Careers and employability for Economics and Finance graduates

The career prospects arising from a degree programme in Economics at Queen Mary are excellent. Of those graduating in recent years, around one third have gone on to do a postgraduate Masters degree in Economics, Finance, Management or Information Technology. An MSc degree is increasingly valued in career terms, and we are proud that so many of our intake are capable of pursuing this academic path following their first degree at Queen Mary.

Some students prefer a less academic route and seek employment directly. Because of the proximity of the City of London and Canary Wharf, many of our students in the recent past have sought employment in the financial and business services sector of the economy. Many of our graduates successfully seek training in chartered accountancy firms; others find employment in banks and finance houses of various types. In recent years, Economics graduates from Queen Mary have obtained employment in such large firms as Barings Asset Management, Deloitte Touche, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and KPMG as well as a host of smaller firms in and around London.

Others have sought to use the skills they have acquired in other contexts. Such areas of employment include financial and economic journalism, management traineeships in a variety of firms, and employment in the public sector.

Research shows that employers, when looking to recruit graduates, look for a) intellectual skills b) interpersonal skills c) managerial/time keeping skills. Our courses, and the teaching and assessment of these courses, are designed with these skills very much in mind. Many courses use assessed group work to develop interpersonal and managerial skills, while the Careers Service at Queen Mary can help you find vocational work that will support your study and future careers plan. Queen Mary also offers a wide range of activities in supports and societies, including the Economics Society, run by the students in the School which is a chance for you to meet other Economics students and set up activities that are of interest to you.

Whether your choice will involve further academic training, a career in financial and business services, or a career in management either in the private or the public sector, career prospects with a Queen Mary Economics degree in the London region are very good indeed.

What students say about us

"Currently I am enjoying my second year of a three-year degree incorporating Economics, Finance and Business Studies courses. The degree is based around the practical application of economics in a business field, giving a broad base of skills from accountancy to stock market analysis. Having always wanted to work in the city, Queen Mary was an excellent choice owing to its close geographic and academic ties. Internships and graduate recruitment posters litter the economics noticeboards, and that's before you start using the careers service. The course gives you time to appreciate the best part of university and student life. As London is so large, there is something for everyone, and it's all just a short tube trip away."
(Jo Turner, BSc Economics, Finance and Management Student, 2002)