Economics/Mathematics

Economics is the science of how individuals, firms, and societies make choices when resources are scarce. It examines how costs, benefits, risks, and effects on others shape decisions from the level of the household and the firm to entire national economies and global markets. Mathematics provides the precise language in which economic theory is expressed and tested, from the calculus that underpins optimization to the statistical methods that allow economists to identify causal relationships in data.

The combination of economics and mathematics is one of the most powerful in the social sciences, and it is the foundation of the most rigorous economic analysis.

At the University of Glasgow, you will study how individuals and society make choices about the use of scarce resources, and how these choices are modelled mathematically and tested empirically. The economics strand covers microeconomics, macroeconomics, economic history, and a range of applied fields, while the mathematics strand develops your analytical techniques and quantitative reasoning. The programme includes a year abroad and runs over four years full-time.

Graduates of economics and mathematics programmes are among the most sought-after in the graduate market, entering careers in investment banking, economic consulting, finance, actuarial science, data science, the civil service, and academic research. The combination of economic insight and mathematical rigour is particularly valued in roles that require sophisticated quantitative analysis of economic and financial data. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in economics, finance, or mathematics at leading institutions around the world.