How to Apply to Economics at the University of Sussex: Direct Entry by UCAS Code to BA and BSc, Typical Offer ABB–BBB With No Required A-level Subject but GCSE Maths at Grade 6, Plus Finance, Data Science, Management and Sustainable Development Combinations and Placement Years, With Requirements for UK, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Sussex teaches undergraduate economics in the Department of Economics within the University of Sussex Business School. All the courses below are delivered on campus, in person, and start in September 2027. This guide follows the Sussex website (the economics course list, individual course pages, how to apply, entry requirements and English language requirements, the China country page, transfers, tuition fees and scholarships) for 2027 entry. It is written for UK applicants, international applicants (including students from China) and students who want to transfer into the second year. Business, management, marketing and computing are outside this guide and are mentioned only where they are combined with economics.

1. Economics degrees and variants

• Economics BA (Hons): UCAS code L100, 3 years; Economics BSc (Hons): L102, 3 years. Sussex says the BA focuses on the practice of economics and policy-making with a lighter emphasis on mathematics and statistics than the BSc; the BSc takes a quantitative, empirical approach including econometrics, mathematical economics and advanced statistics. Both have a typical A-level offer of ABB–BBB.
• Versions with a professional placement year: Economics (with a professional placement year) BA L103 and BSc L104, 4 years. Sussex says the three academic years are the same as the non-placement version, with an optional placement year added; if you are not successful you transfer to the non-placement version. The combined degrees with finance, data science, management studies and sustainable development also have placement-year versions; see their course pages for codes.
• Economics and Finance BSc: LN13, 3 years, ABB–BBB. The course page mentions a Bloomberg Lab and says the degree is accredited by CISI, recognised by the CFA Institute and accredited by CIMA for exemptions.
• Economics and Data Science BSc: L1G3, 3 years, ABB–BBB, with A-levels that must include Mathematics; it is taught by the Business School and the School of Engineering and Informatics.
• Economics and Management Studies BSc: LN12, 3 years, ABB–BBB; Economics and Sustainable Development BSc: LL17, 3 years, ABB–BBB, which the page describes as sitting between economics, geography and environmental science.
• Mathematics with Economics: BSc G1L1 and MMath G1LC, run by the Department of Mathematics (A-level BSc ABB including A in Mathematics, MMath AAB including A in Mathematics); see the mathematics requirements for details. Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) BA is a humanities and social science combination and is not covered here.
• Business, Management and Economics (with a foundation year) BSc: Y003, 4 years, typical offer CCD. Sussex says completing the foundation year lets you continue to a Business School degree such as business and management, marketing, accounting, finance or economics.
• The Economics BSc page says the degree is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for exemption from some professional examinations through the accredited degree accelerated route; the Economics BA and Economics and Management Studies pages carry the same statement. The pages used here for Economics and Data Science and Economics and Sustainable Development do not.

You apply directly to a specific course (one UCAS code per course). Whether you can switch between BA and BSc or between combinations after enrolling is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions. The course pages say students can apply for a year abroad (Sussex's own programme name is study abroad), a professional placement year or a Venture Creation Year, and cannot combine two experience years. The Venture Creation Year has limited, competitive places, and Sussex says international students on a student visa cannot take part because of visa restrictions on business activity, although they can join careers and entrepreneurship workshops and get one-to-one guidance.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements (2027 entry)

