BSc in Economic Policy

Course Overview

The BSc in Economic Policy at LSIBM is a three-year UK honours degree written for people who want to shape UK public policy from the inside — Whitehall departments, UK regulators (Ofgem, Ofwat, CMA context), think tanks, and Whitehall-adjacent consultancies. Sitting in the Accounting, Finance & Economics faculty, it combines core economics with applied-policy practice, causal inference and evidence review.

You will complete an applied policy placement or live consulting brief in year two, sit under an assistant-economist-style examination in year three, and defend a full evaluation-based dissertation in front of a working policy economist. The BSc in Economic Policy is available on-campus in central London, fully online with cohort calls scheduled across UK and APAC time zones, and by distance learning from 2026.

Key Features

• Curriculum reviewed against Government Economic Service assistant-economist competencies and SBE standards.
• Three study modes — central London campus, fully online with UK / APAC cohort calls, or distance learning.
• Year-two applied-policy placement or live brief with a Whitehall-adjacent consultancy or a UK regulator.
• Empirical methods track — R, Stata, causal inference and evaluation.
• Dissertation supervised by a working policy or regulatory economist.
• Final-year policy-paper capstone written to Whitehall submission standard.

What You Will Learn

The degree organises economics around how it is actually practised inside the UK policy machine — grounded in evidence, framed for ministers, defended against RPC challenge. Year one builds foundations, year two adds methods and a placement, year three produces a dissertation and policy-paper capstone.

• Microeconomic and macroeconomic theory applied to UK context.
• Econometrics and empirical methods — R, Stata, causal inference.
• HM Treasury Green Book appraisal, distributional analysis, sensitivity.
• Impact evaluation — RCTs, difference-in-differences, RDD, IV.
• Regulatory economics — Ofgem, Ofwat, FCA, CMA case work.
• Behavioural economics for UK policy.
• Evidence review — systematic review, rapid evidence assessment.
• Public finance — fiscal rules, OBR forecasts, HMT policy costings.
• Ethics — impartiality, evidence integrity, political framing risk.
• Research methods and dissertation craft.

Who This Course Is For

• A-level leavers targeting the UK Government Economic Service fast stream.
• International students seeking a policy-oriented UK honours degree.
• Mature applicants moving from public affairs into applied economics.
• Career switchers from journalism, teaching or public sector roles.
• Founders or NGO staff building analytical rigour behind advocacy work.

Career Pathways

Graduates typically progress into assistant-economist roles at Whitehall departments and UK regulators, junior consultant roles at Whitehall-adjacent consultancies, and research seats at think tanks. The degree supports applications but does not by itself guarantee outcomes. Typical destinations include:

• Assistant Economist (Government Economic Service)
• Policy Analyst
• Regulatory Economics Analyst
• Consulting Economist
• Public-Affairs Economist
• Think-Tank Researcher

The BSc in Economic Policy is the natural step onto the MSc in Economic Policy or a full Government Economic Service application.

Entry Requirements

• Three A-levels at BBC or above (Mathematics preferred), or equivalent UK / international qualification (IB 28+, BTEC DMM, Access to HE, Foundation Year pass, or a relevant Higher Diploma with confirmed credit transfer).
• GCSE English Language at grade 5/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
• IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
• A personal statement showing genuine policy curiosity (specific UK policy question, extended reading, work with an MP or NGO) — mature applicants (21+) may enter with a portfolio and a short interview.

Why Study at LSIBM

The London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a specialist business-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. Undergraduate cohorts sit in small groups so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule students can rely on, and every degree route is reviewed against UK professional-body competencies — ACCA, CIMA, CIM, CIPD, CMI, CIPS, CFA UK and IOE&IT — so graduates carry a credential that City recruiters engage with.

London puts the City, Canary Wharf, Whitehall, Companies House, the FCA, the Bank of England and the West End within a short tube ride of every classroom. Undergraduate students access a fortnightly practitioner clinic, at least one industry-careers day per academic year, a structured placement route and one-to-one application coaching in the final year.

Apply for the BSc in Economic Policy

Launch your UK career with the BSc in Economic Policy. Click Enrol Now and admissions will reply within one working day with UCAS guidance, intake dates and the current fee schedule. LSIBM undergraduates receive structured placement and application coaching in every final year.