How to Apply to Economics at the University of Wollongong: The Three-Year Bachelor of Economics and Finance That Integrates Both Disciplines From Year One, the Economics Major in the Bachelor of Business, and Entry Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is in Wollongong, New South Wales. Economics is taught on the Wollongong campus, and UOW's website offers two routes: the Bachelor of Economics and Finance and the Economics major within the Bachelor of Business. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on UOW's official information, for domestic students, international students (including applicants from China) and transfer students. Other business majors and accounting have their own pages and are mentioned only in passing.

1. Degrees and options

• Bachelor of Economics and Finance: three years full-time, on campus, UOW code 326, CRICOS 075271A. UOW stresses that it integrates economics and finance from day one in a single purpose-built program, rather than offering them as majors in a broader business degree. Topics include analysing real datasets, evaluating policy, building investment portfolios with trading software, how sustainability influences capital allocation, and technologies transforming financial services. It can form the first three years of a UOW Integrated Master's (bachelor's plus master's in four years). A double degree with Laws is listed on the course page.
• Recognition: the degree has been accepted into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program (UOW says it incorporates at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge), and the UOW School of Business is AACSB-accredited (UOW says only about 6% of business schools worldwide hold this).
• Bachelor of Business, Economics major: three years, UOW code 3090, CRICOS 102881B. UOW says you explore the core business disciplines in first year before choosing a major; the study area page says the major is chosen in second year, and the course page has a "Still deciding" option. In final year there is an interdisciplinary capstone project set by an external organisation. The Economics major covers how individuals, firms and governments make choices under limited resources, including growth, international trade, sustainability, inequality and development, using real-world data.
• Contradiction on the number of majors: the Bachelor of Business course page lists 12 majors (Accountancy, Business Analytics, Economics, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Sport Marketing and Management, Supply Chain Management, Sustainable Business), while the Accounting, Finance & Economics study area page says "13 majors", adding Business Law and Financial Planning. Treat the course page as primary and confirm with UOW.
• Other: the Bachelor of Business can also form the first three years of an Integrated Master's. The study area page also lists a Bachelor of Business Analytics and a Bachelor of Professional Accounting, which this guide does not cover. The pages do not mention an economics admission test or interview.

2. Prerequisites and admissions profile

• Prerequisites: both course pages only require a qualification equivalent to 13 years of schooling in Australia with the required score, and say you should have completed relevant senior high school subjects. They do not require an economics subject and do not list specific mathematics subjects or grades. The mathematics level expected is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask UOW.
• Entry group: the international entry requirements page puts "Economics and Finance" in Group 2 and "Business" in Group 1.
• ATAR-SR (selection rank for Australian applicants): Bachelor of Economics and Finance 80; Bachelor of Business 70.
• Bachelor of Economics and Finance, 2025 intake: 76 students, 11 (14%) with higher education study and 6 (8%) international. Among ATAR-based offers, the ATAR was 93.40 (highest), 79.80 (median) and 69.45 (lowest); selection ranks were 99.95, 85.75 and 75.45.
• Bachelor of Business, 2025 intake (the whole degree, not the Economics major alone): 663 students, 245 (37%) international and 143 (22%) with higher education study. Among ATAR-based offers, the ATAR was 93.00 (highest), 72.42 (median) and 58.65 (lowest); selection ranks were 98.35, 77.65 and 65.05.

Domestic students (Australian Year 12)

• Domestic closing dates (2027 entry): Autumn session: UAC Early Bird 30 September 2026, direct 31 December 2026, UAC final round 28 January 2027. Spring session: direct 31 May 2027, UAC final round 1 July 2027. For the Summer session (2027/2028) the direct closing date is listed as TBC.
• How to apply: recent school leavers (HSC, IB or an interstate equivalent) can apply through UOW Early Admission (the website says usually around June to August) or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Non-school leavers (for example, with an earlier Year 12 or a TAFE qualification) can apply directly to UOW. The pages used do not list admission centres of other states.
• ATAR and adjustment factors: the ATAR-SR on each course page is the selection rank (ATAR plus any adjustment factors). UOW also has non-ATAR entry options, described on its ATAR-based admission page, which this guide does not detail.
• Domestic fees: Commonwealth supported place (CSP) fees are not on the pages used for this guide; switch the course page to "Domestic" to see them.

