For those admitted to read History and Economics, this page asks you about your choice of course for the first term and tells you about the Preliminary examinations which you will take at the end of your first year.
The examinations consist of four papers:
1. Introductory Economics
The first year economics course at Balliol does not assume any prior knowledge of the subject, but does move fairly fast and is quite technical in its character. The principal books used in the first year are J. M. Perloff’s Microeconomics with Calculus, R. Frank and E. Cartwright’s Microeconomics and Behaviour, and C I Jones’ Macroeconomics. Starting to read either of the first two will help with the beginning of the course. Jones will be used after Christmas. Older editions of these books are fine and can often be found at second hand prices online.
Nearly everyone will also need to learn some mathematics. Again, knowledge of A‑level material or its equivalent is not assumed, but starting with some of the work before term is a good idea. During term we will use the ‘maths workbook’ which can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/mathswbk. There are many books with titles like ‘Mathematics for Economists’ and so long as they start at a level which is appropriate for you, there is little to choose between them. However, some examples would be:
- Timbrell, M., Mathematics for Economists
- Kennedy, G., Mathematics for Innumerate Economists
- Anthony, M. and Biggs, N., Mathematics for Economics and Finance
- Black, J., and Bradley, T., Essential Mathematics for Economists
- Holden, K., and Pearson, A.W., Introductory Mathematics for Economists
- Dowling, E., Mathematical Methods for Business and Economics, from the Schaum’s Outlines series (students with no background in Mathematics have found this book particularly useful)
- Chiang, A.C., Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics (starts at a similar level to the other texts listed, but takes many ideas a bit further)
For more general reading in economics, any of the following should be interesting:
- Blinder, A., After the Music Stopped
- Krugman, P., The return of Depression Economics
- Easterly, W., The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good
- Collier, P., The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It
- Sachs, J., The End of Poverty
- Backhouse, R. and Medema, S., Retrospectives: On the Definition of Economics
2. European and World History
There is a choice between four periods: 370–900, 1000–1300, 1400–1650 and 1815–1914. These are broad outline courses intended to introduce you to a range of historical problems. It is a good idea to study a period different from that which you studied at school. Further details can be found on the History Faculty website.
3. One Optional Subject
You can choose one from a wide range of more than twenty Optional Subjects. Further details can be found on the History Faculty website.
4. Historical Methodology
Choose one of the following: Approaches to History; Historiography (Tacitus to Weber); or a Foreign-Language Text. Please see the details of these on the Balliol pages for students, but do note that one of the papers on that page, Quantification in History, is not available to students doing History and Economics, because of the overlap with your economics work. If you have any uncertainties about which to choose, I shall be happy to discuss it with you. Further details can be found on the History Faculty website.
You will start in the first term with papers 1 and 4. Paper 2 (European World History) will normally be studied in your second term, and paper 3 (Optional Subjects) in your third term, so there is no need to make your choice of these papers at this stage. Please email me (at frederick.smith@balliol.ox.ac.uk) your choices for papers 1 and 4 as soon as possible, and by Thursday 27 July at the latest. I look forward to hearing from you and to seeing all of you who take up your places here in October.
Frederick Smith, July 2023