B. Com. Economics & Statistics Programme (CB014)

Welcome to this Program offered by the Department of Economics.

The Economics and Statistics programme is built around a core set of economics courses and is oriented towards quantitative economics and statistical methods, and thus provides students with the skills to analyse and interpret economic and financial data.

Why Take a Programme with a Strong Economics Component?

Economics is the study of economic life. It asks what, how and why goods are produced, and who benefits. Economics covers 'micro' subjects like the economics of the firm (profit maximisation etc) and 'macro' issues like unemployment, inflation and economic growth. Both programmes require that you do core micro and macro courses in first, second and third year, Other economics courses (some optional, some compulsory depending on the programme) include: international trade, political economy, public sector economics, game theory, etc.

The more economics you do, the more you will understand about economic policy dilemmas, the complexities of economic growth crises, etc. You will, in other words, be able to talk much more sensibly about economic issues than you would if you just took core economics subjects. Having this skill will enrich your business life (and certainly make you appear more intelligent in an interview!). It will also improve your attractiveness to may employers. Graduates who can think clearly and logically about the broader economic environment have a lot to offer potential employers - especially those in asset-management, stock-broking, merchant banking, investment guidance and management consulting. Most jobs in business require further training, and a background in economics is usually a good signal to employers that you are capable of analytical thinking and are worth training further.

What are the entrance requirements?

Entry to this programme requires at least a Higher Grade D symbol pass in mathematics and a total of 50 points based on UCT's rating system, and where the points earned in Mathematics and English are doubled in calculating the total.

What courses will be taken?

Year 1

No Credit

• INF1011Z Computer literacy

18 Credits

• ACC1006F Financial Accounting
• ACC1011S Financial Reporting 1
  or ACC1012S Business Accounting
• BUS1036F Evidence-Based Management
• ECO1010F/S Microeconomics I
• ECO1011S Macroeconomics I
• INF1002F/S Information Systems I
• MAM1002W Mathematics 1002
• STA1000S Statistics 1000

Year 2

16 Credits

• BUS1037H Issues Around Business
• ECO2003F Microeconomics II
• ECO2004S Macroeconomics II
• ECO2007S Co-operation & Competition
• STA2020F/S Business Statistics
• STA2006S Management Science

Plus at least four credits from:

• MAM2000W Mathematics II
• ACC2012W Financial Reporting 2
• BUS2010F Marketing I
• BUS3038S Project and Operations Management
• ECO2008S Development Economics
• POL2034S Political Economy of International Relations

Year 3

16 Credits

• BUS2020F Business Finance
• ECO3020F Advanced Macro & Microeconomics
• ECO3021S Quantitative Methods in Economics
• INF2004F Information Technology in Business
• STA3008S Business Informatics
• STA3022F Research and Survey Statistics

Plus 4 credits (2 courses) from:  

• ECO3009F Natural Resource Economics
• ECO3016F History of Economic Thought
• ECO3022S Advanced Labour Economics
• ECO3023S Public Sector Economics
• ECO3024F International Trade & Finance
• ECO3025S Applied International Trade Bargaining
• CML1001F/CML1004S Business Law I

Possibilities for Post Graduate Study?

Graduates will be eligible to apply for Honours-level study in Economics at UCT. This could lead to Master's and Doctoral studies in Economics or Business at UCT or elsewhere in South Africa or abroad. In addition to the opportunities listed above, graduates will be eligible to apply for any Master's of Business Administration (MBA) programme available in South Africa or abroad.