How to Apply to Economics at Curtin University: Economics as a Major in the Bachelor of Commerce, With Five Business Core Units and an Eight-Unit Major, Plus the Four-Year Advanced Commerce (Honours), for Domestic, International (Including China) and Transfer Students

Curtin University's main campus is in Perth, Western Australia (Bentley). Economics is an Economics major in the three-year Bachelor of Commerce (B-COMRCE), offered by Curtin Business School. The Economics major page also lists the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Innovation and the four-year Bachelor of Advanced Commerce (Honours) (BH-ADVCOM) as degrees in which you can take it. There is no stand-alone economics bachelor, so you apply for the degree and choose the major within it. Business administration majors within Commerce and computing are covered only in passing here. The notes below are for 2027 entry and are split between Australian domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Degrees and the Economics major

• Bachelor of Commerce (B-COMRCE): three years full-time; CRICOS 013905G for international students; locations listed are Curtin Perth, Curtin Kalgoorlie and Curtin University Mauritius; entry in Semester 1 or 2. The page notes that some majors are not available at all campuses or to international students studying in Australia, so see the individual major page; the Economics major page lists Curtin Perth only.
• What the Economics major covers: how wealth is created, consumed and distributed; Curtin says graduates become critical thinkers who can improve economic activity in the public and private sectors, and it cites a projected 26% growth in economist roles by 2035. Roles named include economist, risk manager and policy analyst or consultant, with further examples when Economics is combined with majors such as Finance, International Relations or Marketing.
• Degree structure: a five-unit business core, a major of eight or more units, eight units chosen from a second major, specialisations or electives, and a practical capstone experience unit. You choose your business major in your first semester and do not have to settle every choice at the start.
• Ways to combine: step two offers three options: a second major (another business major, or an arts major such as International Relations, History or Geography), or two specialisations (business ones, or one business plus a selected arts, design or science specialisation); the third option is not shown in the part of the page used for this guide, so see the course page. The specialisations listed include Actuarial Financial Mathematics.
• Double degrees: Commerce can be combined with Applied Geology (Finance), Arts, Engineering, Law, Psychology (with Human Resource Management or Marketing) and Science.
• Bachelor of Advanced Commerce (Honours): four years at Curtin Perth, CRICOS 114113K, Semester 1 intake only; it comprises a five-unit business core, an applied research unit, an eight-unit major, eight units of specialisations and electives, a capstone unit and an honours year on a research or industry pathway. Curtin says graduates may qualify for direct entry to the Master of Commerce or the Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the research pathway may lead to research degrees.
• Accreditation and professional bodies: Curtin says Curtin Business School is accredited by EQUIS and AACSB, and Economics graduates may be eligible for associate membership of the Economic Society of Australia (WA Branch).
• Placements: Curtin mentions internships, industry exchange and real-world projects in general; the Economics major states no compulsory placement, so ask the faculty.

2. How admission works: apply for the degree, settle the major in first semester

• Curtin says a major is part of a degree: you apply for the degree (Commerce or Advanced Commerce), and after you accept the offer you can enrol in the major at the start or later, depending on the degree structure. The Commerce page says you select your business major in your first semester.
• The pages used for this guide mention no economics entrance test or interview. The Commerce page's domestic entry pathways also list "Portfolio entry", where Written English and either Multiple Choice Verbal or Quantitative are assessed; this is a domestic pathway, and whether it applies to international applicants is not given.
• No GPA threshold or quota for entering the Economics major is given.

3. Prerequisites and academic thresholds

• Bachelor of Commerce: the threshold is ATAR 70 (the domestic view says guaranteed ATAR/selection rank 70). Essential and desirable subjects are "None" in both the domestic and international views. No economics subject is required, and no mathematics requirement is stated.
• Bachelor of Advanced Commerce (Honours): the threshold is ATAR 85, with essential and desirable subjects "None"; STAT is not accepted as an entry pathway (though it may be used to show English proficiency).
• International qualification equivalents (from the course pages): Commerce: A-Level/STPM best three 5, Hong Kong DSE 15, IB Diploma 24, Canadian provincial diploma 60%, WAUFP 54, India CBSE/ISC 60% (HSC 65%). Advanced Commerce: A-Level 11, DSE 21, IB 32, Canadian 76%, WAUFP 64, CBSE/ISC 77.5% (HSC 79%).
• Rules for AP or IB credit towards business core or economics units are not given on the course pages; check the Handbook or ask admissions.

4. English

• Bachelor of Commerce: IELTS Academic overall 6.0 with no band below 6.0. Bachelor of Advanced Commerce (Honours): overall 6.5 with no band below 6.0. Domestic applicants can use a scaled score of 50 or more in an ATAR English subject.

5. Fees

• Indicative 2027 international fees on the course pages (based on 200 credits in the first year): Commerce A$41,146 for year 1 and A$123,438 for the course; Advanced Commerce (Honours) A$41,146 for year 1 and A$164,584 for the course. Fees are reviewed each year and exclude administrative fees and textbooks. The Commerce page shows only 2027 international figures.
• These are fees for the Australian campus; Curtin says fees at its other campuses (Kalgoorlie, Mauritius) are on their own websites.

6. Australian domestic applicants

• How to apply: Curtin says Year 12 students and recent school leavers apply through the Western Australian admissions centre, TISC; other applicants (for example people with earlier study or work experience, or those switching courses) can apply directly to Curtin. ATAR, STAT and prerequisite rules for each course are given above.
• Adjustment factors: Curtin says equity ATAR adjustment factors, which recognise where you live, the school you attended or your background, can lift your selection rank above your ATAR and are applied automatically through TISC. How many points they add is not given on the course pages; check TISC and Curtin.
• Fees: Curtin says Australian undergraduates are automatically awarded a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) and can defer the student contribution through HECS-HELP. Among the course pages read, the Bachelor of Science page gave a domestic estimate of about A$10,000 for the first year in 2026 (2027 not given); for the courses in this guide, check the domestic fee on the course page.

