A Level Economics

Economics is the study of how economies work and why they sometimes fail to work effectively. If you are interested in world events, you will find A Level Economics an interesting and useful subject; topics covered in class will provide you with a greater insight into current affairs and economic issues.

Course Overview

Economics is taught over two years with the AS Level being taught in the first year and the A Level in the second year. YEAR 1: Operation of markets and market failure: how markets operate and how governments deal with market failures such as unemployment and pollution. The national economy in a global context: the measurement of macroeconomic performance; how the macroeconomy works; economic performance; macroeconomic policy.

YEAR 2: Individuals, firms, markets and market failure: how businesses decide how much to produce; different types of market; the labour market; poverty and inequality. The national and international economy: financial markets and monetary policy; government policies to improve economic performance; the international economy.

Entry Requirements

All students studying A Levels should have at least five GCSEs at grade 9 – 5 in academic subjects, including English Language at grade 5. Two of these should be grade 6. Specifically for Economics, you will need GCSE Maths at grade 6 and GCSE English Language at grade 6 or above. There are no additional qualifications required to study Economics and you do not need to have any prior knowledge of the subject. Indeed, many students who did not choose Economics as their first subject at college subsequently went on to study it at university.

Assessment Information

AS and A Level Economics assessments take place in a variety of ways, including essays, multi-choice questions and case studies. However, to be successful in this subject it is just as important to follow world events related to Economics as it is to attend class and write assignments.

Career Opportunities

A Level Economics students might go on to careers in:

Accountancy
Banking
Business
Civil Service
Insurance
Journalism
Management
Marketing
Media
Fund Management
Retailing
Financial Services.

Graduates with degrees in Economics are among the very highest-paid.

Teaching Staff

FARIDA ZEHREN • MSc in Business and Management from Aston University • BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management from Birmingham City University • 12 years’ teaching experience with curriculum coordinator experience both nationally and internationally (FE and HE) • Examiner for AQA and Edexcel