Economics

About Us

The University of Portsmouth's Department of Economics is located within the Portsmouth Business School. It has over 30 members of staff engaged in teaching and research. The Department is committed to the provision of high quality teaching at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. We offer a wide range of degree choices at both of these levels and are able to attract students from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

Undergraduate

At undergraduate level, we offer three BSc (Hons) courses – in Economics, Business Economics and Economics, Finance and Banking. These are supplemented by two BA (Hons) courses in Business Economics and Business Law, and Applied Economics.

Postgraduate

At post-graduate level, we offer a range of pathways for both economics and non-economics graduates that can lead to Postgraduate Diplomas and Master’s level qualifications. There is a wide range of specialist subjects including Business Economics and related subjects such as Finance and Banking, together with Fisheries Management Economics and Development, as well as Local and Regional Economic Development.

We also provide opportunities for post-graduates to undertake higher research degrees. Many of our post-graduate students come from overseas and are often sponsored to complete their degrees by their home governments.

Fulfilling your potential

We are committed to ensuring that our students fulfil their potential not just during their degree but also upon graduation. We provide comprehensive student support systems, and have targeted initiatives to assist students in career planning and decision-making. We actively pursue a policy of encouraging undergraduate students to obtain work experience, emphasising the importance of using the facilities provided by the Portsmouth Business School Work Placements Office. Many of our undergraduates have benefited from working with prestigious national and international companies and financial institutions as well as within the UK Government Economics Service.

Our Employer Liaison Group ensures that we provide relevant degrees with an emphasis on employability after graduation. We are proud of the very high numbers of our graduates who pursue excellent career paths after completing their degree with us.

Research

Research in the Department focuses on traditional areas of economics including finance, health, education, energy, development, labour economics, and economic history. In addition, specialised research centres in the Department focus on fisheries, resource and environmental economics, and local economy studies. Much of the work we undertake informs policy making of local government, national government, the EU and international organisations such as the United Nations and OECD.

We have two major research groups – the first is CEMARE (Centre for the Economics and Management of Aquatic Resources), which generates research funds in excess of £700,000 per year. The second is CEAP (Centre for Economic Analysis and Policy), providing a wide range of expertise to local government, and other business clients. Our performance in the recent research assessment exercise of Grade 4 puts us in the top 20 per cent of all universities.

Quality Assurance

As part of the government's routine programme of quality assurance in higher education, the Department was subject to an external inspection in November 2000. The Department was rated excellent in Curriculum Design, Content & Organisation, Student Support and Guidance and Learning Resources, reflecting the commitment of the Department to providing the highest quality educational experience to its students.