A four-year MA (Hons), L100
Studied over four years in the School of Economics, with flexibility in Years 1 and 2 to take courses outside the degree.
Undergraduate · Edinburgh Economics
Edinburgh Economics MA (Hons): a four-year degree with Mathematics required
The University of Edinburgh's Economics MA (Hons), UCAS code L100, is a four-year, full-time degree in the School of Economics. The page lists the award as MA (Hons). It asks for Mathematics, at B (or AS Mathematics at A) at A level, at 5 at IB Higher Level, or at B at SQA Higher, and describes the grade ranges most applicants needed in recent years.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Edinburgh asks for in Economics MA (Hons)
Taken from the University of Edinburgh's Economics MA (Hons) undergraduate programme page and its entry-requirements selector and read on 3 November 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Edinburgh's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
A levels: Mathematics required
The grades must include Mathematics at B, or AS Mathematics at A. The page says the range of grades most applicants needed to receive an offer in recent years was from A*A*A* to A*AA, and GCSE English at C or 4 is required.
IB: Mathematics at 5 HL
The grades must include Mathematics at 5 at HL, with English at 5 and Mathematics at 6 at SL if Mathematics is not at HL. The range most applicants needed was from 40 points with 766 at HL to 37 points with 666 at HL.
A final-year dissertation
Year 4 is a dissertation in economics and four economics honours option courses, with an option to take a Research Methods in Economics course instead of the dissertation.
Decide the focus by Year 2
The page says that by the end of Year 2 you can decide which subject areas to focus on in the honours years.
Official sources
Read on 3 November 2026 on the University of Edinburgh's Economics MA (Hons) undergraduate programme page and its entry-requirements selector, which describes 2027 entry. Edinburgh's general entry requirements, the widening-access requirements, the fees pages, the course lists and the 2028-entry values were not read, and the page lists no additional admissions test or interview so none is stated and are not stated.
The degree
An MA (Hons) in Economics, over four years
Edinburgh says its programme examines the economic incentives behind decisions by individuals, businesses, governments and societies, and the macroeconomic outcomes of those decisions. It is studied over four years, with Economics in Years 1 and 2 plus option courses, then honours courses and a dissertation or research methods course in Years 3 and 4. Year 2 includes Statistical Methods of Economics, and Year 3 includes micro and macroeconomics topics and two econometrics courses.
Is it the right degree?
A four-year Scottish degree beside a three-year one
The length and the award name are the first differences a family sees.
Choose this degree if
you want economics with the freedom to take courses elsewhere in the first two years before the honours years.
Compare a three-year degree if
you want a faster route or a narrower first-year timetable. Each university's page lists its own structure.
Check the related MA (Hons) degrees if
you want economics combined with accounting, mathematics, politics, statistics, finance or management science, which Edinburgh lists as related programmes.
Entry rules
Mathematics in every qualification
For A levels, the page's grade range is from A*A*A* to A*AA, and the grades must include Mathematics at B or AS Mathematics at A; GCSE English at C or 4 is also required. For the IB, the range is from 40 points with 766 at HL to 37 points with 666 at HL, with Mathematics at 5 at HL, or Mathematics at 6 at SL if not at HL, and English at 5 at SL. For SQA Highers, the page lists AAAAA, with achievement by the end of S5 preferred, including Mathematics at B. The page lists no additional test or interview. These are Edinburgh's descriptions of the range most applicants needed, not a cut-off for your own result.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Edinburgh's.
Is Mathematics in your plan?
It is required in every qualification the page lists.
Do you want four years and a dissertation?
The degree is four years and ends in a dissertation or a research methods course.
Do you want to keep options open in the first two years?
The page presents that as a key benefit of a four-year programme.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Edinburgh has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Edinburgh published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Edinburgh has not yet published it.
Grades, subject requirements and course structure: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Edinburgh has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
The UCAS deadline and the 2028-entry requirements: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Edinburgh's programme page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Confirm the required subjects, read the programme's course structure and plan your preparation around it.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with The University of Edinburgh or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here means course-fit advice, subject mentoring and ethical preparation; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not write applications. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What is the award for Edinburgh's Economics degree?
The page lists the award as MA (Hons), for a four-year, full-time programme.
How long is the degree?
Four years, full-time, with a dissertation in the final year.
Is Mathematics required?
Yes. The page requires Mathematics at B, or AS Mathematics at A, at A level; Mathematics at 5 at IB Higher Level; and Mathematics at B at SQA Higher.
What grades did most applicants need?
The page says the range most applicants needed to receive an offer in recent years was from A*A*A* to A*AA at A level, and from 40 points with 766 at HL to 37 points with 666 at HL for the IB.
Is there an admissions test or interview?
The page lists none, so this guide states none.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Edinburgh's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the programme page again when Edinburgh publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Edinburgh Economics MA (Hons)
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Mathematics, whether they study A levels, the IB or SQA Highers, and how a four-year Scottish MA (Hons) compares with a three-year degree, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.