• A-level: Economics BA / BSc (including placement-year versions), Economics and Finance, Economics and Management Studies and Economics and Sustainable Development all have a typical offer of ABB–BBB and no specific A-level subject requirement on the course pages; Economics and Data Science is also ABB–BBB but A-levels must include Mathematics. The foundation year is CCD.
• GCSE Mathematics: Economics BA / BSc, Economics and Finance and Economics and Sustainable Development ask for GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics at grade 6 (B); grade 5 may be considered if you are taking A-level Accounting, Business, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology, an LIBF Diploma in Financial Studies or a Level 3 Certificate in Core Maths (grade B); AAT accounting qualifications can replace GCSE Mathematics at 6. The Economics and Management Studies page says GCSE Mathematics at least 5 (and also writes "grade B"). The foundation year asks for GCSE Mathematics at 4 (C). All courses expect a broad range of GCSEs at 9–4 (A*–C).
• IB: the Economics courses 32 points, with no Higher Level subject named on the pages used; Economics and Data Science 32 points with HL Mathematics at least 5; the foundation year 27 points.
• Scottish Highers: the Economics courses AABBB plus Scottish National 5 Mathematics at B; Economics and Data Science needs Highers including Mathematics (B), ideally with an Advanced Higher in Mathematics (B); the foundation year CCCCC with National 5 Mathematics at C.
• Other UK qualifications: Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate ABB plus two A-levels; BTEC National Diploma plus one A-level (A-level B with Distinction, Distinction); Access to HE Diploma (Pass with at least 39 Level 3 credits at Merit or above, 24 at Distinction) in a relevant area; T-Level overall Distinction with a B in the Core Component.
• Contextual offers: the course pages give BBC–BCC (BBC–BCC including Mathematics for Economics and Data Science) and DDD for the foundation year.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the economics course pages used here do not list a written admissions test or an interview. The application page says only that some courses invite applicants to interview; rely on your offer email and admissions.
• First year: the Economics BSc Year 1 core is, in autumn, Introduction to Economics and Introduction to Mathematics for Finance and Economics, and in spring Applied Mathematics for Economists, Business School Career Preparation, Introduction to Statistics, Macroeconomics 1 and Microeconomics 1; options include Contemporary Economic Issues and Principles of Finance. Teaching is typically 50% lectures, 40% seminars and 10% practical.
• Years 2 and 3: Economics BSc Year 2 core is Introduction to Econometrics, Macroeconomics 2, Mathematical Statistics, Microeconomics 2 and Data Coding & Visualisation, with about 1,200 hours of work a year including about 260 contact hours; Year 3 core is Applied Econometrics, with many options such as Applied Economics Dissertation, Climate Change Economics, Experimental Economics, International Trade, Labour Economics, Behavioural Economics and Economics and Data Science. Sussex says you can also take electives from other subjects (for example international business, law and modern languages) and are supported by an Academic Success Adviser. Modules may change; check the website.

3. UK applicants

• Accepted qualifications: the entry requirements page says recent school or college leavers need at least two A-levels (or equivalent), most courses need more, and most successful applicants have at least three A-levels (or equivalent). Access to HE Diplomas, BTEC and OCR qualifications, the European Baccalaureate, the IB, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, T-Levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma are also accepted.
• A-level details: you must hold the subjects a course requires, but Sussex says it has no "preferred" A-levels; A-level resits are considered. For economics the subject requirement is mainly GCSE Mathematics. The course pages do not give separate requirements for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scottish Highers and the Welsh Baccalaureate have their own rows.
• Fees: the Home fee is £10,050 a year; see below.

4. International applicants (including students from China): English, qualifications and funds

• Route: international applicants also apply through UCAS (Sussex links to the UCAS guide for international applicants).
• Qualification equivalences: Sussex says typical requirements for each country are listed in the "International requirements" tab of each course page; if your country is missing, email or phone the undergraduate admissions team (ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk, +44 (0)1273 678416). There is a separate page for international students already in the UK ("UK-based international qualifications"). Sussex stresses that its requirements are guidelines and every application is assessed individually. The economics course pages say "you must have a good level of Mathematics" for many countries (for example Australia, Austria, Belgium and Canada), and the China row does not repeat it; how "good" is measured, and how the GCSE Mathematics grade 6 (B) requirement maps to qualifications from other countries, is not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask admissions.
• English language: Sussex has three levels, standard, high and advanced. In IELTS Academic these are 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, 6.5 (6.0 in each) and 7.0 (6.5 in each); the course page says which level applies. The one course outside these levels is Medicine (BMBS), which needs 7.5 overall and at least 7.0 in each section. The course pages used for this guide all list IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each component. Other tests are accepted, for example Duolingo (standard level 110 with at least 105 in each component), PTE Academic (standard 59), LanguageCert Academic SELT (standard 65 with at least 60 in each) and TOEFL iBT (for tests taken from 21 January 2026 the standard level is 4 overall on the new scale; for earlier tests it is 80); results are normally expected to be no more than two years old at the start of the course. You can apply without a test result, in which case an offer is normally conditional on meeting the English requirement, or you can meet it through Sussex's Pre-sessional English course. The exempt-country list is set by the UK Home Office, and China is not on it.
• Proof of funds and visa: not given on the pages used for this guide; check Sussex's student visa pages and the UK government student visa pages.
• Preparation courses: Sussex says applicants who do not meet the entry requirements can take the International Foundation Year or International Year One at the International Study Centre (ISC). That centre has its own website (isc.sussex.ac.uk) which is not covered on the pages used for this guide; check it for the entry criteria.

