BSc (Hons) International Economics and Trade

Course prospectus hero image

Key information

Degree

BSc (Hons) International Economics and Trade

Types of study

Full time

Duration

Three or four years depending on entry qualifications

Start date

September 2025

Faculty

Economics / Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Study model

4+0

About the study model: For the 2+2 study model courses, the student will spend the last two years at our UK campus. For the 4+0 study model courses, the student will spend the entire degree programme in Ningbo, China with 'study abroad' opportunities from year three.

Introductory video

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Entry requirements

Depending on your academic and English language qualifications, you may be eligible for a traditional three year degree programme, or a four year programme with a preliminary year enabling you to gain the subject-specific knowledge and skills required to embark on degree-level studies.

Please find the entry requirement relevant to your country of origin here. If your country is not listed, please email global@nottingham.edu.cn.  

If you are a mainland Chinese student, your Gaokao score should be in the first division as a minimum requirement, and your English test score should be no less than 115/150. For more details, please check the Chinese version prospectus.

English language requirements 

If your first language is not English or your entry qualification was not obtained in the English medium (from an approved institution) you are required to provide evidence of your proficiency in English.

Minimum requirements for the four-year programme:

  • IELTS 5.5 (no less than 5.0 in any element) or 
  • PTE Academic 59 (minimum 53) or
  • TOEFL (IBT) 80 (minimum 17 in Writing and Listening, 18 in Reading and 20 in Speaking)

Minimum requirements for the three-year programme:

  • IELTS 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in writing) or
  • PTE Academic 71 (minimum 65) or
  • TOEFL (IBT) 90 (minimum 19 in Writing)

Minimum age requirements

You should be at least 18 years of age on admission to the University. The date of "admission" is defined as the first day of September in the relevant academic year. This requirement may be waived on an individual basis if your parents or guardians give their written agreement in advance to additional safeguards and requirements. Visit here for more information.

Course overview

This course is based on an equivalent programme at The University of Nottingham, UK (L60 Economics and International Economics). However, it may span four years rather than three to incorporate a preliminary year that predominantly covers English language skills.

As one of the first students to complete this course at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, you have the added advantage of exploring economics from the vantage point of China ‒ the second-largest economy in the world after three decades of rapid growth and social development. Your insights into the world's most remarkable economic success story along with your unique international experience will impress any future employer.

On this Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree programme, you will enjoy all the benefits that come with this distinctive and intellectually rigorous training for the next generation of economists. By the time you graduate you will:

  • have a thorough understanding of economic theory and quantitative methods
  • be familiar with the key analytical techniques that economists use
  • have the expertise to analyse international economic issues
  • have specialist insights into China's place in the world economy

You will be taught by leading scholars in the field of economics. As an undergraduate, you can expect to study in an intellectually stimulating environment with other bright students from around the globe.

Special features

  • Expert academics who are pushing forward the boundaries of the subject.
  • Get a global perspective by studying abroad as part of your degree.
  • Provides guidance and advice from your personal tutor and dissertation supervisor.

Course structure

The degree is offered as a three or four-year programme depending on your entry qualification.

  • For domestic students the course structure follows the Chinese higher education system and is based on a four-year program.
  • For international students, with relevant qualifications, the course structure follows the UK higher education system and is based on a three-year programme.

Please note that the structure of this degree and its modules may be subject to change.

Year 1 modules

+

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Compulsory

Students must take all modules in this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

CELEN048

Reading and Writing in Academic Contexts

20

Autumn

CELEN063

Introduction to Economics I

10

Autumn

CELEN069

Oral Communication Skills A

10

Autumn

CELEN088

Foundation Maths for Economics 1

10

Autumn

CELEN121

Critical, Creative, and Reflective Thinking

10

Autumn

CELEN051

English in Specific Academic Contexts a (Arts & Social Science Pathways)

20

Spring

CELEN064

Introduction to Economics II

10

Spring

CELEN082

Oral Communication Skills B

10

Spring

CELEN089

Foundation Maths for Economics 2

20

Spring

Credit total: 120

 

