Bachelor of Science (BSc)

BSc Economics

Undertake highly structured training in economics, with a focus on enhancing and applying quantitative and analytical skills in modern economics.
  • Duration: 3 or 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: L102 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Industrial experience

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Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £31,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students.

Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.

You can get information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.

Course unit details:
Principles of Microeconomic Theory 1: Consumers, Welfare, Production and Costs

Course unit fact file
Unit code ECON10171
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit is an introduction to Microeconomic Theory with calculus. Topics include consumer 
theory, demand analysis, consumer welfare analysis, and the theory of the firm.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Advanced Mathematics ECON10071A Co-Requisite Compulsory
ECON10171 MIcroeconomic Analysis 1 Pre-requisites: A level Maths

A-Level Mathematics (compulsory Pre-Requisite).

This course unit is for BSc Econ and PPE students only.

NOT available to students who have previously taken ECON10221

Aims

This unit aims to:

1. Provide an introduction to fundamental concepts and techniques of Microeconomic Theory.
2. Cover the preparatory material for more specialist courses in economics in the second and third year.
3. Provide key employability skills, such as the ability to describe recent key microeconomic concepts and expose students to a range of applications.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this unit are:
1. To have a firm grounding in introductory Microeconomic Theory.
2. To be able to manipulate and perform basic analysis of economic data relating to issues of contemporary importance.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of key theoretical explanations of individual, firm and industry behaviour.

Syllabus

Provisional

1. Supply and Demand - Demand, Supply, Market equilibrium, Comparative statistics.
2. Elasticities - Price Elasticity of Demand, Other Elasticities, Applications.
3. Consumer Theory - Preferences, Utility, Budget Constraints, Formulation and Solution of the Consumer’s Utility Maximisation Problem.
4. Demand - Deriving Demand Functions, Demand Analysis, Hicks Decomposition, Expenditure Minimisation, The Slutsky Equation.
5. Consumer Welfare Analysis - Consumer Surplus, Compensating Variation, Equivalent Variation.
6. Firms and Production - Short-Run Production, Long-Run Production, Isoquants, Returns to Scale.
7. Costs - Short-Run Costs, Long-Run Costs, Cost Minimisation.

Teaching and learning methods

Synchronous activities (such as Lectures or Review and Q&A sessions, and tutorials), and guided self-study

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Skills of analysis, and the application of analytical models. The evaluation and critical analysis of arguments, theories and policies. To be able to synthesise and evaluate data.
Group/team working
Working in teams and presenting team work.
Problem solving
Other
To be able to independently locate and assess relevant literature, and to draw on these to develop understanding and to construct arguments. Application of subject knowledge. Time management and ability to work to deadlines.

Assessment methods

70%      Exam

30%      Mid-term test

 

Feedback methods

  • Weekly problem sets: feedback on solutions in tutorials.
  • Feedback on presentations in tutorials.
  • Office hours.
  • Revision sessions.
  • Discussion boards.

Recommended reading

Jeffrey Perloff (2014) "Microeconomics with Calculus, Global Edition" (ISBN-10: 
0273789988; ISBN-13: 9780273789987).

Study hours

Independent study hours
Independent study 56

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Craig Webb Unit coordinator

Additional notes

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