Course details

Summary

Business Economics applies the tools and rigour of Economics to business situations. Students focus on a broad range of analytical and business skills and take courses that apply economic reasoning and insight to problems in business or the non-profit sector. The focus is on managerial economics and informed decision making.

By incorporating valuable skills from business disciplines in finance, accounting or management, graduates with a major in Business Economics will enhance their work-readiness and ability to engage and connect with the wider world.

Why study Business Economics at UC?

UC is the only New Zealand University to offer a pathway that combines Economics with at least one other commerce discipline in a formal major.

The Business Economics major combines knowledge of an academically rigorous discipline with skills that equip graduates to be work-ready. For example, the third-year capstone course ECON310 Economic Thinking for Business has a strong community engagement emphasis. It looks at the application of economics with regard to incentives, opportunity cost, and constrained optimization to actual business and real world problems. This sort of learning ensures that graduates can demonstrate the use of skills that employers demand and value.

Students majoring in Business Economics can also take advantage of the Economics and Finance internship courses to further their work-ready skills in real businesses.

Recommended preparation

While previous study of economics is useful preparation, it is not essential to have studied economics at secondary school level. The Business Economics major does not require mathematics.

A broad education, including history and English, is useful to develop the ability to write clearly and analyse written material.

Qualification structure and duration

The three year BCom degree requires a minimum total of 360 points:

at least 255 points of Commerce courses (up to 60 points of Mathematics and/or Statistics at 100 or 200-level may be included in the 255 points)

the remaining 105 points can be from commerce courses or courses from other degrees.

A minimum of 225 points must be from courses above 100-level, with at least 90 points at 300-level.

Double Degrees

It is possible to combine a commerce degree with other degrees; a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws is a highly marketable combination. The Bachelor of Commerce also combines well with the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Forestry Science and Bachelor of Engineering with Honours.

Career opportunities

Graduates in Business Economics are well prepared for employment in many areas of government and business, where it is recognised that an economist's education provides valuable training for a professional career as well as good preparation for an executive, entrepreneurial or administrative career.

The inclusion of a second business discipline gives breadth to a degree that requires good analytical and problem solving skills.

Professional business economists are employed to conduct research and give advice on economic matters in various organisations such as government ministries and state-owned enterprises (eg, Treasury, Health, Social Development, Agriculture and Forestry, and Foreign Affairs and Trade). Graduates also find work in marketing organisations, the Reserve Bank, Statistics New Zealand, trading and merchant banks, stock broking, insurance, trade commissions, local authorities, market research and other consultancies, and large businesses.

Those who are passionate about economics and education can also go on to teaching careers in schools or universities.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.