5. Students from China

• What the China country page says: for first-year entry Sussex asks for the Senior Secondary School Academic Proficiency Test (Huikao), plus the Gaokao or one year at a recognised Chinese university. A typical Gaokao offer requires an overall average of 75%, with additional subject requirements possible; these are guidelines. For Foundation Year entry it asks for the Huikao and a typical Gaokao overall average of 65%. For second-year entry it asks for two years at a recognised Chinese university with grades equivalent to a 2:1 or above (partner institutions may differ); it adds that direct entry to Year 2 is not accepted for Law, Psychology and Social Work.
• What the course pages say: the "China" row on the course pages used here says applicants with the Gaokao will be considered for direct entry to the first year, "normally an overall average of 75%, including required subjects"; applicants on a recognised International Foundation Year, or with one or more years of higher education at a recognised Chinese institution, are also considered. The Senior High School Graduation alone is not sufficient, but such applicants may be eligible for Sussex's International Foundation Year and can progress to a relevant undergraduate course after completing it.
• For economics: the "China" row is worded the same on the economics course pages: Gaokao direct entry to the first year normally needs an overall average of 75%, including required subjects. The UK qualification rows ask for GCSE Mathematics at 6 (and A-level Mathematics for Economics and Data Science); the pages do not say how Gaokao Mathematics maps to this, so ask admissions. The Business, Management and Economics (with a foundation year) page words the China row like the Economics pages, while the China country page gives a typical Gaokao average of 65% for foundation-year entry; both statements stand, so ask admissions.
• Not given: the scale the 75% is measured against, how provincial scores are converted, which "required subjects" are meant and their individual cut-offs are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions. How to submit Chinese transcripts and Huikao materials, and whether a specific credential-evaluation body is required, are also not given; email ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk. An interview requirement for Chinese applicants is not stated either.
• English and scholarships: the country page gives a typical English requirement of IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each component for undergraduate and foundation courses; scholarships are covered below. The page also describes the Chinese Students and Scholars' Association on campus and says Brighton is about nine minutes away by train.

6. Route and timeline (September 2027 entry)

• Route: full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Sussex's UCAS institution code is S90 (code name SUSX). The university says you can apply for up to five courses (no more than four of them Medicine), including several courses at Sussex. The application fee, personal statement and reference are not covered on the Sussex pages used for this guide; check the UCAS website.
• Deadlines: Sussex says the initial deadline for most courses is 6pm on Wednesday 13 January 2027 and strongly advises applying by then; for Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School the deadline is Thursday 15 October 2026. The page does not use the term "equal consideration date" or name a time zone, so confirm on UCAS. UCAS accepts late applications until 30 June, but some courses close earlier once full; Sussex warns international applicants not to leave it late because a visa and accommodation must be arranged after an offer.
• Interviews and tests: the application page says some courses invite applicants to interview; the economics course pages used here do not mention an interview or an admissions test.
• Offers and confirmation: decisions come through UCAS as unconditional or conditional offers, and offer-holders are invited to an Undergraduate Visit Day. After results are published in the summer, a place is confirmed if the offer conditions are met; if your results are not supplied by UCAS you may be asked to send copies. All results (including verification documents) must reach Sussex by 31 August.
• Missing conditions or deferring: Sussex says it reviews applicants who miss their conditions and may still accept them, or may offer another course such as a Foundation Year. You can request to defer entry by a year, but only once.
• International applicants after an offer: Sussex issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number so you can apply for a student visa (visa details are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the student visa pages on the Sussex website). The application page says international applicants on "certain science- or engineering-based courses" must apply for ATAS clearance after receiving an offer; it does not list the courses, so ask admissions whether it applies to your economics course.

