Economics – Bachelor of Arts

If you study full time, in the first year you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.

If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school if you wish. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.

You need to pass five courses at 300-level for your BA. One of these (230310) is in the compulsory core and three are required for your major. If you are not taking a double major or a minor, you will need to take one 300-level elective course to meet this requirement.

About this major

An Economics major consists of 120 credits (eight courses).

Minor

Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.

A minor must be in a different subject from your major.

A Bachelor of Arts (Economics) with a minor

You may choose a minor from the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Science. If the minor is from another degree the regulations of that programme will apply.

All BA majors can be taken as minors and there are also some additional minor-only subjects.

An economics minor (for students who are studying a different degree) 

If you are not studying towards a BA (Economics) and wish to complete a minor in economics see the BA regulations for requirements.

• More on minors

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

• Massey University entry requirements

Specific requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Economics), outside of university admission regulations.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

• Massey University English language requirements.

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Can't meet the entry requirements?

If you need to do a course before you start your qualification, there may be options for you in Summer School.

• Summer School

Fees, student loans and free fees scheme

Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.

There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

• Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
• View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

• Course search

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.

The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.

Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

• Student loans (StudyLink)
• Fees Free
• Student portal

The skills and knowledge of trained economists are highly sought-after by the public and private sector, large and small firms, large international agencies, schools and universities, economic policy-makers and social organisations.

You might work in roles such as:

• agricultural economist
• business analyst
• economic consultant
• energy research officer
• environmental economist
• health economist
• international economist
• microeconomics analyst.

The Treasury, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the World Bank all recruit economics graduates. But your BA (Economics) can also be the gateway to employment in many other areas, such as management, planning, politics, education, finance and banking, journalism or the media. You can design your economics major to meet your own interests and career objectives.

New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.

Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.

As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.

• Find out more about life as an international student at Massey, applying to Massey and getting help.
• Entry requirements for international students.