Bachelor of Economics
at The University of Queensland, Queensland.
A quantitative economics degree built around microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics and applied policy analysis. Most providers offer specialisations in finance, public policy or international trade.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the The University of Queensland Bachelor of Economics. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
The UQ Bachelor of Economics is a three-year numerate social-science degree taught from St Lucia. Year one locks in introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics, mathematical economics, quantitative economic and business analysis, and an economic history or business law unit. Year two layers intermediate micro and macro, econometrics, money and banking, and an applied stream (development, environmental, labour, public-sector or financial economics). Year three is theory-heavy, with advanced micro, advanced macro, time-series and applied econometrics, and a capstone empirical research paper. Many students double-major in finance, mathematics, business analytics or data science. The BEcon at UQ differs from a BCom by carrying less compulsory accounting and management and more analytical theory, modelling and policy work. Expect heavy use of Stata, R or Python from second year.
Example first-year subjects
- Introductory Microeconomics
- Introductory Macroeconomics
- Mathematical Economics
- Quantitative Economic and Business Analysis A
- Economic Issues and Policy
- Quantitative Economic and Business Analysis B
How you will be assessed
- Final exams of 50 to 70 percent in core economics and econometrics units
- Econometrics empirical projects using Stata or R
- Problem-set assignments worth 10 to 30 percent per quantitative unit
- Group reports applied to a real policy question
- Capstone empirical research paper in third year
- Tutorial participation and weekly online quizzes
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as economists at the Reserve Bank of Australia, Treasury, Productivity Commission and the major consultancies.
- Common destinations include economic-consulting firms (Deloitte Access Economics, Frontier Economics) and financial-services research desks.
- Many alumni move into policy roles in state and federal departments or into graduate finance and analytics programmes.
Typical first jobs
- RBA, Treasury or Productivity Commission graduate analyst
- Queensland Treasury graduate economist
- Economic consultant at boutique firms and the big four in Brisbane
- Banking and markets analyst at the major banks (CBA, NAB, Westpac, ANZ, Suncorp)
- Data analyst with an economic lens at consulting and tech firms
- Researcher at think tanks (e.g. Centre for Independent Studies, Grattan)
Graduate starting salary
$65,000 - $80,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
UQ Economics Honours (added fourth year, supervised research thesis of around 15,000 words) is the standard route into the Reserve Bank of Australia, Treasury and Productivity Commission graduate streams and into Master of Research or PhD study at UQ. Combined bachelors with Arts, Laws, Mathematics, Commerce and Science are commonly taken. Coursework masters options include the Master of Economics, Master of Public Policy, Master of Applied Econometrics, Master of Health Economics and the Master of Financial Mathematics. Many alumni pivot into the Economist Society of Australia and global central-bank pipelines.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students confident with calculus, statistics and mathematical modelling
- Those interested in policy, central banking, regulation and data work
- People who enjoy reading economics papers and building empirical models
- Students aiming for the RBA, Treasury or Productivity Commission graduate streams
- Those happy to take electives in mathematics and computer science
It is probably not for you if
- Students who want a vocational business degree (consider the UQ BBus or BCom)
- Those uncomfortable with mathematical proofs and abstraction
- Anyone seeking a primarily qualitative social-science experience
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Economics as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at UQ
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The University of Queensland handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/uq/bachelor-of-economics.