About Economics

The Economics Discipline is the largest in SEBS, and the subject forms the foundation for all studies in commerce. The discipline therefore services a large number of students and has a strong focus on teaching excellence. However, it is equally focused on conducting cutting-edge research and Economics Discipline staff are highly acclaimed both locally and internationally for their published work.

What is Economics?

Both an art and a science, economics is the study of how economies operate and the decisions that governments, businesses and people make under different market conditions.

The subject can be divided into Micro Economics – which investigates the effects of supply and demand on markets and how this impacts consumer behaviour and the way in which businesses allocate their resources – and Macro Economics, which takes a broader view of the economic landscape of a country, incorporating areas such as economic growth, unemployment and fiscal and monetary policy. The study of how the economies of countries interact with each other is covered under International Trade Economics.

Why study Economics?

An understanding of economics is relevant to all areas of business and the subject forms the basis of studies in commerce. For this reason it is a compulsory subject for the BCom and BAccSci degrees.

Economists work in academia, government and the private sector, identifying and analysing trends in economic activity, consumer behaviour and economic confidence levels. They draw on this information to help the organisations they work for take advantage of trends and improve their efficiency.

But the subject offers a diverse range of career options apart from that of economist. Students who take economics as a major can also go on to work in various management roles in business, the health and public sectors, become investment bankers and investment analysts, management and economic consultants, and economic journalists and researchers.

Students from the humanities and sciences faculties can elect to take Economic Concepts (not available to BCom students), which provides a grounding in economics but does not carry the same mathematical content as the straight Economics course. A one-year course, Economic Concepts provides humanities and science graduates with basic business knowledge for a more well-rounded education.

Economics Programmes

Follow the links to access all information pertaining to undergraduate and postgraduate Economics programmes

Staff

Click here to view staff members and contact details