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Studies & Degrees in Economic History

Economic history studies how economies have changed over time: how people, firms and states have produced, traded, saved and worked in different periods, and why. It uses the tools of economics and statistics on historical evidence, and the methods of the historian on economic questions. The Department of Economic History at Lund University describes the value of the subject as its ability to put present-day economic phenomena in perspective by pointing out long-term connections and parallels with other times and places.

Typical questions are why some countries have become rich while others have remained poor, how population change affects prosperity and the environment, how growth relates to natural resources and technology, how the position of men, women and immigrants in the labour market has developed, and how economic theory itself has changed over time. Most programmes concentrate on the world economy from the 19th century to the present.

What students learn

Students read economic theory alongside history, and they learn to work with data: long series of prices, wages, population and output, and the archival sources behind them. Courses usually cover industrialisation and globalisation, economic growth and development, economic demography, business and financial history, and the history of economic thought. Quantitative methods and econometrics become more important at master's level.

Qualifications and levels

  • Courses within a degree. In most countries economic history is first met as a compulsory or optional course inside a bachelor's degree in economics, business or history. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits, and economic history is taught there by departments within the economics faculties, such as the Departamento de Análisis Económico: Teoría Económica e Historia Económica of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
  • Bachelor's degrees. Full degrees in the subject are less common. Since autumn 2019 the Lund department has offered its own bachelor's programme, Economy and Society.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Master in Economic Development and Growth (MEDEG) of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid has 60 credits, is taught in English at the Getafe campus with a maximum of 40 students per class, and includes a course on economic history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Students who complete it can spend a second year at Lund University within a two-year programme run with Lund and the University of Groningen. Lund's own master's programme Global Development, Population and Economic Change takes two years (120 credits), is taught in English, and can be left after one year with a one-year master's degree of 60 ECTS credits.
  • Doctorate. A PhD is the route into academic research. The Lund department, founded in 1949, has about 30 doctoral students.
  • Summer schools. Short courses for visiting students are an option for those who want an introduction without enrolling in a full degree.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 12 active schools for economic history. Five are in Spain and three in the United Kingdom; Sweden, the United States, Russia and Zimbabwe have one each. In Spain the list includes the Facultad de Economía y Empresa of the Universidad de Zaragoza, the Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Getafe, the Universitat de Barcelona and UIBS in Barcelona. In the United Kingdom it includes The University of Edinburgh, Manchester Metropolitan University and Richmond American University London. Elsewhere the list includes Lund University, Yale University and the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo.

The language of instruction depends on the level. Bachelor's courses in Spain are mostly taught in Spanish, while specialised master's programmes such as those in Getafe and Lund are taught in English. Check the language of each programme, and whether it sits in an economics faculty or a history faculty: the first usually expects more mathematics and statistics.

Careers

Economic history trains people to analyse evidence, handle data and write clearly. According to the Lund department, former students work as administrators at government agencies, market analysts, academics, journalists, teachers and archivists. The Carlos III master's prepares for careers in international organisations, the non-profit sector, think-tanks and public institutions, or for doctoral studies.

Official statistics do not count economic historians separately. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of economists to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035 and employment of historians to grow 3 percent over the same period; in both occupations a master's degree is the typical entry requirement. In the United Kingdom the Economic History Society supports research and teaching in the field through publications, conferences, research grants and bursaries for younger scholars.

Frequently asked questions

Is economic history part of economics or of history?

Both. It applies economic and statistical methods to historical evidence. In Spain it is usually taught by departments within the economics faculties; in other countries it may belong to a history faculty or, as in Lund, have a department of its own.

Can I study economic history in English?

Yes, mainly at master's level. The MEDEG master's at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the Lund master's programme Global Development, Population and Economic Change are both taught in English.

How long does a master's take?

One or two years. The MEDEG master's in Getafe has 60 credits (one academic year); the Lund programme lasts two years and has 120 credits.

Do I need a degree in economics to apply?

Requirements differ by programme. Master's programmes with a quantitative profile expect prior training in economics and statistics, so read the admission requirements of each programme before applying.