Program Overview
The Macquarie Economics Honours program offers advanced study in economics, plus the opportunity for carefully supervised research. The aim of the program is to take good third year students and transform them into neophyte professional economists. By the end of the course it is expected that graduates will be able to read the professional literature in Economics, and also to contribute to that literature. Given this capacity, Honours graduates will be able to solve a wide range of theoretical and practical problems in their work or academic environments.
As one of the primary purposes of the Honours program is the provision of research training, candidates for the Honours degree will have the opportunity to pursue, in depth, the investigation of a topic of interest to them, and to present the results of their research in the form of a dissertation. The Economics Honours Co-ordinator, in conjunction with other members of staff, will work closely with candidates at the beginning of their candidature in order to devise an interesting and accessible dissertation topic.
The Macquarie Economics Honours Program has a high reputation, with graduates employed by the Reserve Bank, Treasury and leading financial institutions. Numerous Macquarie Honours graduates have subsequently gained entry to prestigious post-graduate programs in the United States, Europe and Australia.
Structure of the Program
Duration is one year full-time or two years part-time, and consists of the following components:
Five coursework units:
· Advanced Macroeconomics (core)
· Advanced Microeconomics (core)
· Elective 1 or ECON356 History of Economic Thought (if that unit has not already been taken as part of the undergraduate program)
· Elective 2 (approved 300 or 800 level Economics unit)
· Elective 3 (approved 300 or 800 level Economics unit)
Supervised dissertation (thesis)
General Paper Seminar (What is Economics about?)
Entry Requirements
Typically an above average Pass Degree with a GPA equal to or greater than 2.7 overall and around 3.0+ at 300 Level.
There is some flexibility in this entry requirement, however, and you can discuss your situation with the Honours Co-ordinator. It is also recommended that ECON232 be studied in your undergraduate program, although this is not essential.
Cadetships and Scholarships
Very generous Cadetships to support Honours study are sometimes made available by organisations such as the Reserve Bank of Australia. Contact the Economics Honours
Co-ordinator in the year before you intend to take Honours if you wish to apply for one of these, as the closing dates are quite early.
The Department of Economics provides scholarships to support its Honours candidates, and there are a number of University scholarships available on a competitive basis. Contact the Economic Honours Co-ordinator to discuss the terms of these Scholarships.
More information is available from the Prizes and Scholarships page of the Undergraduate section of the EFS website.
Applications and Contacts
Application forms are available from the Student Enquiry Service, Lincoln Building, or can be downloaded from the Macquarie Honours webpage. The closing date for Semester 1 2009 applications is 31 October 2008. Contact the Honours Co-ordinator, A/Prof. Tony Bryant (tbryant@efs.mq.edu.au) for further details.
Also see Frequently Asked Questions for further information.
