How to Apply to Economics at the University of Portsmouth: Economics, Economics Finance and Banking, and Economics and Management, All Accredited by CIMA With Optional Placement Year, and Entry Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Year 2 Transfer Applicants

Economics at the University of Portsmouth is listed under the “Accounting, economics and finance” subject page, and the course pages refer to the Faculty of Business and Law and Portsmouth Business School. This guide sets out what the university’s pages say for September 2027 entry, for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at high schools in China) and students who want to join year 2. The accounting and finance degrees on the same subject page, and the mathematics, physics and life-science degrees, are only mentioned in passing.

1. The degrees and how you are admitted

• Three degrees: Economics BSc (Econ) (Hons), UCAS code L101 (three years) / L100 (four years with a placement); Economics, Finance and Banking BSc (Econ) (Hons), LN15 / LN13; and Economics and Management BA (Hons), L1N0 / L1N1. The last two also have versions with a foundation year (LN10 / LN12 and L1N3 / L1N5; see the note in the international section).
• You apply to a specific course through UCAS (institution code P80). The pages do not describe a common first year followed by a choice of degree, and whether you can switch between the three after enrolling is not given; ask admissions.
• The four year-1 core modules are the same: Introduction to Finance, Accounting and Banking, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics and Quantitative Economics (30 credits each), 120 credits a year.
• Economics: year 2 requires Advanced Economic Topics, Econometric Methods and Intermediate Economics; options include Applied Analytics and Business Intelligence, Behavioural and Experimental Economics, Development Economics, Financial Systems and Global Markets and a year-long overseas study module (120 credits). Year 3 requires Contemporary Global Issues and Econometric Analysis; options include an Economics Consultancy Project, an Economics Research Project, a Finance Capstone, Independent Research in Economics and Energy and Environmental Economics.
• Economics, Finance and Banking: year 2 requires Financial Systems and Global Markets, Intermediate Economics and Principles of Finance and Investment; year 3 requires Contemporary Global Issues and Corporate Finance, Valuation and Strategy. The course description points to careers such as investment banking, tax consultancy and risk management and to applying finance knowledge in a paid placement.
• Economics and Management: year 2 requires Intermediate Economics, Managerial and Decision Economics and Principles of Finance and Investment; year 3 requires Business Economics and Contemporary Global Issues. The course page says there is less emphasis on maths than on the university’s other economics courses, but it still looks for good literacy and numeracy.
• Accreditation: all three course pages say “accredited” and name the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Which exams are exempted is not given.
• Placement and overseas year: the Economics page says you can take an optional paid placement year between years 2 and 3 or after year 3, or a year at a partner university between years 2 and 3; it quotes an average salary of £24,500 for a 12-month paid placement for Faculty of Business and Law students, varying by placement, and says you pay only a small percentage of tuition for that year. Whether a placement is guaranteed is not given.
• Study time: the Economics page recommends at least 35 hours of study a week, in year 1 about 13 hours timetabled and about 22 hours of independent study.

2. Entry requirements and prerequisites

The typical offers below are from the “Entry requirements (September 2027 start)” sections of the three course pages; the university stresses they are typical, not guaranteed, and decisions also take in the personal statement and reference.

Item	Economics	Economics, Finance and Banking	Economics and Management
UCAS points	112-128 points from 3 A levels or equivalent	104-120 points from 3 A levels or equivalent	104-120 points from 3 A levels or equivalent
A levels	ABB-BBC	BBB-BCC	BBB-BCC
T Level	not listed	Merit	Merit
BTEC Extended Diploma	not listed	DDM-DMM	DDM-DMM
International Baccalaureate	27-28	27	27
English	IELTS 6.0, no component below 5.5

