How to Apply to Economics at Flinders University: Economics Majors Inside the Bachelor of Commerce, Including Applied Economics, Economics, Politics and Public Policy and Environmental and Resource Economics, for Australian Applicants, International Students (Including Chinese Applicants) and Transfer Students

Flinders University is based in Adelaide, South Australia. Its website has no degree called a “Bachelor of Economics”; economics is offered as majors inside the Bachelor of Commerce, taught by Flinders Business School. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on Flinders’ official information, in four parts: Australian applicants, international students, students at high schools in China and transfer students. The Bachelor of Business, accounting and data analytics are mentioned only where they overlap.

1. The degree and the economics majors

• Bachelor of Commerce: three years full-time, international CRICOS code 002627D, March and July starts. The international page gives the campuses as Bedford Park and the City campus (domestic students can also study online; international students cannot study part-time). SATAC codes are 234201 (Bedford Park), 284141 (City) and 274145 (Online). Flinders says the degree has built-in projects and placements and covers FinTech, Environmental and Resource Economics and Business Analytics.
• Common first year: six core topics (Economic Environments, Business Transactions, Financial Literacy, Data in Business, Coding for Business and Business Law) plus two option topics. Flinders lists topics you “might” study, so confirm in the handbook.
• Economics majors: Flinders lists six majors: Finance, FinTech, Applied Economics (global trade, policy analysis, behavioural economics and sustainable development), Economics, Politics and Public Policy (how economic systems, political forces and public policy interact, including inequality, welfare and global trade), Environmental and Resource Economics (economic tools and policy for natural resource use and sustainability) and Business Analytics. The page notes that majors are subject to approval. There are also economics minors, such as Applied Economics, Economic Decision-Making and Strategy, Health Economics, Sustainability and Resource Economics and Politics and Public Policy, and each major has its own approved list of minors. The careers section also mentions a “Major in Economics” that does not appear in the major list, so the page is inconsistent; ask Flinders.
• How majors are chosen: after the first year you can take two majors, or one major and two minors, or one major with one minor and option topics, or one major with option topics; a major is 36 units and a minor 18 units. Flinders advises choosing your minor from the approved list for your major to avoid extra study time. Selection conditions (marks, limited places) for a major are not published.
• Honours: Flinders lists a one-year Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) for students who want research skills for higher degrees; its entry conditions are not given on the pages used for this guide, and the international fee schedule lists AUD 40,900 for it.
• Placements and projects: Flinders says the Bachelor of Commerce offers industry placements, internships and real-world projects before you graduate; the length of placements is not published. Overseas exchange is listed as available.
• Entrance tests or interviews: none mentioned on the course page; not published. Accreditation: no professional accreditation is stated for the degree or the economics majors; not published.

2. Prerequisites

• The Bachelor of Commerce page lists no prerequisites and no assumed knowledge. It does not require school economics or advanced mathematics, and it does not say what maths the first-year topics expect; not published, so ask Flinders.

3. Australian applicants

• Guaranteed Entry ATAR: 65 for the Bachelor of Commerce (STAT 150, GPA 4.5); TAFE/VET applicants need a Certificate IV or above. The “Pathway options” on the page are the Bachelor of Business and the Diploma in Business.
• How to apply: through the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC); each course page gives its SATAC code. Flinders also accepts applications on STAT results, earlier higher education or TAFE/VET study and adult entry, and the course pages invite applicants without an ATAR to talk to Flinders about other routes.
• 2027 fee: the Commonwealth Supported Place fee for the Bachelor of Commerce is AUD 18,025 a year.
• The 2027 domestic closing date is not listed on the course page; not published, so see SATAC and Flinders’ key dates.

4. International students

• Minimum entry: see the next section; the minimum is comparable to ATAR 60 and some courses need more. The course page does not give a separate entry score for international applicants; not published, so ask Flinders rather than copying the domestic ATAR 65.
• English: for most undergraduate courses (the table’s “all undergraduate courses except those specified”), Flinders asks for IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with 6.0 in speaking and writing. Other tests: TOEFL iBT 72 (18 speaking, 18 writing; choose “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when you register), PTE Academic 50 overall with 50 in speaking and writing, Cambridge C1 Advanced B2 overall with 300 in speaking and writing, Duolingo 105 (110 speaking and writing) and LanguageCert Academic 61 (70 speaking, 64 writing). Some programs ask for more (see the courses below). If you fall short, you can study English at Flinders University Academy or an approved ELICOS provider, or use an approved secondary or tertiary qualification taught in English in a country where English is the official or main language, no more than five years old (counted up to an overall IELTS of 6.5). Flinders also says IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted.
• Start and length: March and July starts, three years full-time, and part-time study is not available to international students.
• Fees: the course page shows a 2026 figure of AUD 39,000 a year for the Bachelor of Commerce, while the 2027 international commencing tuition fee schedule (updated August 2026) lists AUD 40,900 for it, and the same for the Bachelor of Business Analytics and the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours). The schedule does not say whether the figure is per year or per semester, while the course page calls fees annual indicative fees; ask Flinders. Flinders does not explain the difference between the two figures.
• How to apply: you can apply online yourself or through a Flinders registered agent. Flinders publishes a list of countries whose citizens must apply through a registered agent when applying from outside Australia (grouped as Africa, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, South America and South Asia); China is not on the list. You upload certified copies of all academic documents (electronic academic documents must be certified, and some countries’ passports too) as PDF, JPEG, TIF or GIF, and Flinders emails a confirmation containing your application number. Flinders warns that some courses have limited places and may close without notice. The application fee and course-by-course closing dates are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website and the course page.
• Scholarships (the scholarships page carries 2026 intake entries and lists the Semester 1, 2027 deadline as “to be confirmed”, so check the website): the Vice-Chancellor Excellence Scholarship takes 50% off tuition for the duration of the course, needs an equivalent ATAR of 95 or above at undergraduate level, is competitive, asks shortlisted applicants for a video and requires recipients to join the International Ambassador Program; the Global Excellence Scholarship takes 30% off (ATAR or equivalent 80.00 or above, or 80 or more in the Academy’s International Foundation Studies Program); the Global Scholarship takes 25% off (ATAR or equivalent 70.00 to 79.95 and 5 points above the course’s minimum entry score, or 70 to 79 in the foundation program and 5 points above the minimum); and the Kickstart Scholarship takes 20% off for new full-fee international students (not available if you transfer in with more than one third of the course in credit). Flinders states that the Global, Global Excellence and Kickstart scholarships exclude courses such as the Bachelor of Clinical Science/Doctor of Medicine.

