Economics and Management BA (Hons)

University of Oxford

The Economics and Management degree examines issues central to the world we live in: namely how the economy and organisations function, and how resources are allocated and coordinated to achieve the organisation’s objectives. Economics and Management are ideal intellectual partners, each particularly fitted to strengthen and cross-fertilise the other.

Economics is the study of how consumers, firms and governments make decisions that together determine how resources are allocated. An appreciation of economics and the general workings of the economy have become increasingly necessary to understand government policy-making, the conduct of businesses, and the enormous changes in economic systems which are occurring throughout the world. It is also becoming increasingly important in both government and the private sector to have an understanding of some of the methods used within economics, such as quantitative methods, statistical and causal inference, and experimental methods.

Management is concerned with the effective use and coordination of materials and labour within an organisation in the pursuit of its defined objectives. Management considers the interrelationship and interactions between distinct parts of an organisation, and between the organisation and its environment. Students will look at theories, models and frameworks in order to understand how managers behave and to consider their role in the process of decision-making.

The teaching of this course is provided by both the Department of Economics and the Saïd Business School. However, it is not a Business Studies degree. The programme is taught as an academic subject within the Social Sciences Division of the University.

Careers

Oxford graduates in Economics and Management are among the most sought after by employers. Their current employers include leading international organisations in traditional activities, as well as new start-up companies in a variety of high-tech fields. Recent graduates have secured positions in banking and finance, consultancy, research, journalism, industry, the Civil Service and teaching as well as a wide range of other sectors.

Imogen now leads Partnerships and VC relations for the Start-up Program at Start-up Grind. She says: ‘E&M is an excellent degree as it draws on a wide range of skills: you analyse economic theories as well as digest, summarise and communicate key points from the literature. You have the opportunity and flexibility to tailor the degree to suit your interests - whether that’s analysing complex mathematical models or focusing more on essays. In my career so far I’ve found the Management material to be particularly useful, especially when I worked in a small start-up and was involved in various parts of the business. In particular, strategy, marketing and organisational behaviour have been invaluable!’