Economics

Specification: AQA

Qualification: A Level

Why study Economics?

Many of the highest paid careers – including Investment Banking, Business Consultancy and Finance in the City of London – are based on Economics. The Gryphon has sent many students to presitgious universities such as Cambridge and Bristol to do Economics. The subject will enable you to understand issues on the news such as the high price of vintage toys, our trade with Europe and why unemployment is at its lowest for decades. Economics values mathematical skills and written skills and so goes with a wide range of subjects; the two most popular choices with Economics are Maths and History but you could literally do it alongside either Arts like English or Sciences like Physics.

What will I study?

Microeconomics teaches you how to think analytically and use diagrams to illustrate issues. You might look at what determines house prices, how we could get people to use public transport more and how the government can nudge people into becoming organ donors! Macroeonomics covers the issues on the news like inflation, unemployment, economic growth and trade with other countries. An understanding of the economy like this is valuable in a wide rage of careers from marketing to finance to journalism.

Assessment Method

There are three 2 hour exams. These include some multiple choice questions, some data response questions based on snippets of text and graphs and some open-ended essay questions.

Future Opportunities & Careers

An article on the BBC website says “To earn more study Economics or Medicine”. Economists can go into well paid careers like Investment Banking, Stockbroking  and Foreign exchange dealing. However, you also go into accountancy and finance, environmental consultancy, journalism or teaching at university or school.

Entry requirements

Students will need a 6 or better in Maths GCSE and a 5 or better in English Language GCSE.

Course expenses

There nothing students have to buy but many choose to buy textbooks costing up to £50.