7. International applicants

• How to apply: you can apply through a registered Curtin agent or, where your country allows it, directly online. You can list up to five course preferences, but only your first preference is assessed unless you do not meet its requirements. For a student visa you must choose the full-time internal study mode. Upload certified copies of your qualifications and a passport photo page; documents not in English need translation by a recognised translation service.
• English: you must give a score from a recognised test; the application page names IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge CAE and OET. The IELTS level for each course is listed above. If your English is below the requirement you can agree to be considered for a Curtin English pathway and receive a packaged offer. The pages used for this guide do not list countries exempt from the English test, so check with Curtin.
• Application fee: not given on the pages used for this guide; check with Curtin International Admissions.
• Deadlines: the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce pages show Semester 1 2027 closing on 28 January 2027 and Semester 2 2027 closing on 1 July 2027; the dates for the other courses are given above. Curtin notes that deadlines may be affected by visa processing times and by packaging with Curtin English, and can differ by course, so check the course page.
• Scholarships (for self-funded, non-sponsored international students studying at a Western Australian campus; the scholarship pages show 2027 or 2028 commencement): the John Curtin Global Excellence Scholarship takes 40% off tuition and asks for a course-weighted average (CWA) of 95% or equivalent; the Global Merit Scholarship takes 20% off and asks for Distinction status; the Global Future Leaders Scholarship is a one-off A$10,000 tuition credit and asks for Credit status and at least 1.5 years (300 credits) at the Western Australian campus. All three are assessed automatically with the course application, with no separate form. Curtin also lists a Curtin English credit of up to A$7,496 and a A$15,000 credit for the Global Scholars Program (two Curtin campuses). The eligible-course list excludes the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Medical Radiation Science, Advanced Nursing, Paramedicine and Oral Health Therapy. The criteria refer to your latest academic results; how they apply to school leavers is not given, so ask Curtin.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Curtin's list of recognised overseas qualifications (PDF, 2026 edition) says a Gaokao aggregate in the required subjects equal to 67% of the maximum (503/750, 402/600, 322/480, 543/810 or 603/900) meets the minimum entry requirement for undergraduate courses that require an ATAR of 70. The list warns that these minimums may not be enough for courses with higher admission requirements; see the admission criteria on each course page. The Bachelor of Commerce requires ATAR 70, so this Gaokao figure is the Commerce entry threshold; Advanced Commerce (ATAR 85) is not covered by it.
• Country lookup on the course pages: each course page has a tool that converts scores for a chosen country, including China. It is loaded by page script and is not in the static page, so Gaokao scores for other ATAR levels are not given on the pages used for this guide; use the tool on the course page or ask Curtin International Admissions.
• High school transcripts, school-leaving exam records, interviews, verification bodies: no China-specific requirements were found on the pages used for this guide. Applicants submit transcripts, graduation certificates and certified documents, with translation by a recognised service where they are not in English.
• Pathway: a Curtin College diploma is equivalent to the first year of the matching Curtin bachelor degree, takes 8 to 24 months, and students usually go straight into Year 2; it is meant for students who do not immediately meet Curtin University's minimum entry requirements. How Chinese applicants enter it is not given on the pages used; check with Curtin.

9. Transfer students and credit

• Credit for recognised learning (CRL, also called advanced standing): Curtin says you can claim credit for earlier university study, TAFE or vocational diplomas, professional certification or work experience, which can shorten the course. You must first apply for the course; CRL is then assessed against it. International applicants may opt out of CRL when applying; those already applying who want to add CRL should contact International Admissions. A separate CRL application for units in an upcoming study period must be made by the Friday of week 1.
• Documents: unit outlines or course descriptions, academic transcripts and completion certificates. For international applicants, unit outlines must be issued by the institution and show unit code, title, year, learning outcomes, topics, assessments and credit or contact hours; Word documents copied from websites are not accepted.
• Switching courses or institutions: the course pages list separate routes for switching from another Curtin course and from another higher-education provider; the pages say Curtin's general admission criteria apply, plus the essential subject prerequisites. How credit is counted is set out in each course's Handbook. Course-level transfer rules for international students are not given on the pages used; check with International Admissions.
• Overseas bachelor study: Curtin's overseas qualifications list says that if your overseas school-leaving qualification is not listed but you have completed at least one year of full-time bachelor study at a recognised overseas institution, you may still be eligible.

Checklist

• Domestic: guaranteed ATAR 70 for Commerce and 85 for Advanced Commerce; no essential subjects; Year 12 students apply through TISC
• International: ATAR 70 equivalent for Commerce, ATAR 85 equivalent for Advanced Commerce; IELTS 6.0 or 6.5; Semester 1 2027 closes 28 January 2027 (Commerce Semester 2: 1 July 2027)
• China: 67% of the Gaokao maximum meets the ATAR 70 minimum for Commerce; use the course-page tool for Advanced Commerce
• Transfer: submit transcripts and institution-issued unit outlines for credit

Sources: Curtin University, Business, management and law; Bachelor of Commerce; Economics major; Bachelor of Advanced Commerce (Honours); International applications; Application deadlines; Overseas qualifications; Recognised overseas qualifications (PDF); Credit for recognised learning; Curtin College; International scholarships; John Curtin Global Excellence Scholarship; Global Merit Scholarship; Global Future Leaders Scholarship. Information is for 2027 entry. Check Curtin for the latest details.