Economics
Overview
At ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ, studying Economics means more than completing a degree ā itās about growing as a thinker, innovator, and changemaker in a supportive and intellectually vibrant womenās college.
We admit a small, close-knit cohort of around 5ā7 students each year, so our undergraduates benefit from exceptional individual attention, a collaborative learning environment, and direct access to world-class supervision.
Why Study Economics at Cambridge?
The Economics course at Cambridge (the Economics Tripos) is one of the most rigorous and prestigious in the world. Youāll study economics at both a theoretical and applied level ā covering microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics ā while also engaging with the historical, political, and philosophical dimensions of the discipline.
Graduates leave not only with a powerful analytical toolkit, but also with the confidence to tackle real-world challenges.
.
What Makes ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ Special?
At ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ, youāll join a supportive and ambitious community of women who combine intellectual curiosity with a commitment to real-world impact.
- A Community that Inspires ā At ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ, womenās voices are always at the centre of the conversation. In a room full of women who care, challenge, and inspire, you develop quickly as both an economist and an individual.
- Personal Support ā Youāll be supervised by world-class economists, with many of your supervisions arranged in College for continuity and tailored support.
- A Strong Study Group ā With around 20 Economics undergraduates across all years, students know each other well. From sharing notes to debating ideas after lectures, learning here is communal.
- 24/7 Access to Resources ā Our magnificent College library is open all hours and fully stocked with the books youāll need, complemented by Cambridgeās wider network of libraries and online resources.
- More than Just Academics ā From student societies and College formals to research initiatives and social events, thereās plenty of opportunity to develop your interests, make friends, and grow both personally and intellectually.
Watch Ruohan Qin's sample lecture
What the students say
Huiru Wu
Why Economics?
To me, economics is more than just graphs and equationsāitās the hidden logic behind everyday life. I love how a simple theory can unravel the choices behind everything from a studentās budget to a nationās climate policy, solving real-world problems. What truly captivates me about economics is its power to address the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. I'm particularly passionate about environmental economicsāwhere rigorous analysis meets sustainability.
Life at ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ:
Our college's vibrant community makes every day special. The tennis courts have become my happy place - there's something magical about evening matches where the setting sun turns the courts golden. Whether I'm playing friendly doubles or practicing serves, it's the perfect way to unwind after lectures. One of my favorite surprises about college life has been watching our gardens transform through the seasons. During exam term, when my brain felt full of equations, the sudden explosion of flowers outside the library became my daily dose of calm.
Kelly Ting
Studying Economics at ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ was a truly rewarding experience. I was lucky to be surrounded by such inviting and supportive peers, including supervisors who are so inspiring, being experts in their field. Economics is a broad subject, and I felt encouraged to explore my specific passions during my studies while learning from the bright minds around me, particularly development economics and the study of inequality. As an interdisciplinary subject, you are challenged to develop both literary and quantitative skills. While it was certainly demanding, I am proud to see how far Iāve grown, both intellectually and personally.
At Medwards, I quickly found a home away from home. From my college family and college wife, to my tutor and DoS, Iāve been well supported through the transition to university life. Academics aside, there are also endless opportunities to explore hobbies and curiosities! I had the privilege of being Treasurer of ABACUS and part of the Cambridge University Dance Competition Team and tried out lots of new hobbies in between. These experiences reminded me of how important it was to make time for the things you love, as my time at university flew by!
Economics Formal Dinner
Director of Studies and Academic Support
At the heart of the Cambridge academic experience is the relationship between students and their Director of Studies (DoS). Your DoS oversees your academic progress, advises on paper choices, arranges supervisions, and ensures you are supported throughout your time in Cambridge.
Our current Director of Studies in Economics is Ruohan Qin, an Official Fellow of the College. Ruohan is a microeconomic theorist whose research focuses on networks, game theory, and the economics of conflict. With extensive teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate courses, Ruohan is deeply committed to helping students thrive academically and personally, supporting students continuously from your first day of matriculation to the last day of graduation. Heāll always be there to listen and support youāwhether youād like to talk about your studies, seek guidance, or just have a friendly chat.
