This course is concerned with economic change in the past, looking at topics such as why some societies thrive while others don’t. It uses concepts and theories from across the social sciences to study the development of real economies and understand them in their social, political and cultural contexts. It combines the skills of the economist and the historian, the statistician and the sociologist. LSE is one of few institutions with a department dedicated to the study of economic history. During the BSc Economic History programme you will examine important global issues such as the economic and social effects of wars, the importance of education and human capital in economic change, and the history of economic development in the third world. You will complete a research project in your third year where you undertake an original piece of research on a topic of your choice. The programme will enable you to develop a range of research skills which are highly valued by employers across a variety of careers, including numeracy, the ability to evaluate and analyse data, and to present an argument orally or on paper. Economic history combines the skills of the economist, the statistician and the sociologist, as well as those of the historian, therefore graduates leave with a portfolio of highly transferable skills that can be applied across a wide variety of employment sectors. Our graduates can be found in senior positions throughout many professions, in the City, financial and market consultancy, NGOs and the charity sector, the civil service, sales and marketing, teaching, government and academia.