- UCAS course code
- L102
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Economics
Duration: 3 or 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: L102 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Industrial experience
- Typical A-level offer: AAA including Mathematics
- Typical contextual A-level offer: ABB including A in Mathematics
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: ABC including A in Mathematics
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL including Mathematics
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:
Public Economics
| Unit code | ECON32121 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 10 |
| Unit level | Level 3 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This course will provide an introduction to the economic analysis of public policy issues. The focus of the course will be on the development of up-to-date analytical tools, drawn from recent research, and their application to key policy issues relating to the spending, taxing and financing activities of government. The main part of the course will be devoted to taxation, behavioural responses and the design of tax policy. We would begin by examining the effects of taxes and transfers on labour supply and reported income, and then go on to consider incomes and behavioural responses at the top of the income distribution. We would look at the implications of taxation for economic efficiency and explore the optimal taxation of commodities and income.
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Econometrics | ECON20110 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Intermediate Microeconomic Theory 2 | ECON20512 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Quantitative Methods | ECON20222 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Microeconomics 4 | ECON20022 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
(ECON20512 Micro Analysis 4 or ECON20022 Micro 4) and (ECON20110 Econometrics or ECON20222 Quantitative Methods)
Aims
The unit aims to:
- To give students an appreciation of the analytical methods in economics for the study of the public sector.
- To provide a thorough grounding in the principles underlying the design of the tax and transfer systems.
- To introduce recent empirical literature on the effect of taxes and transfers on the behaviour of agents.
Syllabus
Provisional
This course will provide an introduction to the economic analysis of public policy issues. The focus of the course will be on the development of up-to-date analytical tools, drawn from recent research, and their application to key policy issues relating to the spending, taxing and financing activities of government. The main part of the course will be devoted to taxation, behavioural responses and the design of tax policy. We would begin by examining the effects of taxes and transfers on labour supply and reported income, and then go on to consider incomes and behavioural responses at the top of the income distribution. We would look at the implications of taxation for economic efficiency and explore the optimal taxation of commodities and income.
Teaching and learning methods
Synchronous activities (such as Lectures or Review and Q&A sessions, and tutorials), and guided self-study
Knowledge and understanding
Discuss critically key issues in public economics, informed by recent research. Interpret and critique the results of econometric studies of policies targeted for example at human capital, labour market outcomes, and the design of the tax and benefit system.
Intellectual skills
Present a coherent argument orally and in writing on topics in Public Economics
Practical skills
Use microeconomic framework for coherent evaluation of the government's planning problem.
Assessment methods
Mid term exam - 25%
Final Exam - 75%
Feedback methods
Formative assignments.
Recommended reading
No single textbook provides the necessary material for this course. The course itself will be taught using a combination of textbook chapters, elementary journal articles, and working papers. A full reading list with the readings for each topic will be made available at the beginning of the course. One good undergraduate textbook that provide useful background to the course material is: Jonathan Gruber (2016) Public Finance and Public Policy, 5th edition, Worth Publishers.
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Mazhar Waseem | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
For every 10 course unit credits we expect students to work for around 100 hours. This time generally includes any contact times (online or face to face, recorded and live), but also independent study, work for coursework, and group work. This amount is only a guidance and individual study time will vary.