 

 

Year 2 modules

+

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Compulsory

Students must take all modules in this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

ECON1033

Introduction to Microeconomics

20

Autumn

ECON1058

Mathematical Economics

20

Autumn

ECON1034

Introduction to Macroeconomics

20

Spring

ECON1057

Introductory Econometrics

20

Spring

Credit total: 80

 

 

 

Restricted -  Group 1

OR students can take a minimum of 0 credit and a maximum of 20 credits from this group.* BUSI1122 Introduction to Accounting is the pre-requisite to take BUSI1070 Business Finance.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

BUSI1085

Managing Operations in the Digital Enterprise

10

Autumn

LANG1062

General French Through Tourism 1A

10

Autumn

LANG1064

German Language and Culture 1A

10

Autumn

LANG1066

Communicative Japanese 1A

10

Autumn

LANG1068

Spanish Language and Culture 1A

10

Autumn

LANG1070

Korean Language and Culture 1A

10

Autumn

LANG1084

Mandarin Listening and Speaking 1A

10

Autumn

BUSI1122

Introduction to Accounting

10

Autumn

BUSI1112

Business Law

20

Full year

BUSI1113

Fundamentals of Financial & Management Accounting

20

Full year

BUSI1070

Business Finance

10

Spring

BUSI1073

The Digital Economy

10

Spring

LANG1063

General French Through Tourism 1B

10

Spring

LANG1065

German Language and Culture 1B

10

Spring

LANG1067

Communicative Japanese 1B

10

Spring

LANG1069

Spanish Language and Culture 1B

10

Spring

LANG1071

Korean Language and Culture 1B

10

Spring

LANG1085

Mandarin Listening and Speaking 1B

10

Spring

Credit total: 200

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 2

Students must take a minimum of 20 credits and a maximum of 40 credits from this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

ECON1035

Economic Integration I

10

Autumn

ECON1041

Economic Perspectives

10

Autumn

ECON1059

Python Programming for Economics

10

Autumn

ECON1036

Economic Integration II

10

Spring

ECON1042

Growth and Development in Long-Run Historical Perspective

10

Spring

ECON1055

Game Theory

10

Spring

Credit total: 60

 

 

 

Year 3 modules

+

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Compulsory

Students must take all modules in this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

ECON2028

Microeconomic Theory

20

Autumn

ECON2030

International Trade

10

Autumn

ECON2032

Applied Econometrics I

20

Autumn

ECON2029

Macroeconomic Theory

20

Spring

ECON2033

Econometrics II

20

Spring

Credit total: 90

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 1

OR a minimum of 0 credits and a maximum of 10 credits from this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

BUSI2120

Corporate Entrepreneurship

10

Autumn

LANG2055

General French Through Tourism 2A

10

Autumn

LANG2057

German Language and Culture 2A

10

Autumn

LANG2059

Communicative Japanese 2A

10

Autumn

LANG2061

Spanish Language and Culture 2A

10

Autumn

LANG2063

Korean Language and Culture 2A

10

Autumn

LANG2077

Mandarin Listening and Speaking 2A

10

Autumn

INCM2057

Gender and Society

10

Autumn

ECON1059

Python Programming for Economics

10

Autumn

Credit total: 90

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 2

OR a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 10 credits from this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

BUSI2129

Managing Across Cultures

10

Spring

LANG2056

General French Through Tourism 2B

10

Spring

LANG2058

German Language and Culture 2B

10

Spring

LANG2060

Communicative Japanese 2B

10

Spring

LANG2062

Spanish Language and Culture 2B

10

Spring

LANG2064

Korean Language and Culture 2B

10

Spring

LANG2078

Mandarin Listening and Speaking 2B

10

Spring

BUSI2194

Introduction to Modelling and Simulations

10

Spring

Credit total: 80

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 3

Students must take a minimum of 10 credits and a maximum of 30 credits from this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

