Politics with Economics with Foundation Year Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Foundation Year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year. This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

International Students

For International Students, Foundation Years are delivered through our dedicated on-campus provider, Keele University International College. Applications for International Foundation Years are also handled by KUIC; please do not apply via UCAS as the University will not be able to process your application and you may still be charged the UCAS application fee. To find out more and to apply for an International Foundation Year, visit https://kuic.keele.ac.uk//

Politics with Economics

What impact does politics have on economies and how do markets shape politics? The relationship between political and economic power is essential for comprehending our society, its challenges, and how to change it. Explore contemporary developments in both the political sphere and the economy on our Politics with Economics BA, asking fundamental questions to understand how politics shapes the economy and vice versa. Placement opportunities will enable you to gain valuable experience in the workplace and prepare you for careers in government, business and finance.

Why choose this course?

* No.1 in the West Midlands and Top 10 in the UK for Politics (Guardian University Guide, 2026)

* Politics ranked Top 10 in England (NSS 2025, broad-based universities)\*

* Enhance your employability prospects with study abroad, entrepreneurship and work placement opportunities

* Access to industry-leading software such as Bloomberg and STATA

To understand society is to understand the relationship between political and economic power. Our Politics with Economics degree explores both areas individually and combined as the study of 'political economy', enabling you to consider the relationship between the two and how these disciplines shape social, economic and political life.

You will begin your journey by becoming familiar with both subjects and examining the nature of power and inequalities, whilst covering the basics of macro-economics and micro-economics. As you progress through your degree, you will investigate the process of political and economic change, with insights into the influences at the individual, local and national level and how decisions are made by actors in politics.

*\*We have compared the positivity ratings of all participating UK institutions using the NSS 2025 sector data to determine Keele's position relative to other broad-based universities (i.e. excluding specialist institutions and further education colleges).*

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.