Q&A with the Director of Studies
We look for academic ability and potential in Economics. In practice, that means we look for evidence demonstrating the following:
- the ability to translate real-world phenomena into mathematical form,
- the technical skills to work through the mathematics itself, and
- the insight to interpret the mathematics back into meaningful economic ideas.
An ideal economist is both mathematically rigorous and conceptually imaginative. We value applicants who are confident with numbers but also able to communicate ideas clearly, linking abstract models to real-world issues. Put simply: Imagine someone who loves debating world events and economic policy over dinner, and another who is a brilliant mathematical problem-solver. The best candidates strike a balance between the two: curious about ideas and confident with numbers. That combination is what makes a great economist.
Thereās no single ācorrectā way to write a personal statement ā it really does need to be personal and reflect your voice, interests, and motivations. I canāt tell you the perfect way to write one, but I can tell you a few common mistakes to avoid:
- Donāt let fancy words get in the way of your message
Sometimes we see personal statements filled with long, complex sentences and elaborate vocabulary. While grammatically correct, they can be exhausting to read. Youāre not writing a literary essay ā your goal is to communicate clearly. Keep it simple, keep it readable, and focus on getting your ideas across. - Donāt throw around fancy economics terms you donāt fully understand
Itās tempting to throw in buzzwords ā āKuhn-Tucker conditionsā, āOLS estimationā, "dynamic stochastic general equilibrium"... But if you donāt really understand them, it shows. Remember, weāre trained economists ā we can tell when youāre bluffing. Itās far more impressive to explain a simple idea clearly than to misuse complex ones. - Donāt drown your reader in technical details
Even if you avoid the first two traps ā well done! ā the final danger is overloading your statement with technical content. Itās great if youāve done some reading or explored advanced economic models or programming, but donāt let your statement become a methods showcase. What we care about most is why the topic excites you, what youāve learned, and how you think. Economics is about ideas first ā the tools come second.
At ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ, applicants for Economics usually have two interviews, each with two economists at the University.
Think of the interviews as a kind of mock supervision. Youāll be given a few problems or topics to work through, and your interviewers will guide you as you think aloud and develop your ideas. The aim isnāt just to test what you already know, but to see how you reason, how you approach problems, and how you respond to new information and guidance.
Above all, we want you to feel at ease. The interviews are more like friendly academic conversations than exams ā a chance for us to get to know you, and for you to show your curiosity and potential as a future economist.
The best preparation is to learn to think like an economist. Hereās one way to picture it:
Imagine youāre a non-native English speaker preparing to meet a native speaker in a few yearsā time, hoping to convince them youāre fluent. How do you prepare? By actually learning and practising the language.
Similarly, in your interviews youāll be āconversingā with economists ā so the best preparation is to actually immerse yourself in economics.
My advice is to read serious economics textbooks and start thinking with economic models. This process trains your mind to approach questions in the way of an economist. At the end of the day, itās not about memorising theorems or equations, but about internalising how an economist thinks.
One of my own favourites as a student was Hal Varianās Intermediate Microeconomics.
My personal favourite thing about the College is the atmosphere of openness. At many colleges in Cambridge, youāll find immaculate lawns that students arenāt even allowed to step on ā reserved for Fellows only. At ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ, itās completely different. Not only are students free to enjoy all the green spaces, but you can even pick flowers from the gardens for your room!
Itās this sense of freedom and inclusivity that makes ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ such an inspiring place, and Iām proud to be part of it. I warmly invite you to join us at ŗŚĮĻĶų±¬³Ō¹Ļ one day. Wishing you the very best of luck in your academic journey ā and I hope to meet you here in the future.
Meet our academics
Kamiar Mohaddes
Director of Studies for Management Studies
Professor Simona Paravani-Mellinghoff
Supernumerary Fellow in Economics
Ruohan Qin
Official Fellow; Director of Studies, Tutor, College Lecturer
