Workload details across the four years of the economics degree During your first and second year, you will have between six and nine lectures and three tutorials every week. In your final two years, you will have several weekly teaching sessions, although they depend upon the options you choose. We value independent study very highly at Edinburgh, so we expect you to spend considerable time outside of your lectures and tutorials completing secondary reading and research. On Wednesday afternoons, you will usually not have any teaching sessions as this allows extracurricular activities to take place. Below is a sample timetable, showing you what a week in your first year of study could look like: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 09:00 Independent Study Independent Study Independent Study Independent Study Independent Study 10:00 Business Lecture Independent Study Business Lecture Business Lecture History Lecture 11:10 Independent Study Independent Study Business Lecture Economics 1 Tutorial EconPals 12:10 Economics 1 Tutorial Independent Study Independent Study Economics 1 Tutorial Independent Study 13:05 14:00 Independent Study EconPals Independent Study Independent Study 15:00 Intro to Politics & International Relations Independent Study Intro to Politics & International Relations Independent Study 16:10 Independent Study Economics 1 Lecture Economics 1 Lecture Economics 1 Lecture 17:10 Independent Study Independent Study EconSoc seminar Independent Study Independent Study Assessment Your work will be assessed through essays, projects and class examinations depending upon which courses you choose. You will often work in small groups to complete projects and to prepare presentations. Exams usually take place around December and May. Study Support We understand that finding the right place to go for help can be difficult, especially as you are going through a transition from school to university-level studying. You will have an assigned Student Adviser who will be your first point of contact. They can direct you to resources and workshops that meet your needs, or offer coaching sessions to help keep on top of your studies. If you need any learning adjustments, your Student Adviser can guide you through the process of getting those in place. Economics also has its own peer learning group, EconPALS, where senior students organise reading sessions and workshops to help you understand the material covered in the Economics 1 course. Find out more about support the School can offer by going to the 'Support Services' section on the left-hand side. I've immensely enjoyed studying Economics at the University of Edinburgh. It's such an inspirational environment that encourages academic excellence, cooperation, feedback and support throughout. My studies have also provided me with both the technical and soft skills necessary to secure a summer internship and a graduate job. Andrea SchmidtovaGraduate of Economics with Finance This article was published on 2024-10-01