Are you fascinated by economics and the way it affects other fields such as politics, environment, business, industry and trade? Wondering whether a Bachelor of Economics at UQ is the right option for you?
You’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll be unpacking all the details about studying Economics at UQ so that you’ll be able to make an informed decision. From entry requirements, core units and teaching format to university culture and future career paths, we’ve got everything you need to know!
Let’s jump right in!
What is a Bachelor of Economics at UQ?
Core Units and Majors
How to Get into a Bachelor of Economics at UQ
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Economics at UQ?
A Bachelor of Economics at UQ is pretty much your one-stop shop for all things economics-related. You’ll gain a good foundational understanding of core knowledge and skills including the way society and human behaviour affects the economy and as a result, also affects a range of other fields such as public policy, trade and the environment.
Can this degree be studied in conjunction with another?
You can study a Bachelor of Economics at UQ as a double degree to develop a broader skill set and maximise your opportunities.
UQ offers Economics with the following degrees:
- Bachelors of Business Management
- Bachelors of Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelors of Mathematics
- Bachelors of Arts
- Bachelors of Commerce
- Bachelors of Science
Honours
UQ also offers a one-year Honours program to develop your research skills and specialist knowledge within the field. You’ll have the opportunity to complete in-depth study into topics that interest you and also plan and conduct a research thesis.
In order to be eligible for the Honours program, you need to have completed the Bachelor of Economics with a GPA of 5.5 and met all subject prerequisites with a grade of 5 or above.
You can find out more about the Bachelor of Economics (Honours) program here!
Career Paths
Studying a Bachelor of Economics at UQ will prepare you for a range of different career paths! Here are just some of the options open to you:
- Economic consultant
- Investment analyst
- Business development manager
- Economic analyst
- Business analyst
- International trade manager
- Policy analyst
- Energy and resource economist
Discover other careers you can pursue with a Bachelor of Economics here!
Core Units and Majors
As part of the Bachelor of Economics at UQ, you’ll study 16 units worth of core subject to develop a strong foundational understanding of economics so that you’re well prepared for any majors and elective units you choose.
The core subjects you’ll study are:
- Introductory Microeconomics
- Introductory Macroeconomics
- Tools of Economic Analysis
- Introductory Statistics for Social Sciences
- Intermediate Microeconomics
- Intermediate Macroeconomics
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Introductory Econometrics
Introductory Microeconomics will introduce you to key economic theories and principles and how these influence individual, company and government factors and decision-making.
Introductory Macroeconomics looks at the way the economy functions and interacts with the international economy. You’ll also learn about a range of economic concepts, models and theories including GDP, investment, government expenditure, unemployment and inflation, taxation policies and more.
Introductory Statistics for Social Sciences is another compulsory unit you’ll study. It’ll teach you all about basic statistics and statistical techniques such as probability, descriptive statistics, theoretical distributions, and more. This unit will focus on how these core statistical techniques are applied to business and economics studies.
These core units are all super important and build a strong foundation for your economics study. As you learn these core concepts and ideas, you’ll have more opportunities to choose fun and interesting elective units to explore a range of different topics!
What are the Majors?
In addition to the 16 units worth of core subjects, the Economics degree at UQ has a lot of different options when it comes to completing the remaining 32 units.
You can choose to study a double major or complete 1 major and 16 units worth of general electives.
These are all the majors you can choose from:
- Economics of Strategy and Behaviour
- Economics and Public Policy
- International and Financial Economics
- Quantitative Analysis
If you’re having a hard time selecting a major, don’t worry! We talked to Hannah, who decided to not study a major at all.
This is a pretty unique option offered within the UQ Economics degree where you can choose to study 16 flexible Economics units and 16 general elective units instead of a major.
“Once I realised I didn’t really want to pursue a major, I just tried to figure out what interested me from all the core subjects… Some of the subjects interested me from the list of majors but I didn’t want to be doing all of them so I just did what I liked! ” — Hannah Phillips, Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Arts (French) Graduate at UQ
Are there any built-in internships or placements?
While there aren’t any built-in internship or placement opportunities for this degree, you can choose a work-integrated learning unit, Practicum (ECON3380), using your elective units. This unit is open to final year Bachelor of Economics students and you’ll have the option to complete an internship of 100-120 hours during the summer break or semester.
