Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies

Economics is a diverse, fascinating discipline that studies a wide range of issues that shape the broad framework of society – political, social and commercial. The School of Economics has a proud history as one of the most highly ranked centres in economics globally. This is reflected in our degrees, which promote a deep understanding of the key concepts of economics with a focus on contemporary issues of Australian and international importance. Our graduates are equipped with the key skills to work in fields such as the financial and banking sectors, leading policy institutions and NGOs, the commodities and futures markets, financial journalism, business and consulting.

Course overview

The School offers the three-year (full time) Bachelor of Economics and the four-year (full time) Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies.

All Bachelor of Economics students complete a program in Economics or Advanced Economics* which covers foundational studies in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics and includes a choice of one of the following majors:

• Econometrics
• Economics
• Environmental, Agricultural and Resource Economics
• Financial Economics

Students also complete a second major (mandatory for the Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies) or minor from a range of subject areas including the humanities, social sciences, business and STEM, and units of study from the Open Learning Environment. Additionally, students enrolled in the Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies complete a program of advanced coursework or honours (entry criteria apply) in their final year.

*Students completing the Advanced Economics program must take the Economics major

Degree structure and requirements

For detailed information on degree requirements, please refer to the course resolutions.

1. Bachelor of Economics

To qualify for the award of the Bachelor of Economics, a candidate must complete 144 credit points, comprising:

• 84 credit points comprising:
  • a program (72 credit points) in Economics or Advanced Economics; and
  • 12 credit points of Economics, Business School, Science or Engineering units from Table S; or
  • 12 credit points from Table D (for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream)
• A minor (36 credit points) or second major (48 credit points) except Economic Policy from the Table A Subject Areas or Table S;
• 6 credit points of Open Learning Environment units from Table O, except where a student is enrolled in the Dalyell stream; and
• Any additional units from Table A for the Bachelor of Economics, Table S, Table O, or Table D (for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream) needed to achieve the 144 credit points required for the degree.

2. Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies

To qualify for the award of the Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies, a candidate must complete 192 credit points, comprising:

• 84 credit points comprising:
  • a program (72 credit points) in Economics or Advanced Economics; and
  • 12 credit points of Economics, Business School, Science or Engineering units from Table S; or
  • 12 credit points from Table D (for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream)
• A second major (48 credit points) except Economic Policy from the Table A Subject Areas or Table S;
• 6 credit points of Open Learning Environment units from Table O, except where a student is enrolled in the Dalyell stream;
• Any additional units from Table A for the Bachelor of Economics, Table S, Table O, or Table D (for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream) needed to achieve the 192 credit points required for the degree; and
• Advanced Coursework: a minimum of 24 credit points of 4000-level advanced coursework units of study selected from Table A for the Bachelor of Economics or Table S, including a research, community, industry or entrepreneurship project of at least 12 and up to 36 credit points; or
• Honours: 48 credit points of 4000-level honours units of study in the Economics or Econometrics subject area.

Sample degree plans

Sample degree plans are available to assist students with forward planning, including taking units of study in the correct sequence.

Programs, majors and minors

The program in Economics/Advanced Economics consists of 72 credit points. A major consists of 48 credit points in a single subject area. A minor consists of 36 credit points in a single subject area.

Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies students complete a program in economics with an embedded major in Econometrics; Economics; Environmental, Agricultural and Resource Economics; or Financial Economics. 

Students also complete a second major (mandatory for the Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies) or minor (other than Economic Policy) from the Table A Subject Areas or Table S. 

Overlapping core units of study

An overlap in core units of study occurs with certain combinations of majors. For example, the core unit ECON1001 Introductory Microeconomics is common to the Economics and Financial Economics majors. This situation also arises between some School of Economics majors and majors offered by the Business School and Faculty of Science. For example, the 1000-level core units in the Finance major (Business School), BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis and BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making, are equivalent to ECMT1010 Introduction to Economic Statistics and ECON1001 Introductory Microeconomics, respectively. Bachelor of Economics students are required to complete the core units specified for the Bachelor of Economics rather than equivalent units offered by other faculties.

• 1000 level: Up to two overlapping 1000-level core units may count towards the requirements of both majors. To make up the credit points for the overlapping unit(s), students must complete elective units as appropriate.
• 2000 level: An overlapping 2000-level core unit cannot count towards the requirements of two majors. Students are required to substitute the overlapping core unit in one of the majors with a 2000- or 3000-level selective unit from the same major.

Advanced coursework

The Advanced Coursework option provides Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies students with the opportunity to broaden and deepen their subject knowledge and conduct a research project. Requirements and units of study for advanced coursework in Economics can be found on the Economics advanced coursework units of study page.

Honours

Honours is an additional year (full time) of study on top of a three-year bachelor’s degree. It provides students an opportunity to develop research skills in their undergraduate major by undertaking advanced coursework and conducting a supervised but independent research project. An honours year adds greater depth to an undergraduate degree and is a pathway to both highly sought-after graduate programs in the public and private sectors, and postgraduate research courses.

Honours in Economics or Econometrics may be undertaken in the final (fourth) year of a Bachelor of Advanced Studies combined degree or an appended honours degree such as the Bachelor of Economics (Honours). Students are required to meet the relevant admission criteria. The School of Economics is one of a handful of schools that provide a dedicated honours stream which commences in Year 2 and therefore requires early degree planning. The stream comprises units of study in advanced microeconomics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics, and applied econometrics in Years 2 and 3, which prepare students for the advanced coursework and independent research that they will undertake in the honours year (Year 4).

The Honours program aims to finetune students' analytical, problem solving, writing, presentation and time-management skills. All units in the program are taught in smaller classes to facilitate greater interaction with academic staff and to enhance the Honours cohort learning experience. 

Admission to the Honours program is also possible in Years 3 and 4; however, the entry criteria are higher for students who take this pathway than for those who commence in Year 2. Students entering in later years may also be required to complete some units from the second- and third-year Honours program.

Please see the Economics subject area or the Econometrics subject area for admission criteria and course requirements.

Table D - Dalyell stream

The Dalyell stream is a targeted stream for high achievers. Students who participate in the Dalyell stream are known as ‘Dalyell Scholars’ and have access to curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Dalyell Scholars are required to complete 12 credit points of Dalyell stream units. Dalyell stream units emphasise the development of vision, depth of understanding, adaptability, breadth of perspective, societal contribution, and a high level of capability in operating across disciplinary and cultural boundaries. Dalyell Scholars may take Dalyell stream units offered by any faculty.

Additionally, with the permission of the Dalyell Program Director, students have access to enrichment and accelerated units of study that can be completed as electives.

For further details regarding the Dalyell stream, please refer to the Interdisciplinary Studies Handbook.

Table O - Open Learning Environment (OLE)

Students are required to complete 6 credit points in units of study from the Open Learning Environment, unless they are enrolled in the Dalyell stream.

Details of available OLE units can be found in Table O in the Interdisciplinary Studies Handbook.

Table S - Interdisciplinary Studies (Shared pool)

Students can complete a second major or minor (Bachelor of Economics only) in a wide range of subject areas through the shared pool of majors and minors.

The available subject areas for majors and minors and their requirements can be found in the Interdisciplinary Studies Handbook.

Electives

Students may complete any additional units of study from Table A (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Table S (shared pool), Table O (OLE), or Table D (for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream) needed to achieve the credit-point total required for their degree.

Contacts and further information

- School of Economics
- Email: economics.enquiries@sydney.edu.au