5. Students at high schools in China

• How the Gaokao is used: Flinders recognises international secondary qualifications for direct undergraduate entry; the minimum is comparable to ATAR 60 and some courses need more. The undergraduate entry requirements page has a conversion table from the Gaokao percentage to ATAR: a Gaokao of 55% equals ATAR 60, 59% equals 65, 60% equals 70, 63% equals 75, 65% equals 80, 70% equals 85, 75% equals 90 and 80% equals 95. The same table lists A-Level, IB and SAT equivalents (at ATAR 80: A-Level 9, IB 28, SAT 1260; at ATAR 70: A-Level 7, IB 25, SAT 1100). The page does not explain how the Gaokao “percentage” is calculated (total score or a conversion, given different provincial maximums); not published, so ask Flinders.
• Chinese school documents: Flinders asks for certified transcripts and qualifications to be uploaded, but the pages used here give no separate instructions on Chinese transcripts, the Huikao or credential-verification bodies (such as CHSI), and no interview requirement is stated; ask Flinders. Flinders also runs a China website (china.flinders.edu.au), whose content is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check it for notes aimed at applicants from China.
• Agents: China is not on the list of countries that must apply through a registered agent, so you may apply directly or through an agent.
• If you do not meet direct entry: Flinders University Academy offers diplomas, foundation and English programs that Flinders describes as a direct pathway into the destination degree; the entry conditions of those programs are not given on the pages used for this guide.
• What the Commerce degree needs: the international course page does not say which ATAR equivalent applies, so do not assume that a Gaokao of 65% (ATAR 80) or the domestic ATAR 65 is the requirement; ask Flinders.
• Prerequisite subjects: the course page lists none; whether Flinders recommends school mathematics or economics is not published.

6. Transfer and credit

• Credit: study at another university, TAFE or registered training provider may count towards a Flinders degree. Flinders says credit is assessed separately from admission, so you must still meet the course’s entry requirements; say in your application that you want credit assessed and provide an official transcript (original, certified copy or shared through My eQuals), subject outlines and learning outcomes from the time you studied, course structure information, a grading key and translations of any non-English documents. China is among the countries in the credit-transfer search.
• Minimum credit for TAFE/VET qualifications: Certificate IV 4.5 units (one topic), Diploma 9 units, Advanced Diploma and Associate Degree 13.5 units, with up to 36 units towards a three-year degree for Diploma holders or above; the minimum may not apply to degrees that must meet professional or registration body requirements. These figures are indicative and subject to assessment.
• Types of credit: Flinders describes specified credit (a direct match to a Flinders topic), unspecified credit (counts towards electives) and block credit; the type is explained in your outcome letter. How much you would receive depends on your earlier courses and is not published.
• Effect on scholarships: the Kickstart Scholarship is not available if you transfer in with more than one third of the course total in credit.
• Domestic transfer: the Commerce page lists a reference GPA of 4.5; the exact GPA threshold for transferring in and any economics or statistics requirement are not published.
• Moving into an economics major: because the first year is common and a major is chosen afterwards (subject to approval), starting in the Bachelor of Commerce and selecting an economics major is the route Flinders describes; whether places are limited is not published.

Checklist

Australian applicants:

• Bachelor of Commerce Guaranteed Entry ATAR 65, no prerequisites; apply through SATAC
• 2027 Commonwealth Supported Place fee AUD 18,025 a year

International students:

• Comparable to ATAR 60 at minimum; ask Flinders for the Commerce score; IELTS Academic 6.0 (6.0 speaking and writing)
• 2027 commencing fee schedule AUD 40,900; scholarships of 20% to 50% available

Students at high schools in China:

• Gaokao 65% is the table’s equivalent of ATAR 80 and 55% of ATAR 60; you may apply directly or through an agent

Transfer students:

• Ask for a credit assessment in your application with subject outlines; more than one third of the course in credit rules out the Kickstart Scholarship

Sources: Flinders University, Business for international students; Bachelor of Commerce; Undergraduate entry requirements; English language requirements; How to apply; Countries requiring a registered agent; International academic scholarships; 2027 international commencing tuition fee schedule; Credit transfer. International tuition follows the 2027 commencing fee schedule (updated August 2026), while the course page still shows a 2026 figure; domestic fees are for 2027 and the scholarships page is labelled 2026 intake. Check Flinders for the latest details.