Economics with Law is offered as the following:

• Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Economics with Law (3-year programme)
• Bachelor of Business Science specialising in Economics with Law (4-year programme)

Economics with Law aims to give students the advantage of doing a BCom or a BBusSc degree with the possibility of continuing to do an LLB. Students who want to become an attorney or advocate after completing either of these undergraduate degrees can apply to do a two-year postgraduate LLB degree in the Faculty of Law.

The first year of both degrees is a common first year with other BCom or BBusSc programmes, and the law courses only start in the second year, and that is only if you achieve an average of 60% for your first-year courses in one sitting. Students who fail to make the grade will be transferred to other programmes within the faculty.

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 firm's economics (profit maximisation etc.) and 'macro' issues like unemployment, inflation and economic growth. Both programmes require that you do core micro and macro courses in the 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 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. This skill will enrich your business life (and certainly make you appear more intelligent in an interview!). It will also improve your attractiveness to many employers. Graduates who can think clearly and logically about the broader economic environment have a lot to offer potential employers, especially 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.

Possibilities for postgraduate study?

BCom 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 Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programme available in South Africa or abroad.

As the BBusSc already includes a 4^th year (Honours level) graduates can apply to study Economics or Business at Master’s level as outlined above.

For more information on the courses, please refer to the Commerce Undergraduate Handbook. 

For information on applying to UCT, admission requirements, National Benchmark Tests, and key dates, please consult UCT’s Undergraduate Prospectus.