Economics and Legal Studies

Economics and legal studies is a pairing built on the recognition that markets and the legal frameworks that govern them are inseparable. Economic analysis explains how resources are allocated, how prices form, how firms and households make decisions, and how policy interventions affect outcomes. Legal studies adds the understanding of how those activities are regulated, how contracts are formed and enforced, how business entities are structured, and what rules govern trade, property, and commercial relationships.

Together, the two disciplines give you both the analytical tools to understand how economic systems work and the legal knowledge to understand the frameworks within which they operate.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year, full-time programme gives you solid grounding in economics alongside a substantive engagement with legal studies, building a complementary set of skills that are particularly valuable in internationally oriented careers. You will develop analytical and intellectual capabilities across both disciplines, studying topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and business economics alongside the legal frameworks governing commercial transactions, company law, and the operation of businesses of all sizes. The programme includes a year abroad, broadening your perspective on how economic and legal systems vary across different national contexts.

A typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the academically demanding nature of the programme.

Graduates from economics and legal studies programmes are well placed for careers in law, international business, financial services, regulatory bodies, government, management consulting, and international organisations. The combination of economic reasoning and legal knowledge is particularly valued in commercial law, regulatory affairs, competition policy, and roles that require navigating the intersection between economic and legal systems. Many graduates go on to professional legal qualification, postgraduate study in economics or law, or directly into competitive graduate programmes in business and finance.