Why study with us?
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Top graduates
Our graduates are highly sought after, with our alumni including leaders in the Reserve Bank, the Treasury and other government departments, international agencies, financial institutions and NGOs.
Study economics with us
Overview
The Bachelor of Economics (Honours) is highly desirable for students seeking employment as professional economists, for students who want to do postgraduate work in economics or for students who simply want to signal relatively high academic achievement.
This course may be suitable for undergraduate students with one major.
If a student wishes to work as a professional economist in industry, finance or the public service, employers may value a level of specialisation that is not provided by a three-year pass degree. Many of those who have graduated with Honours in Economics from the University of Sydney now have top jobs in government institutions like the Departments of Treasury and Finance, the Reserve Bank and the Australian Bureau of Statistics or in private banks or other financial institutions. Many others are academic economists, while some have won fame in the political arena.
Subject areas
Shared pool
Admission, fees and how to apply
Depends on your qualification, citizenship status
The details on this page based on your selections are a guide only, and are subject to change.
English language proficiency
Find out if you need to prove English language proficiency (depends on your country of origin and educational background).
Your fee
Your funding & scholarships
How to apply
For standalone honours degrees, apply directly to the University via the online application portal before the closing date. Before you apply, visit the How to Apply information for honours (and the faculty page for specific information). When you are ready to apply, select the `Apply' button on the right-hand side of this page.
Standard closing dates:
Semester 1 entry applications must be submitted by 31 January
Semester 2 entry applications must be submitted by 30 June
We strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible, offers are made on a rolling basis and places are limited. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - check the scholarships website for details.
Starting date
Semester 1 (March) and Semester 2 (August)
For standalone honours degrees, apply directly to the University via the online application portal before the closing date. Before you apply, visit the How to Apply information for honours (and the faculty page for specific information). When you are ready to apply, select the `Apply' button on the right-hand side of this page.
Standard closing dates:
Semester 1 entry applications must be submitted by 31 January
Semester 2 entry applications must be submitted by 30 June
We strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements. Separate scholarship deadlines may apply - check the scholarships website for details.
Starting date
Semester 1 (March) and Semester 2 (August)
Further course information
Typical workload and assessment
Each honours year involves a mix of seminars and a thesis. Some honours years require three seminars and a shorter thesis (12,000-15,000 words). Others involve two seminars and a longer thesis, up to 20,000 words. Seminar work is marked by the academic staff member leading the class. In some departments, a second academic staff member will mark work written for seminars. A thesis is read by at least two academics in the field other than the student's supervisor. Examiners write detailed reports on each thesis, which the student receives, and assign a tentative grade.
The final grades for each thesis are decided by the department or program staff collectively. Each department or program ranks all honours candidates based on their thesis and seminar results. These departmental results and nominations for the University Medals are then considered by the Faculty Honours Board, which includes the Honours Coordinators from every department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Honours awards and classes
The classes of honours awarded are:
- Honours Class I (where the Honours mark is in the range of 80-100)
- Honours Class II Division 1 (75 - 79)
- Honours Class II Division 2 (70 - 74)
- Honours Class III (65 - 69)
- Pass (50 - 64)
Sample study plan
Admission requirement
Entry to Honours is available to meritorious students after the completion of a pass degree. Part time study is permitted if approved by the administering discipline.
Completion of a three year degree with a major in Economics, a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 70% across all senior units of study taken in the degree, and an average of 70% or higher in the third year honours program units, ECOS3901, ECOS3902 and [either ECOS3903 OR ECOS3904 OR the listed ECMT alternative units], on condition that the student has also passed all three of these units as well as one additional ECOS3000 level unit. For students who take both ECOS3903 and ECOS3904, the two marks will be averaged to give a single mark for inclusion in the honours program unit average; for students taking Econometrics alternatives to ECOS3903 or ECOS3904, the two Econometrics marks will also be averaged to give a single mark for inclusion in the honours program unit average.
The academic requirements that are displayed are applicable to currently available courses only, and are updated annually in October and may be changed without notice. The Handbooks Online and the University of Sydney Calendar are the official legal source of information relating to study at the University of Sydney, and you are referred to those documents.
Career Pathways
Our graduates can be found in a broad range of careers and roles, including:
- Accountant
- Banker
- Business consultant
- Business information systems analyst
- Economic analyst, economist
- Financial manager
- Human resource manager
- Industrial relations specialist
- Researcher
- Social policy adviser
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