Land Economy, BA (Hons)

Teaching

Teaching is provided through lectures, seminars, project work and small-group supervisions. 

You will usually have 10 to 14 hours of lectures, and 2 to 3 supervisions. 

Assessment

Assessment is by written examinations and through coursework and projects, as well as a 10,000 word dissertation in your third year.  

You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams. 

Year 1 (Part IA)

You will study the core disciplines of law and economics. 

You take 4 papers: 

• Economics 
• The Public Sector 
• Quantitative and Legal Methods for Land Economists 
• Land Economy, Development, and Sustainability 

You’ll also develop: 

• the key skill of critical analysis across a range of different disciplines 
• computer literacy 
• data management and numeracy skills 
• skills in oral presentation and report preparation 

Year 2 (Part IB) 

You can continue studying a broad range of law, environmental policy and economics topics. Or you can choose to specialise in one discipline. 

You take 5 papers, including at least one paper on a legal topic, and select your other 4 papers from a choice of 6.  

Current options include: 

• Environmental Economics and Law 
• Fundamentals of Finance and Investment 
• The Built Environment 
• Land and Urban Economics 
• The Law of Real Property: Principles, Policy, and Economic Implications 

Year 3 (Part II) 

You will take 4 papers and write a dissertation.  

The 4 papers may be chosen from a wide range of options which currently includes: 

• Law and Economics 
• Landlord and Tenant Law 
• Planning Policy and Practice 
• Land, Food and Ecosystem Services 
• Land Policy and Development Economics 
• Advanced Techniques in Finance and Investment for Real Estate 

You will also write a 10,000 word dissertation on any aspect of the Department’s work. This is your opportunity to specialise in a topic that particularly interests you. 

The choice is very broad and in the past students have written about: 

• the economics of gentrification 
• Aboriginal land claims in Australia 
• the social perception and problems of population density 
• the future prospects of virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin 
• the upgrading of slums in Brazil 
• road traffic and house prices 
• financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa 
• the affordable housing legacy of the London Olympics 
• environmental protection in the developing world 
• risk management in capital and financial markets 
• the legal regulation of the property of unmarried couples 
• market failure in the housing market 

For further information about this course and the papers you can take see the Department of Land Economy website.

Changing course

It’s really important to think carefully about which course you want to study before you apply. 

In rare cases, it may be possible to change course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.

You might also have to:

• take part in an interview
• complete an admissions test
• produce some written work
• achieve a particular grade in your current studies
• do some catch-up work
• start your new course from the beginning 

For more information visit the Department website.

You can also apply to change to:

• Management Studies at the Judge Business School

You can't apply to this course until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you have completed one year or more of your original Cambridge course.

You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.