ECON2034

Labour Economics

10

Autumn

ECON2047

Intermediate Mathematical Economics

10

Autumn

ECON2051

Econometric Theory I

10

Autumn

ECON2031

Monetary Economics

10

Spring

ECON2036

Financial Economics

10

Spring

ECON2043

Experimental and Behavioural Economics

10

Spring

ECON2044

Health Economics

10

Spring

ECON2052

Econometric Theory II

10

Spring

ECON2053

Environmental and Resource Economics

10

Spring

Credit total: 90

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 4

OR a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 20 credits from this group** Please note that IS has placed a cap of 12 students from School of Economics to take this module, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

BUSI2180

Industrial Economics I: Economics of Organisation and Innovation

20

Autumn

INTS2003

Introduction to Political Economy

20

Spring

BUSI2183

Firm Strategy and Internationalisation

20

Spring

EDEN2005

Introduction to English Language Teaching

20

Spring

Credit total: 80

 

 

 

Year 4 modules

+

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Compulsory

Students must take all modules in this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

ECON3063

Advanced International Trade Policy

20

Autumn

ECON3067

Dissertation

30

Full Year

ECON3065

Advanced International Trade II

10

Spring

Credit total: 60

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 1

Students could take up a minimum of 50 credits and a maximum of 60 credits from this group.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

ECON3064

Advanced Monetary Economics

20

Autumn

ECON3072

Advanced Microeconomics

20

Autumn

ECON3077

Advanced Health Economics

20

Autumn

ECON3078

Advanced Public Economics

20

Autumn

ECON3090

Microeconometrics Methods

10

Autumn

ECON3093

Advanced Industrial Economics

20

Autumn

ECON3073

Advanced Mathematical Economics

10

Spring

ECON3070

Numerical Methods in Economics

10

Spring

ECON3071

Advanced Macroeconomics

20

Spring

ECON3074

Advanced Development Economics

20

Spring

ECON3076

Topics in Time Series Econometrics

10

Spring

ECON3079

Advanced Experimental and Behavioural Economics

20

Spring

Credit total: 200

 

 

 

Restricted - Group 2

OR a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 10 credits from this group. BUSI3122 has a pre-requisite, which must be satisfied before students are allowed to take. For BUSI3122, the pre-requisite is BUSI1085 Managing Operations in the Digital Enterprise.

Code

Title

Credits

Taught

BUSI3122

Introduction to Data Science: Big Data Analytics in Business

10

Autumn

Credit total: 10

 

 

 

 

Careers and further study

Many students will pursue careers in banks and accounting firms after graduation, such as Deutsche Bank, PwC, Citibank, KPMG, Bank of Communications Shanghai Branch, etc.

An economics graduate from UNNC is highly sought after in the job market and is well-placed to progress to graduate study.

  • 89% of our undergraduates enter Masters courses, mainly overseas.
  • 73.9% of our undergraduates go to the world's top 50 universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, LSE etc.

Fees

Chinese Mainland students

100,000 RMB / year (2024 Entry)

China's Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan students

100,000 RMB / year (2024 Entry)

International students

120,000 RMB / year

Scholarships, sponsorships and bursaries

To encourage academic excellence, we offer a comprehensive and expanding range of full and partial scholarships. 

Historically nearly 30% of our undergraduate students were awarded scholarships for their entry. Once enrolled, current students are eligible for additional merit and/or performance-based scholarships and awards, which covers approximately 32.5% of our whole student body.

Please check here for scholarship types and policies for applicants from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas countries. If you are a mainland Chinese student, please visit the Chinese language prospectus.

More information

Download a PDF version of the School Brochure.

Contact us

Student Recruitment and Admission Office

University of Nottingham Ningbo China
199 Taikang East Road, Ningbo, 315100, China

E. admissions@nottingham.edu.cn
T. +86 (0574) 8818 0182
W.


Faculty Office of Humanities and Social Sciences

Room 306, Innovation and Enterprise Building (IEB)
University of Nottingham Ningbo China
199 Taikang East Road, Ningbo, 315100, China

E. FHSS@nottingham.edu.cn
W.


Ready to apply? Browse our how to apply page to find out more on how to prepare and submit your application.

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