Land Economy

Environment, Law and Economics

Land Economy is intellectually challenging – encompassing law and economics, with aspects of the environment, business finance and resource management – and offers many excellent career opportunities.

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Overview

The course information on this page is for 2024 entry. Details for 2025 entry will be published in March 2024.

A challenging combination

Law, economics, and their relationship to the built and natural environments are central to Land Economy, along with other areas such as business regulation, the financial aspects of real estate and international development.

The multidisciplinary nature of the course is particularly relevant in the 21st century where the environment, law and economics and the control of scarce resources affect the daily lives of people around the world.

Teaching and resources

Our lecturers are specialists in their own field and include lawyers, economists, planners and experts in environmental policy, finance and quantitative methods. Many are involved in research projects of national and international concern.

The Department has a comprehensive library and an extensive range of computing facilities, including an intranet store of wide-ranging teaching, careers and other useful information.

Course costs

Tuition fees

Information on tuition fee rates for Land Economy is available on the tuition fees page.

Additional course costs

a University approved scientific calculator - Hewlett Packard HP10Bll sells for £35.00 and the Casio calculator sells for £25.00

There are no other compulsory additional course costs for Land Economy - full details of the course are available on the department website.

Changing course

It is possible to change from other courses to Land Economy and vice versa, as long as this decision is supported by the student’s College. Transfer students to Land Economy will start in either Part IA or Part IB depending on whether relevant courses have been studied in an earlier year at the University. In exceptional cases, a student may by allowed to transfer in Part II provided that they have completed two years at the University in a highly relevant course.

To be able to change course, you need the agreement of your College that any change is in your educational interests, and you must have the necessary background in the subject to which you wish to change - in some cases you may be required to undertake some catch-up work or to take up the new course from the start/an earlier year. If you think you may wish to change course, we encourage you to contact a College admissions office for advice. You should also consider if/how changing course may affect any financial support arrangements.

Professional training

This degree differs from similar courses offered elsewhere because it’s not wholly vocational, and the emphasis is on intellectual and academic content which appeals greatly to employers.

The degree is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and allows graduates to progress directly to the Assessment of Professional Competence to become a full member of the RICS. It can also give partial exemption from the academic requirements of the Bar Council and Law Society for those intending to be lawyers. An appropriate combination of papers is required in each case.

Exceptional employment prospects

The Department has one of the strongest records for graduate employment or further study across the University (97% of respondents to the Graduate Outcomes Survey were in work or further study 15 months after graduation*); a reflection of its focus on topics relevant to real-world problems, and its emphasis on the development of a broad range of skills.

Our graduates go on to become lawyers, economists, civil servants, and to work for national and international agencies. Many go into financial or business careers, and others enter public service with local or national organisations, or proceed to further study and research.

* Based on responses to the Graduate Outcomes survey. This records the outcomes of students who completed their studies between August 2019 and July 2020. 54% of Land Economy graduates responded to the survey.

Course outline

Teaching in the Department is a mix of lectures, seminars, project work, and supervisions. In a typical week, you can expect 10-14 hours of lectures and two or three supervisions.

Assessment is by written examinations and through coursework and projects, as well as a dissertation in Year 3 (Part II).

Year 1 (Part IA)

Part IA provides the framework for later specialisation. You acquire a thorough grounding in the core disciplines of law and economics and are introduced to the multidisciplinary nature of the degree through four compulsory papers:

Economics
The Public Sector: Institutional and Legal Frameworks
Quantitative and Legal Methods for Land Economists
Land Economy, Development and Sustainability

During your first year you develop the key skill of critical analysis across a range of different disciplines, computer literacy, data management and numeracy skills, and skills in oral presentation and report preparation.

Year 2 (Part IB)

In Part IB, you can continue studying a broad range of law, environmental policy and economics topics, or choose to specialise more closely in one of the three disciplines.

You take five papers, including at least one paper on a legal topic, and select your other four papers from a choice of six. 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)

Part II continues the work of the second year, with further opportunity for breadth or depth, depending on your interests or career aspirations.

You will take four papers and write a dissertation. The four 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 your 10,000 word dissertation on any aspect of the Department’s work of your choosing. 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 on, for example:

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 studying Land Economy at the University of Cambridge see the Department of Land Economy website.

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

This page details the standard entry requirements for this course. Check the document below for any variations between Colleges (some may ask for an A* in a particular subject for example):

PDF icon Land Economy entry requirements by College for 2024 entry

Typical offers require

A Level: A*AA
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Other qualifications: See Entrance requirements.

Subject requirements

Required: No specific subjects required by any Colleges
Some Colleges require: A Level/IB Higher Level in an essay-based subject
Useful preparation: Economics, Mathematics

See Entrance requirements and Choosing your post-16 subjects for additional guidance and conditions of entry.

Admission assessment

No written assessment is required for applicants to Land Economy. See Admission assessments for further details.

Submitted work

Applicants to some Colleges are required to submit written work prior to interview. See the 'entry requirements by College' document above for details.

All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges. Please contact the relevant College admissions office if you have any queries.

Typical Land Economy entrants (A Level and IB)

For 2017, 2018 and 2019 entry, the majority of applicants from an A Level background achieved at least grades A*A*A (67% of entrants). These successful applicants typically took Economics (89%) and Mathematics (88%). For the same period, the majority of IB entrants achieved at least 43 points overall and/or grades 776 at Higher Level.

This information is intended to give you a sense of the academic standard of our typical A Level entrants. We welcome applicants from a range of qualification backgrounds.

Resources

Find out more about Land Economy at Cambridge

Department of Land Economy - Explore Land Economy in more detail on the department website.

Overview of Land Economy - A detailed guide to the Land Economy degree.

Undergraduate Student Guide - The Land Economy undergraduate prospectus.

Suggested Reading - A reading list for those interested in Land Economy.

Discover Land Economy - The Department's blog, exploring applications, careers, research, and teaching within Land Economy.

Career Paths - Explore the range of careers opportunities available after studying Land Economy at Cambridge.

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Contextual information

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