International students: applicants from China

UOW's international entry requirements page splits undergraduate degrees into three groups. Group 1 includes Mathematics, Science, Medical and Health Sciences and Business; Group 2 includes Economics and Finance and Social Work; Group 3 includes Pre-Medicine, Laws and Psychology (Honours), and the page also lists "Dean's Scholar and Scholar degrees" and "Advanced Degrees" under Group 3. The degrees in this guide fall in Group 2 (Bachelor of Economics and Finance) and Group 1 (Bachelor of Business, Economics major). Mainland China high school qualifications may be considered for undergraduate entry, assessed on completion of senior secondary education and, where applicable, approved external examinations.

• Gaokao: 60% for Group 1, 70% for Group 2 and 75% for Group 3. The page does not say how a provincial Gaokao total is converted into a percentage or whether provinces differ; ask the UOW Future Students team.
• Senior High School Year 3 average: 80% (Group 1), 85% (Group 2), 90% (Group 3). Foundation Studies (2 sessions) and the 3-session Diploma need 60%, and the 2-session Diploma 65%. With Year 2 only, a 70% average may be considered for Foundation Studies.
• Maple Leaf World School Program Grade 12 Diploma: based on the best five Grade 12 academic subjects. The page lists only Group 1 (73%), plus the two core courses (Personal and Global Leadership 12 and Creative Thinking & Problem Solving 12). It also states that engineering and physical sciences need Calculus 12 of at least 73% and relevant Physics 12 and/or Chemistry 12 of at least 73%, and information technology and computer science need Pre-Calculus 12 of at least 73%. It does not map these subject conditions to individual degrees, so confirm with UOW.
• Documents: academic records and transcripts showing all subjects, grades (including fails) and stages reached; documents not in English need an official translation by a professional service or the issuing institution. Whether provincial academic proficiency (huikao) records are separately required, and whether there is an interview, is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website or ask UOW.
• How to apply: through an authorised UOW agent (UOW says this is offered at no cost to students) or directly through UOW Apply.

In practice: for the Bachelor of Economics and Finance you need Gaokao 70% (Senior High Year 3 average 85%, A-levels 11, IB 28); for the Bachelor of Business, Gaokao 60% (80%, A-levels 8, IB 25). The Maple Leaf row on the page lists only Group 1.

International students: other qualifications, English and visa

• A-levels: aggregate of 3 subjects out of 18 (A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1): 8 for Group 1, 11 for Group 2, 13 for Group 3.
• IB Diploma: 25 (Group 1), 28 (Group 2), 32 (Group 3), including up to 3 points for the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge.
• US SAT/ACT, with evidence of high school completion: SAT 1090 / 1170 / 1220 and ACT 22 / 25 / 30 for Groups 1 / 2 / 3. The GED is not accepted.
• Canada: the Americas section of the entry requirements page lists only Brazil, Mexico and the USA, so UOW does not publish equivalents for Canadian provincial diplomas on that page. Apply for assessment or contact the Future Students team.
• English: IELTS Academic (including UKVI), TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency and LanguageCert Academic are accepted; Duolingo only for coursework programs; OET only for selected health-related courses. IELTS Indicator/Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and PTE Academic Online are not accepted. Tests must be taken within two years of the course start, and official scores must be submitted before a valid offer is issued. UOW College's English for Tertiary Studies is another route. Course-specific scores are below.
• Student visa English: the Australian Department of Home Affairs sets separate English requirements for a student visa; UOW points to its SSVF screening page and the Department's document checklist tool.
• Timing: UOW recommends applying at least 4 months before your intake to allow time for assessment, acceptance and the visa; some courses have fixed closing dates. For international applicants the course pages say to see the International students page for key cut-off dates; the exact 2027 dates are not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. Applications must include all documents to be complete; the 2027 course pages say applications after the closing date are still accepted and UOW will try to process them in time, without a guarantee.

3. English requirements (course pages)

• Bachelor of Economics and Finance and Bachelor of Business: IELTS Academic overall 6.0, reading 6.0, writing 6.0, listening 5.0, speaking 5.0.
• UOW College's English for Tertiary Studies (weighted average 50 overall and at least 50 in Academic Reading and Writing) is another route, and other qualifications may be considered; see the English requirements page.

