Course details

Summary

Economics is the study of how people behave. Every day, people and society are confronted by choices. Should you go to university or start a career? What should you do with your next dollar? Should the government raise the minimum wage, or not? How do we address the big issues in the world such as poverty and climate change?

Choices involve trade-offs where we are choosing between two things. The outcomes of choices have both costs and benefits to consider. Economics is the study of how people and societies make such decisions in the production, exchange, distribution and consumption of goods and services.

A Master of Commerce degree will allow you to learn more about your chosen subject area, critically view the world and carry out an independent piece of research. These knowledge, skills and competencies mean MCom graduates are well-prepared for professional roles and business consulting.

If you have been following the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) programme (now the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand), study in the MCom programme counts as one year of professional experience.

The Master of Commerce graduate

As an MCom graduate you will be able to:

• demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of contemporary thought and developments within your specific research area
• evaluate the implications of your own research findings for the wider body of relevant academic literature
• synthesise academic literature and communicate research findings, both orally and in written form, consistent with academics working in your chosen discipline.

Qualification structure

The Master of Commerce degree consists of 180 points of which between 90-120 points is coursework (between six and nine courses), and a 90-point thesis or a 60-point dissertation.

Further study

UC offers a Doctor of Philosophy in a number of commerce subjects.

Career opportunities

Graduates in Economics find employment in many areas of government and business, where it is recognised that an economist's education provides valuable specialist training for a professional career as well as good general preparation and background for an executive, entrepreneurial or administrative career.

The increasingly large volume of information available to decision makers has created a demand for people with well-developed quantitative analysis skills, such as those developed in econometrics.

Professional economists are employed to conduct research and give advice on economic matters in various organisations such as government ministries and state-owned enterprises (eg, Treasury, Health, Social Development, Agriculture and Forestry, and Foreign Affairs and Trade). Graduates also find work in marketing organisations, the Reserve Bank, Statistics New Zealand, trading and merchant banks, stock broking, insurance, trade commissions, local authorities, market research and other consultancies, and large businesses.

Those who are passionate about economics and education can also go on to teaching careers in schools or universities.

Entry criteria

Students must have completed one of the following:

• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science in Economics or Finance, Computer Science or Management Science
• or a bachelor's degree and relevant graduate diploma.

Prerequisites vary between majors, but normally good grades in 300-level courses in the subject concerned are required.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.