How to Apply to Economics at the University of Sheffield: BA, BSc, Economics with Finance and Economics and Mathematics in the School of Economics, with No A Level Maths Needed for the BA, and Admissions and Prerequisites for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Economics at the University of Sheffield is taught in the School of Economics, based in the Elmfield building near The Wave, the new home of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Based on the 2027-entry course pages and application pages, this guide covers admissions and prerequisites for September 2027 entry, for UK applicants, international students (including applicants from China) and students seeking entry to year two. Business and computing courses are mentioned only where they overlap.

1. Economics degrees and how admission works

• Economics BA (UCAS code L100, three years): the applied route, with a focus on applying economics to real-world problems and an economic policy and practice module in the final year. Sheffield states that you can apply without A Level Maths (or equivalent); the first year is designed to bring you up to the maths level needed for a Russell Group economics degree.
• Economics BSc (L101, three years): the methodological route, with a focus on mathematical and statistical methods and more advanced methods modules in the final year.
• Economics with Finance BSc (L1N3, three years) adds mathematical and statistical methods with a finance focus. Economics and Mathematics BSc (LG11, three years) teaches mathematics in year one (with Python, R and LaTeX) alongside microeconomics and macroeconomics, and lets you balance the two subjects in years two and three.
• BA and BSc: Sheffield says the BA and BSc share the same core and optional modules in years one and two; you decide at the end of year two between the methodological (BSc) and applied (BA) pathway, and moving from BA to BSc is “subject to academic performance in mathematical and statistical modules”. You still choose one code when you apply.
• Other degrees with economics: Sheffield’s course list also shows Economics and Politics BA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics BA, Business Management and Economics BA, and Accounting and Financial Management and Economics BA, led by other departments; check each course page.
• Placement and year abroad: you can apply for a year-long paid placement, placed after year two on the Economics BA, BSc and Economics with Finance pages (the Economics and Mathematics page words the timing both as “in your second year” and “after your second year”), turning three years into four. You can also apply for a year at a partner university, usually between years two and three (more than 250 partners). The school’s SEED programme offers career advice and events.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the economics course pages mention no admissions test or interview; this is not given on the pages used for this guide.

2. Prerequisites: maths and subjects

• Economics BA (L100): A Level AAB in any subjects; with a fourth qualification, ABB plus a B in the EPQ or ABB plus an A in Core Maths. It also requires GCSE Maths at 6/B. IB 34, or 33 with a B in the Extended Essay (no HL Maths requirement is stated). Highers AAAAB; Welsh Baccalaureate + two A Levels B + AA. BTEC Extended Diploma DDD; BTEC Diploma DD plus a B at A Level. Contextual offer: ABB, IB 33, Highers AAABB, with the same GCSE Maths 6/B.
• Economics BSc (L101): AAB including Maths; ABB (including Maths) plus a B in the EPQ. IB 34 with 5 in HL Maths, or 33 with 5 in HL Maths and a B in the Extended Essay. Highers AAABB plus a B in Maths; Welsh Baccalaureate B + AA including Maths. BTEC Extended Diploma DDM plus an A in A Level Maths; BTEC Diploma DD plus an A in A Level Maths. Contextual offer: ABB including Maths, IB 33 with 5 in HL Maths.
• Economics with Finance BSc (L1N3): AAA including Maths; AAB (including Maths) plus an A in the EPQ. IB 36 with 6 in HL Maths, or 34 with 5 in HL Maths and an A in the Extended Essay. Contextual offer: AAB including Maths, IB 34 with 5 in HL Maths.
• Economics and Mathematics BSc (LG11): AAA including Maths; AAB (including an A in Maths) plus an A in the EPQ. IB 36 with 6 in HL Maths, or 34 with 6 in HL Maths and an A in the Extended Essay. Contextual offer: AAB including Maths, IB 34 with 6 in HL Maths.
• Is A Level Economics required? The course pages ask only for Maths where a subject is named; they do not require A Level Economics.
• Common early years: Sheffield says the BA and BSc share core modules in years one and two; year one introduces foundational economic principles and the mathematical and statistical methods economics needs. See the course pages for modules.
• International Year One: the University of Sheffield International College runs an International Year One in Economics that leads to year two of an undergraduate degree; the China and English-language pages list it, but the pages used here do not say which economics degree it leads to, so ask the school.

