A Level Economics Syllabus
| Qualification | AS and A2 Level |
| Examining Board | Edexcel |
| Syllabus | 8121/9121 |
| Head Of Department | Ms F Bottoms |
What is Economics about?
Economics is concerned with everyday current affairs such as those covered in newspapers and television news bulletins. It offers students an insight into their roles as consumers, producers and citizens. Issues covered include the National Minimum Wage; Employment Trends such as the growth in part-time, female service employment; The Housing Market; Pollution; The Case for and against the UK joining the Single European Currency; Mergers and takeovers; The promotion of competition in industries such as Gas, Electricity , Telecommunications and Water; The Finance, size and growth of firms; Government Expenditure and Taxation programmes; The global economy.
Why Economics?
Economics is an academic subject; highly regarded by universities, it is ideal for students seeking further and higher education after school. Employers also recognise it as a solid and useful subject, providing a general insight into how the economy works.
Economics combines well with almost anything, but it is of particular use for students taking Geography, Mathematics, English, Politics and Sociology.
Course Specification
The course is designed so that students take AS Level at the end of the first year. It involves the study of three units, namely:
Unit 1: Markets- how do they work?
Unit 2: Markets - why they fail?
Unit 3: Managing the Economy
These units have a weighting of 50% when students continue the subject in the second year to take the full A Level.
In the second year, students can take a further three units in order to complete the A Level course. These three units account for 50% of the A Level, namely:
Unit 4: Industrial Economics
Unit 5: Development Economics
Unit 6: The Global Economy
Method of Assessment
Students take a written exam which is externally set and assessed at the end of each unit. The exam for Units 1, 2 and 3 will be taken in June 2002. Units 4, 5 and 6 will be taken in June 2005. Unit 4 is taken in January 2006. Units 5 and 6 will be taken in June 2006. There is no coursework for this subject, but work undertaken feeds directly into the key skills criteria. An extended assignment is set during the summer term on Development Issues which provide evidence for student portfolios in key skills.
Careers
There is a wide range of careers to which Economics is useful and relevant. These include the following, but it is by no means exhaustive:
- Accountancy
- Civil Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Retail Management
- Journalism
- Legal Profession
- Banking Personnel Management
- Market Research
- Public Relations
- Travel and Tourism
- Finance Consultant Tax Advice
- Administration
- Planning
- Teaching
- Self Employment
Special Features
Economics is concerned with current affairs and so it is essential that students read a good quality newspaper regularly, for example: The Independent, Guardian, Telegraph, Times or Financial Times. In addition, students should watch relevant TV programs, such as The News, The Money Programme, Panorama, Consumer Watchdog and Adverts.