Economics & Philosophy
Economics and philosophy is a combination that has deep intellectual roots and growing contemporary relevance. Economics asks how individuals, firms, and governments make decisions about the allocation of scarce resources, and it develops powerful formal and empirical tools for analysing those decisions. Philosophy asks about the foundations of knowledge, the nature of rational argument, and the ethical principles that should guide human conduct.
The two disciplines meet in questions about welfare, justice, rationality, and the proper aims of economic policy, and each benefits enormously from the tools the other provides.
At the University of Manchester, which has world-class departments in both economics and philosophy, this three-year full-time degree gives you a genuinely rigorous training in both disciplines. In economics you will study microeconomics, macroeconomics, and the mathematical and statistical tools that economists use to test theories and interpret data. In philosophy you will engage with logic, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy, developing your ability to construct and evaluate arguments with precision.
The combination develops a set of intellectual capabilities that are broader and more powerful than either discipline alone could provide. The typical entry tariff of 168 points reflects the competitive academic environment.
Graduates of economics and philosophy programmes are highly regarded by employers across a wide range of sectors. The combination of quantitative rigour and philosophical depth is valued in finance, economics research, public policy, law, management consulting, and many other fields. Some graduates go on to careers in academia, pursuing postgraduate study and research in economics, philosophy, or fields that draw on both, such as political economy, economic history, or ethics in AI and technology.
The analytical versatility the degree develops means that graduates can adapt to roles that may not yet exist in forms we can currently predict.