3. How to apply and key dates

• Apply through UCAS. Sheffield gives its UCAS institution code as S18 SHEFD with no campus code; every undergraduate course starts in September, with no January or February intake.
• September 2027 entry (except Medicine and Dentistry): submit between 1 September 2026 and 13 January 2027 for guaranteed equal consideration; applications from 14 January to 30 June 2027 are for “further consideration”, and Sheffield warns it may not be able to consider them if places are full. Check UCAS for the mechanics.
• How applications are assessed: mainly achieved and predicted grades, plus the personal statement, the reference and contextual information. Sheffield says interviews are not a prerequisite for most courses, but some schools interview (examples it gives: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Orthoptics, Pharmacy, Speech and Language Therapy).
• Deferred entry: allowed; you are assessed on the conditions of the UCAS year in which you apply and must meet them by the end of that year.
• Contextual offers: applicants from groups under-represented in higher education, those who took part in Sheffield outreach programmes or have additional qualifications may get an offer one or two grades below the standard A Level requirement; see Sheffield’s Access Sheffield pages.

4. UK applicants

• Qualifications: Sheffield normally expects three full A Levels or an accepted equivalent; the course pages list matching requirements for the IB, Scottish Highers plus Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate plus two A Levels and the Access to HE Diploma. T Levels are treated differently by course; see above. BTEC requirements differ by course, as above.
• A Level practicals: practical skills in Physics, Chemistry and Biology A Levels are graded Pass or Fail separately; where a course needs a Pass this is stated on the course page and in the offer.
• Fees: for home fee-paying undergraduates starting in 2027 the standard annual tuition fee is £10,050; eligible students can get government tuition fee and maintenance loans. The pages used for this guide do not separate fee status or funding for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; see Sheffield’s fee status page.
• Funding: Sheffield has pages on bursaries, scholarships and additional funding, each with its own eligibility; check them on the website.

5. International students

• Grades: follow the A Level and IB requirements on the course page. Sheffield also has an “international qualifications” page that maps qualifications by country to A Level bands, plus individual country pages. It warns that meeting the requirements does not guarantee an offer.
• English: the international students page gives a minimum of IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each component (or equivalent) for undergraduates, and says some departments may ask for more. The course pages for the courses below also give GCSE English at 4/C, IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each component) or another accepted qualification. Most departments can make a conditional offer if you do not yet meet the English requirement, to be met before you start. If you completed a first degree taught in English in a majority native-English-speaking country, further English evidence is not normally required.
• Foundation and Year One programmes: the University of Sheffield International College (USIC) runs International Foundation Years in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities, and in Science and Engineering, plus International Year One programmes (Sheffield lists Business Management and Accounting, Economics, and Psychology). The course pages say international students who do not meet the entry requirements can apply for an International Foundation Year and progress to degree study on completion.
• Visa and funds: the course pages link to Sheffield’s visa and immigration pages; the amount of funds to show is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the visa pages or the international recruitment team.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Sheffield’s China page says it accepts the Gaokao for direct entry to undergraduate programmes. For courses asking for A Level grades of AAA or above, you need an overall score equivalent to at least 75% of the total marks; for AAB to ABB, at least 70%; for BBB to BBC, at least 65%. Where a course has individual A Level subject requirements, you must reach the required score in the specified Gaokao subject (typically Maths and/or a science): an A equals 75% of that subject’s marks, a B 70% and a C 65%. For the BA and BSc at AAB, this conversion implies at least 70% overall (and 70% in Gaokao Maths where the BSc names Maths); for Economics with Finance and Economics and Mathematics at AAA it implies 75% overall and 75% in Maths. The BA also asks for GCSE Maths at 6/B; how Chinese applicants meet this is not given, so ask admissions. This applies the China page’s general conversion, and whether the school sets anything further is not given.
• Senior High School Certificate only: after the three-year Chinese Senior High School Certificate you must complete a recognised foundation programme (yuke) to be considered for year one; Sheffield asks you to contact its China team to check that your chosen programme is acceptable.
• USIC and NCUK: the China page lists USIC’s International Foundation Years (Business, Social Sciences and Humanities; Science and Engineering) and International Year One (Business Management and Accounting; Economics), and NCUK’s International Foundation Year (IFY) and International Year One (IYOne) across China. NCUK IFY graduates with the required grades are considered for year one; IYOne graduates can apply to enter year two of a wide range of degree courses.
• University study in China: applicants who completed year one of a standard four-year Chinese bachelor’s degree are considered for year one; holders of a three-year university diploma (dazhuan) are considered for direct entry to year two (a general statement for undergraduate courses).
• A Level and IB: applicants with at least three A Levels or the IB Diploma are considered for direct entry; the scores are on the course page.
• English: the China page says a minimum of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for undergraduates, while the international English page and the course pages say IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each component. Both statements appear on the website; follow the course page and confirm with admissions.
• Sheffield also has a Chinese-language page, student stories, official representatives in China and events, reachable from the China page.

