Economics at Bristol

The School of Economics has a distinctive focus and reputation: we combine innovative, policy-focused research and a firm commitment to public and policy engagement with high-level advances in economic theory, structural modelling and econometrics.

A key feature of Bristol economics research is a commitment to being outward-focused through multi-disciplinary as well as policy-relevant research. We were among the top economic departments in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) and were ranked first for the impact of our research on the basis of strong case studies that clearly demonstrated how research had shaped health and education policy and regulation.

The School has more than 60 faculty members, the majority of whom have been recruited in the last six years. Economics has grown rapidly on the back of strong student demand for our undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes. We have recruited talented junior researchers from top programmes in US and Europe and the current faculty is truly international. It is a dynamic and vibrant research environment.

Our educational environment is exciting and challenging. We pride ourselves on the synergies between research and teaching and our courses are delivered by international researchers and world-class teaching staff. We are innovative – among the first economics departments to adopt the CORE syllabus for our undergraduates and introducing new courses in data science and economics for our postgraduates to ensure that they have cutting edge technical skills. We are home to the Economics Network providing support to HE economics teachers across the UK. We nurture adaptable, resilient graduates who leave our school with a broad range of skills and expertise, and are prepared for their career in a rapidly changing world.

Unit structure

The school offers many classes that are based in a single semester, and can therefore accept unit requests from Study Abroad students who want to join Bristol for just the autumn or spring semester.

Unit levels

The school offers units across all undergraduate levels of study: year 1 (level C/4), year 2 (level I/5), and year 3 (level H/6) units. Postgraduate units are not available.

Unit codes

Unit codes in the School of Economics begin with 'ECON' or 'EFIM'. This is followed by a number indicating the year (1, 2, 3). For example:

• ECON10000/EFIM10000 = year 1 unit
• ECON20000/EFIM20000 = year 2 unit
• ECON30000/EFIM30000 = year 3 unit.

For more information about each unit, check the University's unit catalogue for 2023/24. Applicants on all study abroad programmes must review the unit details on the catalogue before listing unit choices on their application form. This includes checking the format of assessment for each unit. The unit catalogue for 2023/24 is expected to be updated by the end of April 2023.

Your unit choices cannot be guaranteed. Some units may not have capacity to accommodate all of the unit requests we receive. Registration on a unit also depends on whether you meet the pre-requisite conditions through prior study at your home university.

Study Abroad (Subject pathway)

If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad (Subject pathway), you must take the majority of your credits in this department.

Units available on the study abroad programme in 2023/24

The following units from the School of Economics are open to inbound Study Abroad students.

Students interested in taking several Economics units may wish to consider the following combinations:

Those studying at Bristol for the full academic year (September-June):

• Econometrics 1 (TB1) – ECON20004, Microeconomics for Economics and Finance (TB4) – ECON20002, and Macroeconomics for Economics and Finance (TB4) – ECON20003.

Please note that students studying with us for a full academic cannot take:

• Applied Quantitative Research Methods (TB2) – EFIM20010
• Macroeconomic Analysis (TB1) – EFIM20037
• Microeconomic Analysis (TB2) – EFIM20038

These are only suitable for single-semester study.

The School's advice for students studying at Bristol for one semester:

• Autumn semester students (September-January) - you may wish to consider Macroeconomic Analysis (TB1) - EFIM20037 and Econometrics 1 (TB1) – ECON20004
• Spring semester students (January-June) - you may wish to consider Microeconomic Analysis (TB2) – EFIM20038 and Applied Quantitative Research Methods (TB2) – EFIM20010

Units outside the School of Economics

If you are interested in taking a unit outside the School, but with a focus still on Economics, you may be interested in the following unit:

• Understanding global problems using data: inequality, climate change and the economy (TB2) - UNIV10008

This class is run by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Please see the Innovation and Entrepreneurship study guide for more information about their units.

Application queries

Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk