Economics Major - Bachelor of Arts

Economics is vital to both the social sciences and public policy. This major develops and applies concepts and frameworks that are essential for understanding and addressing critical economic and social issues.

Economics is about choice; the choices people, companies and governments make every day – from how we respond to price changes to how governments address issues like growing income inequality or climate change. In a world with increasingly scarce resources these decisions are crucial. That’s why economists are highly sought after in both the private and public sector.

Not open to new students from 2025. If you want to study economics as part of your Bachelor of Arts, you could include it as a second major or a minor in economics.

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This is part of the Bachelor of Arts.

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The Economics major helps you develop a sound understanding of economic principles and advanced concepts. Our emphasis is on developing core competencies in economic analysis in the context of real-life settings that can serve as a platform for a wide range of future career options.

Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.

Core courses

All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.

Year 1

In your first year, you complete the following courses:

Choose one of:

  • COMM570 Academic Communication
  • LSKL500 Uni101

And choose one of:

  • ENGL503 A Pacific Reader
  • HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History

And choose one of:

  • MAOR504 Treaty of Waitangi: Resistance and Repair
  • MAOR505 Te Mānutanga Beginners Māori Language 1

And choose one of:

  • EDUC504 Places and Learning
  • SOSC582 Social Thinking
  • SOSC585 Climate Action

And choose one of:

  • CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour
  • EDUC506 Education, Careers and Employability

And choose one of:

  • CLSY504 Knowledge and Inquiry
  • CLSY515 Human + Machines: AI in the Social World

Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.

You could also take the Foundations in Research course if you’re considering continuing into postgraduate study.

Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?

Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.

Workplace experience in AUT programmes

Economics courses

If you're majoring in economics, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of eight economics-related courses you study throughout your degree.

Year 1 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • ECON520 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON521 Principles of Macroeconomics

Year 2 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • ECON620 Microeconomics: Choice and Welfare
  • ECON621 Macroeconomics: Models, Data and Policy
  • ECON622 Introduction to Econometrics

Year 3 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • ECON720 Microeconomics: Competition, Risk and Strategy
  • ECON721 Applied Macro-econometrics
  • ECON722 Applied Econometrics: Causal Inference

Ready to enrol in your courses?

Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme if you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for a course timetable or more info on a specific course use our course search.

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Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.

Build your degreeBuild your degreehttps://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/bachelor-of-arts/economics-major

  • Policy advisor in a government ministry
  • Researcher in a consulting firm or non-profit organisation
  • Strategic planner, analyst or policy advisor in a local council
Economics-A4-08-16.JPG

Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.

Economics Careers

Other economics study options

Other majors in the Bachelor of Arts

*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.

Key features
  • Economics is central to both private and public sectors
  • Complements other social sciences and business majors
  • Includes workplace experience in your final year
  • Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
See yourself as
  • Logical and systematic
  • Strategic and analytical
  • Interested in business analysis and planning
  • Fascinated by public policy formation and evaluation

The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

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