7. Fees and scholarships (international students)

• Tuition fee: Sheffield says new full-time overseas undergraduates in 2027/28 pay between £27,650 and £34,670 a year (Medicine and Dentistry excepted, with separate fees); the 2026/27 range is £25,000 to £32,100. Use Sheffield’s undergraduate fee look-up tool for a specific course; the course pages used here do not list the amount.
• Fixed fee guarantee: international students on the same course pay the same annual fee in each year; changing course may change the fee.
• Placement and year abroad: for students starting in 2027/28, the placement / industrial placement year costs 20% of the full-time fee and a year abroad 15%.
• International Undergraduate Scholarship 2027: £2,500 a year, up to £10,000 on four-year courses, awarded automatically as a fee reduction with no application. Conditions include starting an undergraduate degree in September 2027; choosing Sheffield as Firm or Insurance before 4pm UK time on Wednesday 2 June 2027; being self-funded, classified as overseas for fee purposes and not a sponsored student; full-time study. It continues each year with a weighted average of 60% or above and at least 120 credits in the previous year; it does not apply to placement or abroad years, cannot be deferred (deferring forfeits it), cannot be combined with other scholarships or external funding, does not apply to students on a non-USIC foundation year, and does not apply to Medicine (A100/A101) or Dentistry (A200).
• Sheffield’s scholarship list also names the Sanctuary Scholarship, the NCUK Merit Scholarship 2027, the NCUK Sino-British College Scholarship 2027 and others, each with its own conditions; check each page (some still refer to 2026 entry, and Sheffield notes some schemes are not yet confirmed for 2027).

8. Transfer students and direct entry to year two

• Sheffield says it will consider applications for entry to Year/Level 2: you should normally have met the standard A Level requirements of the course (or equivalent) and shown that you completed a programme equivalent to the first year of the course, and it may ask for syllabuses. It also notes that some academic schools do not accept any transfers into Year/Level 2.
• The economics course pages give no specific criteria for second-year entry and do not say whether economics accepts transfers; this is not given on the pages used for this guide, so contact the School of Economics or admissions. The USIC International Year One in Economics leads to year two (see above).
• Routes from China: year one of a four-year degree leads to year one; a three-year diploma may lead to year two; USIC or NCUK International Year One leads to year two (see above).
• The International Undergraduate Scholarship page says students entering in year 2 or year 3 can also receive it, provided they are not receiving a scholarship or award under a collaborative programme with their home institution.

Sources: University of Sheffield, Economics BA; Economics BSc; Economics with Finance BSc; Economics and Mathematics BSc; Applying essentials; Submitting your application; How we assess your application; Admissions requirements; Other UK qualifications; International qualifications; International undergraduate applications; English language requirements; Entry requirements: China; Undergraduate tuition fees 2027; Overseas undergraduate fees; International Undergraduate Scholarship 2027. Information is for September 2027 entry. Check Sheffield and UCAS for the latest details.