Outline

Overview

This unit represents a culminating academic experience for students in the Master of Economics by bringing together their knowledge in economic theory and methodology to analyse an economic problem. The unit involves writing a 6,000-word report. The emphasis is on students acquiring skills in identifying an economic problem, undertaking the required analysis using appropriate tools, and disseminating the results.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Economics
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	24 credit points from Economics elective units of study
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ECON7010 or ECON7020
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Robert Annabel, robert.annabel@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	James Morley, james.morley@sydney.edu.au
	Juliana Silva Goncalves, juliana.goncalves@sydney.edu.au
	Robert Annabel, robert.annabel@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
In-person written or creative task	Writing in class In-class tutorial writing exercises	50%	Multiple weeks	2000 words (equivalent)	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Research project video pitch Record a pitch for your research project	10%	Week 09 Due date: 03 May 2026 at 23:59	500 words (equivalent)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Research analysis	Research project Research project on a topic relating to the lecture content	40%	Week 13 Due date: 31 May 2026 at 23:59	2000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High Distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a Credit a good standard, and a Pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Distinction	75 - 84	To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Credit	65 - 74	To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Pass	50 - 64	To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

N/A

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Tutorial 1; to be held at your scheduled tutorial venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Tutorial 2; to be held at your scheduled LECTURE venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Tutorial 3; to be held at your scheduled tutorial venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Tutorial 4; to be held at your scheduled LECTURE venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	NO LECTURES DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	NO TUTORIALS DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Tutorial 5; to be held at your scheduled LECTURE venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Tutorial 6; to be held at your scheduled tutorial venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Tutorial 7; to be held at your scheduled LECTURE venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Tutorial 8; to be held at your scheduled tutorial venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Tutorial 9; to be held at your scheduled LECTURE venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Stream-specific content	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Tutorial 10; to be held at your scheduled tutorial venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	NO LECTURES	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Tutorial 11; to be held at your scheduled tutorial venue and time	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students in Canvas. However, if the recording fails due to technical reasons or otherwise (which does happen from time to time), your instructor may not create a new recording. Moreover, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit will be available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate understanding of insights provided by economics theories as they apply to real-world problems
LO2. Demonstrate understanding of appropriate quantitative and analytical techniques to generate and interpret results for real-world research problems
LO3. Apply economic principles to problems in a broader real-world context
LO4. Critically review relevant literature
LO5. Critically examine the nature and implications of assumptions and value judgements involved in economic research
LO6. Communicate research results effectively to a broader audience

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Updated schedule and assessments based on student feedback to include additional scaffolding to support development of their research project.

Additional information

School of Economics Student Portal

The streams available in Semester 1, 2026 are:

Inequality and Policy Evaluation (Stream 1): The Stream will focus on developing skills that are essential for those aspiring for a career in public policy or other sectors that demand an in-depth understanding of how to evaluate programs or policies. Students will learn 1) the economic approach to identify problems and evaluate solutions, with a focus on causal identification, 2) the behavioural economics approach to enrich our understanding of how policies affect individual behaviour, 3) how to apply this knowledge to key policy issues related to inequality in early childhood development, education and the labour market. Students will also develop the ability to communicate economic insights for policy evaluation to general audiences.

The Macroeconomic Effects of Global Shocks (Stream 2): The Stream will focus on developing skills in macroeconomic policy analysis. Students will learn 1) how researchers evaluate the quantitative effects of macroeconomic policies and various shocks to the economy on inflation, economic activity, and interest rates, 2) key findings in the literature on these effects, with a focus on global shocks to commodity prices, monetary conditions, and financial markets, and 3) how to apply tools to conduct policy analysis and communicate this analysis to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Topics in Industrial Organization (Stream 3): In modern economies, markets and firms are both ubiquitous and central to welfare. This stream introduces students to contemporary applied research in the field of industrial organization—the study of the strategic actions of firms in markets. Key topics include: (i) mergers, collusion, and competition policy; ii) platform markets and selection markets; (iii) innovation; and (iv) the industrial organization of electricity, financial and health care markets, and environmental regulation. By engaging with recent research papers in each of these areas, students will develop the skills to apply economic theory and empirical methods to formulate and evaluate firm strategy and regulation in markets. They will also enhance their ability to conduct, communicate, and critically assess research in industrial organization.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

ECON7030: Economics Research Project

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links