Is there any point of doing an Economics degree if you can get into a Bachelor of Commerce? (1 Viewer)

yanujw

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I have a passion for economics and am quite certain that I will do well in it at uni. I'm planning on majoring in econometrics and maybe some other economics major, which I think I can do in a Bcom or Beco. I'm predicting that I will get an ATAR much higher than the cutoff for either, so if I'm certain I will major in and be working in economics, which degree should I do?

Economics seems obvious but Commerce has a higher cut-off, which is ironically more appealing to me because I'd rather study in a higher-performing cohort. At the same time, Economics has the prestigious hons stream (at usyd), but commerce allows for Dalyell scholars. So I'm quite confused honestly.

I'm particularly looking for information with respect to usyd, but if you have unsw info please do let me know.
 

uniqueusername1

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I have a passion for economics and am quite certain that I will do well in it at uni. I'm planning on majoring in econometrics and maybe some other economics major, which I think I can do in a Bcom or Beco. I'm predicting that I will get an ATAR much higher than the cutoff for either, so if I'm certain I will major in and be working in economics, which degree should I do?

Economics seems obvious but Commerce has a higher cut-off, which is ironically more appealing to me because I'd rather study in a higher-performing cohort. At the same time, Economics has the prestigious hons stream (at usyd), but commerce allows for Dalyell scholars. So I'm quite confused honestly.

I'm particularly looking for information with respect to usyd, but if you have unsw info please do let me know.
what job you want to get in?

If your looking for a pure economics jobs thats kinda hard to get ngl.
 

jimmysmith560

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There does not seem to be a significant difference between USyd's Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics, should you choose to major in Econometrics. One thing that you should be aware of is that Econometrics is a major to be selected from the shared pool of majors and minors in the case of the Bachelor of Commerce. At the end of the day, what matters is the relevant specialisation, which you will get out of your degree. This matters more than the degree title.

One thing to consider (and verify) is the core units within each degree. In the case of the Bachelor of Commerce, students must complete 24 credit points in core units of study - three 1000-level units and one 2000-level unit as follows:
  • BUSS1000 Future of Business
  • BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis
  • BUSS1030 Accounting, Business and Society
  • BUSS2000 Leading and Influencing in Business
You should check whether the above core units align with those from the Bachelor of Economics. What I am thinking is that they may not necessarily be the same, which may result in some foundational, Economics-related knowledge not being acquired as a result of enrolling in a Bachelor of Commerce as opposed to a Bachelor of Economics. However, should this apply, if you feel that this is insignificant and that you would rather enrol in a degree with a higher entry requirement (i.e. Bachelor of Commerce), then you should probably go for it.

I hope this helps! :D
 

yanujw

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what job you want to get in?

If your looking for a pure economics jobs thats kinda hard to get ngl.
How much would I have to narrow this down in order to choose a degree/major? I haven't really thought about this in depth. I was thinking something analytical because I'm good with maths and data/statistics, but I also like the news and events side of economics.
 

sab13562

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If your looking for a pure economics jobs thats kinda hard to get ngl.
What unique username said, getting a job is quite hard with an eco degree, in fact, only 4 graduates get a job as an economist out of thousands of beco grads. A commerce degree would be more suitable, and you can even do double majors rather than doing a double degree, saving you a whole year.
 

sab13562

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How much would I have to narrow this down in order to choose a degree/major? I haven't really thought about this in depth. I was thinking something analytical because I'm good with maths and data/statistics, but I also like the news and events side of economics.
Do analytics/stats and work with RBA ;)
 

laterz laterz

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I have a passion for economics and am quite certain that I will do well in it at uni. I'm planning on majoring in econometrics and maybe some other economics major, which I think I can do in a Bcom or Beco. I'm predicting that I will get an ATAR much higher than the cutoff for either, so if I'm certain I will major in and be working in economics, which degree should I do?

Economics seems obvious but Commerce has a higher cut-off, which is ironically more appealing to me because I'd rather study in a higher-performing cohort. At the same time, Economics has the prestigious hons stream (at usyd), but commerce allows for Dalyell scholars. So I'm quite confused honestly.

I'm particularly looking for information with respect to usyd, but if you have unsw info please do let me know.
Double degree comm/eco at UNSW?
 

wrong_turn

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What unique username said, getting a job is quite hard with an eco degree, in fact, only 4 graduates get a job as an economist out of thousands of beco grads. A commerce degree would be more suitable, and you can even do double majors rather than doing a double degree, saving you a whole year.
I agree with the point that it is rare to get an economist type role directly out of uni.

Economics degrees do offer double majors but with the cavet that you must major in some form of Economics major and within the same program length as a commerce degree.

An Economics degree doesn't have to pigeon hole you into a stats only career. I was a BA before moving into analytics and now settled into risk management with an Economics degree.
 

fuzi

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I agree with the point that it is rare to get an economist type role directly out of uni.

Economics degrees do offer double majors but with the cavet that you must major in some form of Economics major and within the same program length as a commerce degree.

An Economics degree doesn't have to pigeon hole you into a stats only career. I was a BA before moving into analytics and now settled into risk management with an Economics degree.
True! People always seem to narrow down economics as to only being able to lead you on into a role with economics in the job title. Honestly, I'm a first year cadet in field where everybody assumes that people have commerce degrees and MBAs, but quite a lot of people come from an economics background. At the end of the day, economics in a way gives you a broader perspective and skill set than business/commerce, making you more versatile than people initially think.
 

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