Idk what degree to choose out of the three...

Hi there, I’m at the end of my AS level and at some point this year, I would like to apply for an undergraduate course for 2023 entry. I do Geography, Maths and Physics A levels and I am stuck deciding between ‘BSc/BA Economics and Management’, ‘BSc Economics and Maths’ and ‘BSc Economics and Finance’. I would like to have a career in finance, not ‘investment banking’ specifically. Basically I want to do a degree that has more graduate prospects in the finance field, a well rounded degree at a well recognised university. I am aware that I don’t have Further Maths A level but if I do some independent study and do well at maths admissions tests like STEP, TMUA, I would assume I have a chance at two or three well recognised universities for my 5 options. So what degree would be more suitable for me to pursue? I was thinking about ‘BSc Economics’ only but I like the idea of doing a joint honours degree. Also if you say one degree, could you give a reason why not pursue either of the other two? If anyone does one of the three degrees mentioned above, could you tell me your experience in that degree? Would like to hear from you!
Thanks for reading : )

Which universities are you looking into?

Any of these options will get you where you want to go.

Hi there!

So I'm a graduate from the University of Chichester, but since November I've been working on an internship with their Outreach and Admissions teams, meaning I've had experience of talking with Students who are in the same situation as yourself; who are a bit unsure on what degree to go for.

My best advice is to look at the particular course content of the degrees you're interested in, if you've narrowed it down to courses at specific Universities then that will be even better! This is because even courses that have a fair amount of overlap like the 3 Economics courses you have your eyes on - there will be certain modules and other differences in course content, specific to those degrees, and even degrees with the same name but at different Uni's! So it's important to get a better understand of the differences between them, which means you'll get a better idea of which course you'd be most likely to enjoy.

Having your career prospects at the front of your mind with this decision is understandable, but it's also important to remember that with degrees you'll be studying them for at least 3 years, so choosing a course you will genuinely enjoy must be an important factor. To put it another way: every degree has it's challenging and difficult times, in terms of modules you're not so keen on and when the assessments start coming fast. I absolutely love all things Media and therefore loved my Media degree here at Chichester, but there were times I did modules I didn't like, and certainly times my assessments made feel like I was losing my mind! I can't imagine how that would feel in a situation where the degree overall wasn't about something I didn't enjoy.

I hope this is helpful for you, if you have any other questions or you'd like more advice then please feel free to ask away

Tom,
University of Chichester Student Rep and Alumni.

Thanks for the feedback, thats helpful. I began my interest in Economics when I did some online courses and I see myself doing a degree in Economics instead of engineering at uni.
I got some questions, I have read somewhere on other threads that if you choose a degree, such as 'Economics and Management', you can change the degree to something related like 'Economics and Finance' within the first year only..is this true that you can opt for a change?
2) Also, is it possible to do work shifts alongside your degree or should you only focus on your degree? Like doing some work shift in a cafe or something along side your degree...
3) At the end of the last year in a bachelor's degree, are there job fairs at the universities? or if not, how do you get a graduate job? Would it be worth doing a degree that has a 'placement year' in them? I don't mind the amount of years I would like to do....
Sorry for asking possibly unrelated question, I'm the first generation in my family to go to a university in UK, just trying to gain some insights off from the TSR website....Thanks again

I see, but I'm struggling to select which course I would like to go for out of the three...I might as well choose between 'Econ & Management' or 'Econ & Finance' since its more easier than going for 'Econ & Maths' since I don't have Further Maths A level. Thanks!

I have a few insights about this.

The thing about the change. I had a friend doing straight econ friend that was able to switch to maths and econ under very special circumstances by sitting a few tests for the maths prereqs at the uni. This was during the first term, first year. My guess is that even if they don't advertise the change you still have some leeway if you're good academically (my friend was getting 90% in the econ assignments and already caught up with the maths students) and persuasive.

Work shifts are definitely possible but just depends on smart you are. Also be careful of where you stay for accommodation as some places can party alot.

Job fairs maybe? My uni (Durham) certainly advertises jobs regularly to us. Graduate jobs really depend on what sector you want to go into. So for finance for example, most people take the route, 1st year spring week, 2nd year internship, 3rd year graduate job. Once you enter the university, it should be relatively easier if you get with the right groups of people, and network.

Thanks for the feedback, thats helpful. I began my interest in Economics when I did some online courses and I see myself doing a degree in Economics instead of engineering at uni.
I got some questions, I have read somewhere on other threads that if you choose a degree, such as 'Economics and Management', you can change the degree to something related like 'Economics and Finance' within the first year only..is this true that you can opt for a change?
2) Also, is it possible to do work shifts alongside your degree or should you only focus on your degree? Like doing some work shift in a cafe or something along side your degree...
3) At the end of the last year in a bachelor's degree, are there job fairs at the universities? or if not, how do you get a graduate job? Would it be worth doing a degree that has a 'placement year' in them? I don't mind the amount of years I would like to do....
Sorry for asking possibly unrelated question, I'm the first generation in my family to go to a university in UK, just trying to gain some insights off from the TSR website....Thanks again