• Mathematics or economics as a subject: the three entry-requirement sections give grades only; they do not say mathematics or economics is required or name any subjects. They say you “may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs”, linking to the general entry-requirements page, which has no economics-specific rules, so specific subjects and GCSEs are not given; contact admissions. The Economics page says it looks for good literacy and numeracy and that economics “is about more than maths”, using real data from organisations such as the Bank of England; year 1 includes Quantitative Economics and there is Maths Café support.
• Admissions tests and interviews: none of the three course pages mentions an economics admissions test or an interview; the general assessment page says some courses may ask for a portfolio, interview or test. Whether economics applicants are interviewed is not given.
• Differences between pages: the IB requirement is “27-28” on the Economics page and “27” on the other two, and the Economics UCAS range (112-128) is higher than the other two (104-120); read each course page.
• Foundation-year versions: Economics, Finance and Banking and Economics and Management have versions with a foundation year run by the partner college ICP on the university campus, with a guaranteed place on the degree afterwards; the entry requirement is 32 A-level tariff points (or equivalent) and IELTS 5.5 with no component below 5.5. The pages also say that this foundation year is currently not open to EU or international students.

3. UK applicants

• How you apply and how you are assessed: Portsmouth says full-time bachelor’s degrees, integrated master’s degrees and most other undergraduate courses are applied for through UCAS, and you can also apply to the university directly on each course page. It looks at past and predicted achievement, personal statement, reference, extra-curricular and volunteering experience, and on some courses a portfolio, interview or test. It says decisions are “not based purely on exam results”.
• Qualifications: besides A levels, T Levels and BTECs, the entry-requirements page names Access to Higher Education, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers and the Irish Leaving Certificate as commonly accepted, and says the list is not complete. For this subject the course page gives only the grades listed in the entry requirements below. The grades asked of Scottish qualifications, and whether England, Wales and Northern Ireland are treated differently, are not given on the course or admissions pages; contact admissions (+44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course page).
• Adjusted offers: the university says that besides adjusted offers based on widening-participation data it also gives adjusted offers to applicants from its own region; they are lower than the typical offer and are flagged in the offer email. The course page adds that it looks at whether you live and work in the region and at personal and family circumstances (assessed with established data). What counts as “the region” is not given.
• Fees: for students from the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man the 2027/28 fee is £10,050 (“subject to annual increase”); the same page gives £9,790 for 2026/27. The pages do not give separate fees for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; check the course page and your student-finance body.

4. International applicants

• How to apply: international students follow the same process as UK students, through UCAS (institution code P80) or the direct application form on the course page. You can also use an education agent; the country pages list agents by region and the university links a guide to choosing one.
• Documents: the international application page lists a completed application form; a personal statement (some courses ask for specific content, so read the course page); officially certified and translated copies of your school or college qualifications and grades; proof of English (such as an IELTS certificate); and one academic reference on official headed paper for undergraduate courses. It adds that applicants from certain countries must take a video credibility interview, arranged by the regional leads.
• English: all three economics course pages ask for IELTS 6.0 with no component below 5.5 (5.5 for the foundation-year versions). The English requirements page says most bachelor’s degrees need IELTS 6.0 (no component below 5.5), with higher scores for courses that involve a lot of discussion and writing; read the course page.
• Other English tests: TOEFL iBT 79 for most bachelor’s degrees, with at least 18 Reading, 17 Listening, 20 Speaking and 17 Writing (the institution code to send scores to is 3234); PTE Academic 62 with at least 59 in each component for most bachelor’s degrees (that line is headed September 2025 entry, so check it applies to 2027); Cambridge C1 Advanced 169 overall with no component under 162; Trinity ISE III with a pass in all four components; Duolingo results must be shared with the university and offer conditions may change after a credibility or recruitment interview. Not accepted: IELTS Academic Online, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic Online and the online LanguageCert. The English requirements page also lists a “China TOEFL ITP Level 1” result (Listening 54, Structure and Written Expression 53, Reading 56, Speaking 58) among its English qualifications in Asia.
• Exemptions: nationals of, or holders of a degree-level qualification from, the following countries may be exempt from the UKVI English requirement but must still give evidence of English that meets the course’s academic requirement: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Overseas Territories, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK and the USA. Canadian nationals must provide evidence. China is not on the list.
• If your English is short: the university offers Pre-sessional English programmes. If you need a pre-sessional or foundation course, your IELTS must be taken at a UKVI-approved test centre.
• Foundation and pathway: the international pages describe International College Portsmouth (ICP, part of the Navitas Group), based in the city centre, with undergraduate and postgraduate pathways into the university’s degrees and September, January and May intakes. However, the “ICP Foundation Year courses” page and the foundation-year sections of the economics and science course pages say those foundation years are currently not open to EU or international students, while the MPharm page says international students can progress through ICP’s foundation year. These statements conflict; ask ICP and admissions which routes are open now.
• Deposit and CAS: after an offer you pay a deposit to confirm your place, which counts toward your fees; once you have paid it and met your conditions the university issues the CAS for your visa, at the earliest six months before the course starts. The university advises paying the deposit and meeting conditions as soon as you can. The amount of the deposit is not given on the fees page; UK and Irish nationals, government- or company-sponsored students and students coming from ICP, among others, do not pay one.
• Visa and funds: most international students need a Student Route visa; the visa page gives an advice email and phone (+44 (0) 2392 84 5430) and links to UKCISA and other sources. The amount of funds required and document-verification rules are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the UK government visa pages and the university visa page.
• Deadlines: the international deadlines page gives dates for January 2027 entry only (for example 7 December 2026 for new applications from “Rest of the World”) and warns that courses can close early when full. Deadlines for September 2027 entry are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

5. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the China country page does not mention the gaokao or how a gaokao score is converted into an entry requirement. Not given; ask admissions or the official representatives listed for China.
• Chinese Senior High School Diploma: the China page says applicants with the Senior High School Diploma plus one year at a recognised university in China are considered for a bachelor’s degree if they have studied relevant subjects with strong grades. Applicants with a Specialised College (zhongzhuan) diploma, the High School Diploma and the High School Graduation Equivalency “usually need to do a foundation year”, and ICP is the recommended route (see the conflict noted above).
• Without the Chinese Senior High School Diploma: you can apply with A levels (the China page gives the points table A* = 56, A = 48, B = 40, C = 32, D = 24, and says your grades must equal or exceed the total required on the course page; science courses usually need passing A-level grades in science subjects) or with the IB (most courses need between 24 and 31 points, depending on the degree).
• Dazhuan: a College Graduation Diploma (Dazhuan) from a recognised college after two to three years, or a BTEC or SQA HND in a relevant subject, may be considered for advanced entry to a relevant degree.
• Economics-specific guidance: the China page gives no subject-by-subject requirements. The economics grades are written in A levels and IB points; how Chinese high-school results map to them is not given, so ask admissions rather than applying the A-level requirement to your Chinese results.
• English: same as the international section above; the China page says the university accepts IELTS, IGCSE and other certificates.
• Representatives and scholarships: the China page lists the university’s official representatives in China, and Chinese students may be eligible for scholarships (see the fees section). Transcript and graduation-certificate handling, verification bodies and interview arrangements are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact admissions.

6. Joining year 2 (direct entry)

• The course pages do not describe a transfer route into year 2 and do not say whether places are available in each year. The “Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)” page says that university-level learning and experience can be turned into credits so that you start in the second year or reduce the credits you need, depending on how well your past learning matches the course’s modules.
• There are three types of RPL: credit transfer, using credits from a UK higher-education qualification completed in the last 5 years (bachelor’s, foundation degrees, HNC, HND, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, master’s; an HNC is 120 credits and an HND 240); prior certificated learning, such as an unfinished university course or a qualification from a non-UK institution; and prior experiential learning from work or voluntary experience. The page says that if you started but did not finish a UK course, or hold credits from a non-UK institution, you may use prior certificated learning instead of credit transfer, which needs a portfolio of evidence.
• How: you must have applied for the course or be registered on it, then submit the RPL form (the credit-transfer form is attached to your application; for the other two types the admissions centre contacts you about the portfolio). The page also says you can apply directly rather than through UCAS when applying for credit transfer. The RPL deadline depends on what it is used for; no date is given on the pages used for this guide, so check the RPL page.
• There is no specific guidance for students moving from a Chinese university into year 2; contact admissions first (+44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages).

