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Programme Specification
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Awarding body University of London
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Teaching Institution Birkbeck College
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Programme Title(s)
Graduate Diploma Economics
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Programme Code(s) GDGECNMC_C
(GDGECNMF_C – 1 year accelerated distance
learning route )
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UCAS code N/A
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Home Department Economics, Mathematics and Statistics
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Exit Award(s)
Graduate Certificate Economics
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Duration of Study (number of years) 1 year - full-time /accelerated distance learning
2 years - part-time/standard distance learning
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Mode of Study FT ✓ PT ✓ DL ✓
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Level of Award (FHEQ)
11 Other teaching depts or institution N/A
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Professional, Statutory Regulatory
Body(PSRB) details
N/A
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QAA Benchmark Group
N/A
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Programme Rationale & Aims
The Graduate Diploma in Economics (GDE) fills a crucial gap in the market for graduate training in
economics. There are many able graduates of subjects other than economics who wish to acquire
training in economics. The GDE offers such students the opportunity to compete effectively with
students with undergraduate qualifications in economics. The programme provides
comprehensive training in the core subjects of economics, including microeconomics,
macroeconomics and econometrics. Students also acquire training in the essential mathematics
for economics.
A significant proportion of students use the programme as a rapid route to a high degree of
economic literacy, to complement other qualifications. They then exit directly to the job market
where demand for such skills continues to be strong. Other students use this programme as
preparation for an MSc in economics or related disciplines.
The exit award of a Graduate Certificate is designed for the benefit of students who either do not
achieve a sufficient standard to continue or choose to complete only a part of the courses offered
under the programme.
15 Entry Criteria
Standard entry criterion is second-class honours degree or better, or equivalent qualifications,
in any subject. Students with a third class degree may sometimes be admitted if there is clear
evidence of under-performance, relative to potential, in the first degree. Evidence of aptitude
for mathematical and statistical analysis is advantageous. Students who hope to complete the
programme in one year typically have upper second or better classification in the
undergraduate degree.
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Learning, teaching and assessment methods
The Department’s strategy for learning and teaching is driven by the need to provide for
predominantly part-time mature students. The brief periods each week when students are
physically present in the College are used for very directed and structured teaching, which is
reinforced with independent study. The strategy is realised through:
- lectures supported by practical class exercises;
- extensive handouts and prepared lecture notes (distributed as hard copies and in
electronic version via dedicated web-pages or Moodle);
- directed student reading and private study;
- careful design of the workload for students and its distribution across the academic
year;
- for GDE in particular, we aim to provide nearly all lectures and classes on video, as a
core element in the online version of the programme for distance learners. For face-
to-face students, it also provides the opportunity to revise concepts that were not
fully understood in lectures, or to catch up on lectures missed due to work
commitments.
We use problem-solving classes to support lectures. We encourage students to work
together in groups where possible and find that such peer support is an important factor in
maintaining student motivation and helping learning. This is followed by collective review
sessions, often in small groups to increase interaction.
An important element of learning on all programmes is private study. All courses require
students to spend time reading and/or working through problems and examples as
appropriate in addition to attending lectures and classes. IT underpins a lot of our students’
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Learning Outcomes
- (Mathematics for Economists) To equip students with sufficient working knowledge of
the core mathematics employed in the microeconomics and macroeconomics modules on
the GDE programme.
- (Applied Statistics and Econometrics) To introduce students to the interpretation and
analysis of economic data: using spreadsheets to analyse the data; understand simple
rules of probability, estimation and inference; derive least squares estimators and show
their properties; interpret regression output and conduct tests on coefficients and
residuals; read and understand articles using economic and financial data; conduct and
report on a piece of empirical research that uses simple statistical techniques.
- (Microeconomics) To equip students with the standard methods and analytical tools of
microeconomics, with emphasis on the relationship between the decisions of individual
agents and the operations of markets; and provide a foundation for further study of
economics,
- (Macroeconomics) To introduce students to the part of economics that studies the behaviour
of the economic system as a whole. This course aims to introduce students to macroeconomic
theory and policy, and provide a foundation for further study of macroeconomics.
All students are required to achieve 120 credits to obtain a classification of distinction or
merit, subject to the standard classification rules under CAS. Students passing only 90 credits
may be awarded the qualification but only with a pass. Students who do not acquire 120
credits are eligible for the exit award of Graduate Certificate in Economics as long as they
have acquired 60 credits.
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Programme Director Pedro Gomes
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Start Date (term/year) Prior to 2008 / 09
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Date approved by TQEC Prior to 2008 / 9
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Date approved by Academic Board Prior to 2008 / 9
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Date(s) updated/amended March 2019
