics open across UCAS-equivalent windows and admissions responds within one working day. Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme with a placement year in Whitehall or a think tank included. Enrol Now
