How long does the BSc in Public Finance take?

The BSc in Public Finance is a three-year full-time UK honours degree, with part-time and accelerated routes available. The BSc in Public Finance includes a placement year in Whitehall, local government or a regulator.

In what modes is the BSc in Public Finance delivered?

The BSc in Public Finance is delivered on-campus in central London, online with live seminars and by distance learning. All routes of the BSc in Public Finance share the same seminar structure and placement year.

Is the BSc in Public Finance UK-recognised?

Yes. The BSc in Public Finance is a UK Level 6 honours degree aligned with Royal Economic Society and CIPFA guidance, and sits alongside routes into the Government Economic Service.

What are the entry requirements for the BSc in Public Finance?

Applicants to the BSc in Public Finance need BBB at A-level or an Access to HE Diploma, GCSE English and Mathematics at 4/C, plus IELTS 6.5 where applicable and two academic references.

How much does the BSc in Public Finance cost and is funding available?

Fees for the BSc in Public Finance are quoted in your offer letter. LSLPE supports BSc in Public Finance applicants with instalment plans, employer sponsorship and early-application bursaries.

BSc in Public Finance | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BSc in Public Finance is a three-year UK Level 6 honours degree that reads the tax, spending and balance-sheet decisions of the state as a distinct branch of applied economics. The syllabus is aligned with Royal Economic Society and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy guidance, sits comfortably alongside CIPFA and CIMA study routes, and prepares students for graduate entry to the Government Economic Service.

By graduation you will have produced ministerial-style fiscal costings, run public expenditure impact appraisals, written committee briefings on OBR and IFS output, completed a year in placement across Whitehall, local government or a regulator, and defended a final-year dissertation on a live UK public finance question.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with CIPFA and Royal Economic Society graduate benchmarks.
Applied training on ONS, OBR, HMT and Bank of England fiscal data.
Ministerial-style costing exercises drawn from live Treasury and Spending Review material.
Placement year in Whitehall, local government, the National Audit Office or a regulator.
Dissertation supervised by tutors with policy and audit experience.
Careers service links to the Government Economic Service and CIPFA-aligned employers.
Three parallel study modes including online and distance routes.

What You Will Learn

Cost a Whitehall policy proposal to Treasury Green Book conventions.
Read Spending Review documents against underlying fiscal frameworks.
Model public revenue behaviour under changing macroeconomic assumptions.
Analyse local authority budgets and section 114 risk factors.
Assess the fiscal impact of tax reform on households and firms.
Structure a select-committee briefing on OBR or IFS output.
Present a public finance dissertation to a policy audience.
Apply CIPFA and audit conventions to a live public sector case.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers with an interest in the Treasury, HMRC and Whitehall careers.
Local authority and public sector staff progressing to graduate roles.
Aspiring economists targeting the Government Economic Service.
International applicants planning UK public sector or regulatory careers.
Working professionals studying part-time toward CIPFA-adjacent roles.

Career Pathways

Public Finance Analyst in a Whitehall department, agency or regulator.
Government Economist within the Government Economic Service progression pool.
Economist at HMT, HMRC or the Department for Business and Trade.
Regulatory Economist at Ofgem, Ofwat, Ofcom or the FCA.
Economic Consultant advising public sector clients.
Research Economist at the IFS, NIESR-style institutes or a think tank.
Local Government Analyst supporting section 151 officers and elected members.

The LSLPE careers service places BSc in Public Finance students in front of the Treasury, National Audit Office, CIPFA-aligned employers and think tanks at its annual careers day.

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), with a strong Mathematics grade preferred for the BSc in Public Finance.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Two academic references and a personal statement.
International applicants receive dedicated visa and accommodation support from LSLPE admissions.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE reads law, politics and economics as three interlocking disciplines, and the BSc in Public Finance sits directly at the join between economic analysis and constitutional decision-making. Central London places the Treasury, Bank of England, IFS, National Audit Office and CIPFA within a short tube ride of the seminar room.

Every intake, on-campus or remote, joins the same weekly seminar structure with named programme-tutor support, and the LSLPE careers service refreshes its Royal Economic Society and CIPFA-aligned curriculum links annually.

Apply for BSc in Public Finance

Apply for the LSLPE Bachelor's programme with a placement year in chambers, government or a think tank included. Admissions responds within one working day to BSc in Public Finance applicants. Enrol Now