7. How applications are assessed

• What is considered: Sussex says each application is reviewed individually, taking in all qualifications presented, including additional AS-levels or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The EPQ is not routinely written into offer conditions, but Sussex says it will sometimes offer alternative conditions that include it (with slightly lower A-level grades), and it can help in the summer if you narrowly miss.
• Offer levels: the "typical offer" on a course page is a fixed grade or a range. Sussex says many standard offers are given as ranges to show the grades it expects, and that it looks for evidence of potential at that level; it may adjust some offers for background, school attended and challenges faced.
• Contextual offers: Sussex says the typical contextual offer for first-year entry is A-level BCC, BTEC Extended Diploma DMM, or a T-Level pass with Merit and a B in the Core Component; for Foundation Year courses it is usually CDD or DDD; integrated Masters contextual offers are slightly higher and each course page gives the exact grades. About 25% of UK conditional offers are contextual. Eligibility includes living in a high-deprivation or low-progression postcode (IMD decile 1 or 2, POLAR4 quintile 1), free school meals, time in care of more than three months, estranged students, refugee status or humanitarian protection, young carers, certain Sussex outreach programmes and partner colleges. These criteria are based on UK area and school data, and the pages used for this guide do not say whether international applicants are eligible; ask admissions (contextualoffers@sussex.ac.uk).
• Personal circumstances: Sussex says you can email details of serious personal or academic difficulties before results are published (by the end of July), and they are taken into account at confirmation.

8. Fees and scholarships

• UK (Home) fee: the course pages give £10,050 per year for Home students and for Channel Islands and Isle of Man students. The tuition fees page says Sussex generally keeps Home undergraduate fees in line with the government maximum, that the 2027 fee "is likely to be £10,050 per year", and that the cap from 2028/29 is not yet set and is expected to rise at least with inflation. The pages do not give separate fees for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; see the university's fee status page.
• International fee: the course pages give £24,200 per year (the same on the economics course pages, including the foundation year). The course pages add that fees, once set, may rise each year.
• Fee status: Sussex says it assesses your fee status after a successful application, may ask you to complete a questionnaire, and lets you appeal the outcome. You must accept the university's financial guarantee to register online.
• Loans and living costs: Sussex says you may be eligible for a UK government student loan (gov.uk/student-finance); specific living-cost figures are not given on the pages used for this guide. Limits that apply to US federal loan recipients are noted on the course pages.

• What the course pages say: the scholarship section of each course page used for this guide says that scholarship details are not yet set for 2027/28 entry. What follows is therefore taken from the scholarships page as it stood; check the website again before you apply.
• Awards listed: the undergraduate scholarships page says awards can include "up to £5,000 of funding in your first year" for UK and international students. Awards highlighted include the Sussex Excellence Scholarship (£2,000 in the first year for excellent grades), the Chancellor's International and EU Scholarships (international applicants; £5,000 for the first year, awarded for excellent grades) and the Article 26 Scholarship (for forced-migrant students). The page offers a search tool by country and entry year (2026/27, 2027/28) and also mentions the Sussex Bursary. Eligibility rules, whether awards are assessed automatically, and application dates are not given on the pages used here; use the eligibility tool or email scholarships@sussex.ac.uk.
• Students from China: the China country page says that for 2026-27 Chinese students are eligible for faculty awards and can apply for the Chancellor's International Scholarship; check the website for the wording that applies to 2027 entry.

9. Transferring in (direct entry to Year 2)

• Entry points: the transfer page says Sussex accepts transfer applications for first-year entry to all courses and for second-year entry to most courses, and does not accept direct entry into the third or final year; a few subject areas take first-year entry only (the page lists Medicine). You apply through UCAS and state your entry point under "choices".
• Conditions: you need (or can achieve) 120 credits from your current UK university (60 ECTS credits if transferring from outside the UK). Sussex says successful second-year applicants "will normally need 120 credits from their first year, with an overall weighted average of at least 60% (or 2:1 equivalent), without resits". It also looks at how well your current modules match its own, checks that your school-leaving results meet the first-year requirements for the course, and wants the UCAS reference from a current university tutor. Exemption is given only for full years of study. If a place cannot be offered at the chosen entry point, Sussex will consider a lower one such as first year.
• Economics courses: the course pages say Year 2 transfers are accepted for Economics BA / BSc (including placement-year versions), Economics and Finance and Economics and Management Studies, and not for Economics and Data Science or Economics and Sustainable Development. The foundation-year page used here does not state a Year 2 transfer line. Year 2 core includes econometrics, macroeconomics, microeconomics and mathematical statistics (section 2), so you can compare it with your first year.
• Credit transfer and deadlines: transfer applications follow the normal UCAS deadlines; detailed credit rules are in Sussex's student transfer arrangements, which are not covered on the pages used for this guide.

Sources: University of Sussex, Economics undergraduate courses; Economics BSc; Economics BA; Economics and Finance; Economics and Data Science; Economics and Management Studies; Economics and Sustainable Development; Foundation Year; How to apply; Entry requirements; English language; Contextual offers; Transfers; China country page; Tuition fees; Undergraduate scholarships. Check the website for the latest information.