4. Start dates and fees (2027)

• Start dates: both degrees start in Autumn (1 March 2027), Spring (26 July 2027) or Summer (2027/2028, starting 29 November 2027).
• International tuition (Wollongong, on campus): Bachelor of Economics and Finance AUD 20,856 per session, indicative course fee AUD 125,136; the Bachelor of Business is shown with the same AUD 20,856 per session and AUD 125,136. UOW says fees are reviewed annually, depend on the year of commencement and may rise during study; the totals are indicative for normal progression. Overseas Student Health Cover and the Student Services and Amenities Fee are extra.

Transfer students and credit

• Applying with university or diploma results: per the post-secondary table on the international entry requirements page, an associate degree or higher needs at least 0.5 FTE completed (UOW's example: if a full-time year is 8 subjects, 0.5 FTE is 4 subjects); qualifications below associate degree level (Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma) must be fully completed. The study area page says that completing the Diploma of Business at UOW College may give entry into the second year of various UOW business bachelor's degrees. The pages do not state extra transfer conditions for economics.
• Indicative marks (Groups 1 / 2 / 3): AQF bachelor's degree and associate degree 50% / 62% / 75%; completed Advanced Diploma 57% (graded) / 68% / 75%; completed Diploma 57% (graded) / 71% / 78%; Australian university foundation programs 60–65% for Group 1. These are indicative only, assessed case by case, and do not guarantee admission; different pass marks are converted to the Australian scale.
• Credit for Prior Learning: completed study or relevant work experience can earn credit or exemptions, shortening the course and reducing cost. Request it at Step 5 of the online application; for study completed elsewhere provide an official transcript and subject outlines (not needed under a formal articulation agreement), with certified English translations if needed. UOW has arrangements with many overseas institutions, but not all courses are eligible; check the course page. Domestic applicants applying through UAC follow a different credit process described by UOW.
• UOW College pathways: UOW College offers Foundation Studies, Diplomas and the University Preparation Program leading to first or second year of UOW bachelor's degrees; check UOW College for which degrees each pathway leads to.

Scholarships for international students

• University Excellence Scholarship (UES): a 30% tuition fee reduction for the minimum duration of an eligible course, for 2027 commencement; no application, assessed automatically, unlimited number. It requires full-time study in an undergraduate course at an Australian campus, no other UOW tuition scholarship or discount for the same course, and a cumulative WAM of 50. From high school results you need the Group 3 score for your qualification (for example Gaokao 75%, Senior High Year 3 90%, A-levels 13 or IB 32); Australian university foundation programs need 85% overall, and post-secondary study needs the Group 3 threshold. Students who change course are reassessed. The scholarship page mentions both enrolment in "2026" and "2027" commencement, and says it is issued with offers from 12 June 2026 for students starting in 2027 and beyond; check the page. Neither the Bachelor of Economics and Finance nor the Bachelor of Business is on the list of ineligible degrees.
• The international scholarships page also lists scholarships that need a separate application, such as the UOW Future Leaders Scholarship, Country Scholarship and Offshore transfer discount; their conditions are not detailed on the pages used here, so check the website.

Checklist

• Choose the route: Bachelor of Economics and Finance (Group 2, ATAR-SR 80) or the Economics major in the Bachelor of Business (Group 1, ATAR-SR 70)
• Applicants from China: Economics and Finance needs Gaokao 70% or Senior High Year 3 average 85%, A-levels 11, IB 28; Business needs Gaokao 60% or 80%, A-levels 8, IB 25
• The expected high school mathematics level is not published; confirm with UOW
• IELTS Academic 6.0 (reading and writing 6.0, listening and speaking 5.0), taken within two years of the course start
• For the 30% scholarship: meet the Group 3 level (Gaokao 75%, Senior High Year 3 90%, A-levels 13, IB 32)
• Apply at least 4 months before your intake; UOW does not publish Canadian diploma equivalents, so apply for assessment; transfer students request credit at Step 5

Sources: University of Wollongong, Bachelor of Economics and Finance (international, 2027); Bachelor of Business, Economics major (international, 2027); Accounting, Finance & Economics; International entry requirements; English language requirements; International applications; University Excellence Scholarships; International scholarships; Credit for prior learning. Information is for 2027 entry; admission data are from the 2025 intake. Check UOW for the latest details.