How to Get into a Bachelor of Economics at UQ
The guaranteed ATAR for entry into this degree is 85.00 but there are also a lot of alternate pathways to help you gain admission into this degree!
Depending on your background, circumstances and Year 12 subjects, you might be eligible for one of UQ’s admission schemes which can boost your selection rank by up to 5 adjustment factors.
In addition, you might also be able to increase your selection rank and/or meet subject prerequisites by completing a bridging program, a tertiary studies pathway, or a Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT).
You can find out more about the different alternate pathways to a Bachelor of Economics at UQ here!
Are there any prerequisites?
In order to get into a Bachelor of Economics at UQ, you need to have studied a General English subject and Mathematical Methods with a grade of C (or equivalent).
What scholarships are available?
There are heaps of scholarships available at UQ, including some Business and Economics ones, so definitely do some research on eligibility criteria and find the right scholarship for you here!
What’s the Teaching Format?
A Bachelor of Economics at UQ is taught through semesters, which means you’ll have two academic sessions per year.
Class Structure
Lectures
Lectures are usually quite large with around 500 to 600 students and usually go for around 1-2 hours. Lecturers will introduce you to the weekly topics, key ideas, concepts and theories.
Tutorials
Tutorials are only 1-hour long and are much smaller with only around 20 to 30 students per class. These are more interactive learning activities and will help you consolidate the knowledge you learn in lectures and discuss it with your peers.
How many hours do you go to university?
You’ll usually have 1-2 hour long lectures and 1-hour long tutorials for each subject so if you’re studying full-time, you’ll have around 10-12 contact hours a week in total.
Of course, in addition to lectures and tutorials, you’ll also have to complete independent study, revise for exams and work on assignments.
What are assessments like?
Usually, almost always, you’ll have a mid-semester exam and a final exam which could be split 50-50. You will also most likely have another assessment which is usually only worth around 20-35%.
Some of the other assessment types you might come across include case studies, essays, quizzes, in-class exams, or participation marks.
Skills You Refine and Learn
Studying Economics means you’ll master maths skills since a lot of the economic analysis you learn and the practical situations you come across require a strong understanding of mathematics such as statistics and calculus.
You’ll also refine your critical thinking skills and apply your learning to the ‘real world’.
“When I see a bit of news, I instantly think about the economic impacts of this and I wonder ‘how is this going to affect us?’ You definitely develop those critical thinking and analysing skills.” — Hannah Phillips
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
Culture
The Bachelor of Economics at UQ consists of a large cohort and most of your units depend on your major so you don’t often come across the same people during classes.
“It can seem quite isolating because there are so many people, so many tutorials and classes… Everyone’s studying slightly different things so it can be hard to match-up and meet the same people again and again.” — Hannah Phillips
Though on the other hand, there are ways for you to socialise and truly feel the culture of the university.
So even though it can feel isolating at first, once you get involved in clubs and societies, you’ll find that the uni culture is actually super friendly and supportive with heaps of fun events, activities and opportunities on campus!
Economics Society
One of the best societies for Bachelor of Economics students is the UQ Economics Society. The society organises a lot of social, career and educational events as well as competitions and social sporting events.
The society also has plenty of resources and articles on their website to support you throughout university including course selection guides, careers guides, blog updates and more!
Support Programs
UQ has a lot of support programs available including Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) organised by the UQ School of Economics. These weekly classes are offered for some first-year Economics subjects and are designed to complement lectures and tutorials.
Each class is conducted by PASS leaders who have recently completed the particular unit and received excellent grades.
Classes will help you study for the subject, especially difficult topics, and learn how to apply the theoretical content you learn to ‘real world’ scenarios. You’ll be able to ask questions and consolidate your understanding through actively participating in discussions.
PASS is also a great way to settle into uni life and connect with your peers!
Faculty
The Economics faculty at UQ has over 70 passionate and experienced lecturers, tutors and researchers to support you during your degree. They’re usually very approachable and available to support your learning both during and after classes with options such as consultation hours.
“Lecturers are usually pretty friendly, they know their stuff, and most of them can have really interesting insights into their particular field of study.” — Hannah Phillips
Maitreyi Kulkarni is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently studying a Bachelor of Media and Communications (Public Relations and Social Media) at Macquarie University. She loves writing just about anything from articles to poetry, and has also had one of her articles published with the ABC. When she’s not writing up a storm, she can be found reading, bingeing sitcoms, or playing the guitar.