7. Fees and scholarships

• International students: the three economics course pages say that 2027 course fees will be confirmed soon and give no figure, so the course fee is not given. The international fees page gives a typical range for the university of £17,750 to £20,950 for 2027/28 (£17,900 to £20,000 for 2026/27, covering most courses) and says fees may rise each year by up to 5%; read the course page for the actual fee. If you take a placement year or a year abroad, the fee for that year is £3,150 for international students.
• UK students: the university’s undergraduate fees page gives £10,050 for 2027/28 (the course pages say “to be confirmed soon”, so follow the course page); £1,505 for a placement or year abroad; EU students £1,635 for that year.
• Other costs: the course pages describe costs for books (up to about £60 each) and printing, and say placement-related costs range from £50 to £1,000 depending on location and length.
• Paying: the international fees page says you can pay in full or in two, three or six instalments (the first is 50% of the fee); the deposit counts toward the fee; payment goes through the official routes and the university warns about payment fraud.
• International scholarships (the university’s international scholarships page): the page opens by saying the scholarships summarised apply to students starting in January 2027 or September 2027, but the detailed terms are written for January and May 2027 entry only. The Chancellor’s Global Academic Merit Scholarship (January 2027 entry) is a £5,000 reduction in first-year fees, for self-funded, full-time, on-campus students who have not studied at Portsmouth before (ICP students are excluded); you complete a separate scholarship form with your application by 2 November 2026. The Vice Chancellor’s Global Development Scholarship (January and May 2027 entry) is a £2,500 first-year reduction for self-funded, full-time, on-campus undergraduates on courses with annual fees of £16,200 or more, decided by nationality; China is on the country list. What applies to September 2027 entry, and the amounts, are not given on the page used for this guide; check the international scholarships page.
• The page also describes Chevening (normally for a one-year master’s) and the £5,000 SQA Advanced Diploma Scholarship for mainland Chinese students who have graduated from an SQA programme, which is for postgraduate study and does not apply to bachelor’s degrees. Scholarships cannot be combined with other scholarships, discounts or fee offers.

8. How to apply and the timeline

• Course codes: Economics L101 / L100; Economics, Finance and Banking LN15 / LN13 (foundation year LN10 / LN12); Economics and Management L1N0 / L1N1 (foundation year L1N3 / L1N5); institution code P80.
• UCAS: you have 5 choices a year through UCAS (5 courses at up to 5 universities). You need the course’s UCAS code (at the top of the course page; many courses have two codes, one for the standard three-year course and one for the placement-year version) and the institution code P80. Applications for 2027 entry can be submitted from September 2026 (“from September in the year before you start”).
• Personal statement and reference: the personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters; if you are not applying through a school or college you also need a reference from someone who knows you academically or professionally.
• Application fee: the university’s application page quotes only the 2024 figures (£22.50 for one course, £27 for more than one), which are not the fees for 2027 entry; check the UCAS website.
• Deadline: the university says it is best to apply by the UCAS “equal consideration deadline”, usually towards the end of January of the year you start; check the exact date on the UCAS website. You can apply later, but the course may be full or the requirements may change. Check UCAS for the 2027 dates.
• Deferred entry: many courses accept deferred entry but some do not, so ask admissions before applying; if you defer you must meet your conditions by the end of August of the year you apply.
• Direct application: the university says you can use the online form on the course page if Portsmouth is your only choice, if you do not want to use UCAS, or if you are applying for credit transfer.
• Admissions contact: +44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages.

This guide is based on the University of Portsmouth’s course pages for September 2027 entry and related admissions pages. Fees, deadlines and English scores can change, so check the website again before you apply.