Economics and Finance with Placement Year

The highlights

• This degree is accredited by the Chartered Institution for Securities and Investment (CISI), the largest and most widely respected professional body for the securities and investment industry in the UK
• We help you build an essential toolkit for your career as a professional economist and financial analyst, including strategic decision-making skills that set you apart in the graduate job market
• Our Financial Markets Lab brings an extra dimension to your learning, giving you exciting insights into working life on a trading floor
• You’ll complete live financial consultancy and economic research projects with businesses
• Our strong employer networks mean you will interact with industry leaders, economics experts and senior finance professionals throughout your studies

With professional accreditation and strong input from employers, this degree equips you to undertake economic research and analysis, handle complex financial data sources, diagnose problems and take the strategic decisions expected of an applied economist.

Your studies will cover a broad range of microeconomic and macroeconomic issues, quantitative methods, computing techniques and business performance concepts. We also give you a solid understanding of how various economic systems work, the impact of government policies and the performance of different economies worldwide.

Boost your employability with a placement year

You’ll have the opportunity to take a placement year to put the skills you’ve learned into practice in a real-world environment. We'll support you to find your placement and throughout your year in industry. Placements allow you to gain valuable experience to add to your CV, make industry contacts and help you to narrow down what kind of role you may be interested in after graduation. 

Accreditation

Because the course is accredited by the Chartered Institution for Securities and Investment (CISI), it will stand you in good stead for achieving a globally recognised professional qualification alongside your degree. It is closely mapped against the Institution’s Introduction to Investment foundation qualification and all the practical knowledge you need to prepare for the CISI exam is embedded in our curriculum. This is your first step on the CISI qualification pathway and is also recognised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is particularly valuable if you are interested in a career in wealth management, operational investments, financial planning, compliance and risk, or stock broking. The additional qualification will strengthen your CV and you’ll also benefit from access to a wide range of CISI resources, networking events and professional development opportunities.

On successful completion of the degree you will also gain exemptions towards the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualifications, meaning you can achieve membership of this professional body quicker, accelerating your career progression.

Hands-on learning

The BSc (Hons) Economics and Finance is a highly practical applied degree. Every day brings a fresh challenge to broaden your professional outlook. You may find yourself analysing news reports, creating strategy documents, interpreting financial reports, undertaking research tasks, harnessing latest software, delivering presentations, videos and broadcast interviews, tracking your own portfolio of investments, or analysing information from Bloomberg on international markets and organisations.

Employers are closely involved in shaping our degree. They provide real-world case studies, practical scenarios and consultancy projects which will enhance the currency of your studies.

Expert teaching

Our teaching team conducts significant research which is influencing current debates about key economic and financial issues. Our lecturers publish widely, including one of the main economics textbooks used in universities. 

You’ll also engage with business experts, industry leaders and finance professionals. Our students hear about latest developments in the City from high-profile figures such as our Visiting Professor of Banking and Financial Economics, Professor Trevor Williams, ex-Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank PLC.

You can also immerse yourself in the wider business community – and open up new networks of contacts – by joining one of the University’s societies such as the Economics, Trading and Investment Society, the Business and Entrepreneurial Society and the Derby University Network of Entrepreneurs (DUNE). 

Global thinking

International perspectives are important for the aspiring financial experts of the future. Our Economics and Finance team boasts strong links with academic partners in countries such as China and Spain which bring a global dimension to their teaching.

We offer you the chance to study abroad – based with one of our international partner institutions – for a semester or a year, usually in stage two of the course.

Alternatively, you can join one of our optional short study visits abroad. A visit to Copenhagen, for example, saw our students exploring different aspects of fraud investigations.

An extra qualification: the Futures Award

Through our Futures Award scheme, you can showcase your versatility and potential to prospective employers. Reflecting transferable skills, a Futures Award recognises any extra-curricular activities which contribute to your personal and professional development. These could include attending workshops on CV design and improvement; developing techniques for interviews, assessment centres or psychometric tests; taking part in networking events; or leading a small project within a student society or voluntary role.

You will learn through a combination of:

• lectures
• problem-solving seminars
• group work and discussions
• workshops
• case study analysis
• computer lab work
• practical analysis

Ours is a friendly and supportive learning community, with small classes where you will receive plenty of one-to-one guidance. At the start of the course you will benefit from substantial direction from our teaching team. As your studies progress, you are expected to work more independently, taking greater responsibility for your own learning.

Additional support is provided through our specially designed personal tutor system. You’ll meet your personal tutor during Induction Week and have at least three scheduled meetings with them each year. They will help you plan your personal and career development as well as supporting your work towards the Futures Award.

We also have a diverse range of guest speakers to inspire our students and share their stories. Recently we had Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, who delivered a session on ‘The concept of microcredit’ as part of our 2021 Student Lecture Series.

Showcasing your skills

There may be opportunities to take part in national competitions such as the University Trading Challenge, where students pit their wits against each other in trading various financial instruments such as shares, bonds, commodities and foreign exchange. They also present risk strategy case studies before a panel of judges. The University has an excellent track record in this prestigious event, with students winning a series of awards and raising their professional profile.  Other well-known competitions that we’ve previously entered include the IBM University Business Challenge and CIMA Global Business Challenge.

How you are assessed

The majority of modules do not involve exams. Assessments are designed to ensure you can identify issues, decide how to collect and analyse evidence, come to reasoned conclusions based on that evidence, and present your findings via various communication methods. 

• At Stage 1: Computer-based assessments help you gauge your own level of learning and gain constructive feedback. Some modules involve more traditional essays and reports plus a mixture of individual and group tasks. You are also encouraged to keep a reflective portfolio.
• Stage 2: Features further assessments of your individual and group work, report writing and communication skills, including innovative challenges such as a broadcast interview and poster design. Computer, portfolio and report-based assessments will focus on your professional analysis experience including data retrieval and quantitative analytics using financial data.
• At Stage 3: Assessments centre on your research and consultancy skills. Through the Applied Economic Project, you will apply these skills to a live project involving a business. 

As a BSc (Hons) Economics and Finance graduate, you will have a powerful combination of applied skills which are valued across the public, private and voluntary sectors worldwide. This course could be your stepping stone to a lucrative graduate training scheme or a well-rewarded financial consultancy role.

You will discover fulfilling career opportunities not only in international business, consultancy and finance, but also in government departments, development agencies, charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Further qualifications such as the Bloomberg Certificate and the Futures Award will also help you stand out from the crowd in the job market.

Further study

If you want to take your studies to the next level, you can consider advancing to our exciting masters programmes such as the MSc International Business and Finance, the MBA Global Finance or the MSc Accounting and Finance. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

2026 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2026 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.