There are several good reasons for choosing to study in an Economics related BSc/BA degree at UEA. They broadly fit into one of six categories:
- Strong teaching ethos
- Strong research reputation leading to better teaching
- Friendliness and contact with staff
- Economics core but also emphasis on choice and interdisciplinarity
- Good location
- Excellent facilities and a range of activities
We have highly satisfied students and Economics at UEA has been ranked joint 1st in the 2006 official National Student Survey of overall student satisfaction (source: HEFCE).
As we are aware that many students live all over the country and outside the UK, we offer a virtual visit day of UEA so that you can get a better feel of what it means to be at UEA without having to come here first. Enjoy!
At Economics at UEA we take teaching very seriously. Our lectures are taught by experienced members of staff. Teaching ability is an important criterion in making decisions such as appointment, confirmation and promotion of staff. New teachers are provided with the opportunity to undergo teaching training. A continuous control process is under way to ensure that teaching quality is ensured and improved, and students have got a number of channels (such as student feedback forms, debriefing meetings, the Economics Student liaison committee, and even an anonymous suggestions box) to let us know what they think and how we can improve things.
We believe that active researchers make better teachers, and Economics at UEA has got a very strong reputation in particular in three research areas: experimental economics and decision theory, industrial economics, and the economics of public policy. Please learn more about our research in the field of economics at UEA. Much of the data analysis techniques are learnt not just from textbooks but interacting with computers as practitioners (people that do economics, not just talk about it) have to, and classroom experiments are organized in some modules so that students can engage in learning-by-doing. Teaching members of our staff advise the European Commission, the Office of Fair Trade and other institutions, and their day-to-day experience in the running of competition policy gives a practical angle to the academic rigor of their teaching.
There is a positive correlation between research prestige and employability and we believe that our strengths in research make us more appealing to potential employers than students graduating from a number of other universities.
Friendliness and Contact with Staff
We are a relatively small School and we take great pride in being able to get to know many of our students on a personal basis. Teaching is provided in lectures, seminars and computer lab sessions; seminar class size is monitored and students are required to attend and prepare for seminars, where they are able to interact with teachers on a more personal basis. Teachers have weekly office hours and can be contacted also by phone or email. Please see more about us from the School of Economics teaching staff page.
Each student is assigned a member of Faculty as their personal adviser and is welcome to come to see him or her as often as needed. The personal adviser has a number of roles: as a champion for the student; as a source of information and advice; as a port of call when the student wants to make significant changes in their studies; as a potential referee; and, last but not least for those students who require it, as one of the possible sources of confidential pastoral support within the University. Students are encouraged to meet their personal adviser on a regular basis.
Economics Core but also Emphasis on Choice and Interdisciplinarity
All the degrees offered by us have an Economics core ensuring that students acquire strong foundations in all the key areas of economics (microeconomics, macroeconomics and quantitative techniques). Our goal is to provide a set of core tools designed not just to better grasp economics and business issues but more generally to sharpen and develop your powers of analysis and reason – the ultimate transferable skills and those perhaps most sought after by graduate jobs employers.
At the same time, though, we offer a wide variety of choice not only at the level of different courses but also at that of different modules within the modular structure of each course, both within the subjects that are part of the student’s degree and, as “free choices”, from any School in the university. This is because we recognize that each student is different and so both interests and planned career plans may be different, and we think that this is something to be valued. As a result, we believe that, while personal advisers are happy to help, students are the ultimate deciders of how they want to shape up their degree beyond the core part. Please see our BA and BSc degrees section to learn more.
UEA is located in Norwich, the regional capital of East Anglia and a university town of medium size: small enough that everywhere can be easily reached on foot, or by bicycle or bus, but big enough to have a vibrant range of entertainment and cultural opportunities mainly centred either around campus or in the town centre. While Norwich is not London (and does not have London prices!), it is less than two hours away from London by train. While Norwich’s town centre is full of the beauties of its medieval past and more (including an Anglican and a Roman Catholic cathedral, a Norman Castle and the well-preserved city walls), its modern prosperity has much to do with services and Norwich is now one of Britain’s top ten shopping cities. Norwich also hosts a large number of gigs at UEA and elsewhere.
Excellent Facilities and a Range of Activities
UEA has excellent accommodation, computer, library and student union facilities. There is a professional university careers centre and a member of staff in the School is appointed as Careers Adviser to help students in choices of career path. We have a vibrant Student Union and a range of student societies, including the UEA Economics Society, run by students and for students!
The Dean of Students coordinates a University-wide network of health, welfare and counselling services. The University is well equipped with computing facilities operating the latest sophisticated software packages. Almost all of our modules have a set of intranet-available resources, and a large number of academic journals are available electronically. Our £17.5 million Sportspark provides UEA with one of the finest sports complexes in Britain, boasting facilities unrivalled at any other British university.
The School is keen to provide internship and training opportunities for its students and has recently had opportunities with a City-based financial company, a publishing company with offices in Hong Kong and manufacturing links with China and India, and a public sector employee. In addition, many volunteering opportunities exist for students willing to get practical experience of relevance to the job market.
