Economics

You’ll learn to analyse and interpret data with different methodologies and tools while developing your problem-solving skills that are needed in both business and government to make smarter and informed decisions.

Your major structure

This major can be taken in the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Commerce and requires you to complete quantitative subjects as part of your studies.

Bachelor of Arts Students

Through the Bachelor of Arts, you can study two majors, which gives you the option to tailor your study plan to your unique career path. You could compliment your economics studies with a variety of major options, such as criminology, gender studies or even politics and international studies.

You may choose economics as a minor. It requires 4 subjects (50 points):

• Two level 2 compulsory subjects
• Two level 3 elective subjects

Bachelor of Commerce students

In your first year, you will complete a compulsory core alongside 4-6 foundation subjects including studies in both microeconomics and macroeconomics. You'll also commence a sequence of subjects to fulfill the Bachelor of Commerce quantitative requirements, as well as elective and breadth subjects.

For those who are strong in maths, you can choose the mathematics pathway to fulfill your quantitative requirements, which includes two level 2 maths subjects and their prerequisites.

In your second and third year, you will complete 5 or more economics subjects to realise your major, plus a combination of commerce electives and breadth subjects.

Breadth studies

The Melbourne curriculum allows you to incorporate breadth subjects into your degree. This gives you the chance to explore subjects or disciplines outside of economics.

Use breadth to explore creative interests or topics you have always been curious about; or complement your economics major and career development with a language, communication skills or technological expertise.

If you have a professional graduate program in mind, such as the Juris Doctor (Law) or Master of Engineering, you can use your breadth subjects to develop your knowledge and meet prerequisites from day one. Breadth subjects can give you the flexibility to qualify for graduate studies or explore interests in a field that’s very different from your major.

Specialisations

From 2026, you can deepen your knowledge by focusing 25 credit points of your level 3 elective study toward a specialisation within your major. The three specialisations available to the Economics major are:

• Econometrics
• Economic Policy
• Ethics and Sustainability