How to Apply to Economics at the University of Queensland: Four Majors in the Bachelor of Economics and the Four-Year Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours), Mathematical Methods Prerequisite, with Entry Routes for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Queensland (UQ) teaches economics at its St Lucia campus in Brisbane, in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law. The economics-related undergraduate programs UQ lists are the Bachelor of Economics, the four-year Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours), the Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours). This guide focuses on the first two and mentions the others only as far as UQ’s pages go. It is based on UQ’s official 2027 entry information for domestic students, international students (including applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Economics undergraduate programs

• Bachelor of Economics: three years, program code 2467, QTAC code 714001, CRICOS code 001948F, AQF Level 7, St Lucia, with Semester 1 and Semester 2 2027 start dates. UQ says the school has more than 70 teaching and research staff. You can complete up to two majors; the four listed are Economics and Public Policy, Economics of Strategy and Behaviour, International and Financial Economics, and Quantitative Analysis. Sample courses include Introductory Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, Tools of Economic Analysis and Introductory Statistics for Social Sciences.
• Professional placement: UQ says ECON3380 is a Work Integrated Learning course with a professional placement in a workplace; the number of places and how to enrol are not given on the pages used for this guide.
• Dual programs: the Bachelor of Economics can be combined with Laws (Honours), Business Management, Arts, Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, Commerce and Engineering (Honours).
• Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours): four years, program code 2140, QTAC code 714311, CRICOS code 088354B, AQF Level 8, with Semester 1 (February 2027) entry only. UQ highlights projects with partner firms and a Bloomberg Lab for back-testing investment strategies. The first two years follow a structured plan. At the end of third year you can specialise in economics or finance (with a research thesis and an optional business industry placement) or take an industry-focused pathway (electives, a team project with an industry partner and an applied research project).
• Entry conditions for the Bachelor of Economics (Honours) (program 2132) and the Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours) (2522) are not on the pages used for this guide; check UQ’s website. Business-school degrees such as Commerce and Business Management have their own majors and are not covered here.

2. Prerequisites and reference entry scores

• Bachelor of Economics prerequisites: Queensland Year 12 General English (Units 3 and 4, C) and Mathematical Methods (C). UQ’s prerequisites list no economics subject.
• Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) prerequisites: English (C), and Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics (C).
• Lowest adjusted scores offered for Semester 1, 2026 (updated each April; meeting them does not guarantee admission): Bachelor of Economics ATAR 82, IB 31; Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) ATAR 99.5, IB 44. The Bachelor of Economics intake was 87 students, 40 of them international (46.0%) and 12 with higher education study (13.8%). The Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) intake was 265, with fewer than 5 international students and 39 with higher education study (14.7%).
• Admission tests or interviews are not listed in the entry requirements of either program page. When you choose a major in the Bachelor of Economics is not stated; check the program page.

UQ states prerequisites as Queensland Year 12 subjects (Units 3 and 4, grade C or higher); students from overseas schools can meet them with equivalent subjects, which UQ lists in a prerequisite equivalents table.

Australian domestic applicants

• How to apply: all undergraduate applications go through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). You can list up to 6 preferences and receive one offer per round, for your highest eligible preference.
• How places are allocated: after you meet the subject prerequisites, places are allocated in order of entry score (ATAR or selection rank) until the program is full; the score of the last person offered a place becomes the entry score threshold, including adjustments from admission schemes. The schemes UQ lists are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Educational Access, Rural Access, School Opportunity, Subject Incentive and Undergraduate Law admission schemes, plus the Guaranteed ATAR; check UQ’s pages for eligibility and adjustments.
• Semester 1, 2027 dates: QTAC applications open 4 August 2026 and close for the major offer round on 7 December 2026; UQ releases offers between 1 October 2026 and 16 February 2027; the QTAC major offer round is 14 January 2027. Some programs have earlier fixed closing dates (see QTAC).
• Fees: domestic commencing undergraduate places are Commonwealth supported, so you pay a student contribution amount, which eligible students can defer with a HECS-HELP loan. The indicative annual fee for each program is given in the program sections below; UQ notes that 2027 fees are not yet available for some programs and the page then shows 2026 figures. A Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) also applies, at most AUD 373 a year for 2026.

International applicants

• How to apply: if your senior schooling is outside Australia, apply directly to UQ through UQ applications, or through an approved UQ agent. UQ says it can consider applications up to two years in advance and that some programs have limited places, so leave time for processing and your student visa. International students currently completing Australian Year 12 (in Australia or another country) or the IB in Australia apply through QTAC instead.
• Closing dates (direct applications to UQ): 30 November 2026 for Semester 1 2027 entry and 31 May 2027 for Semester 2 (UQ words these as “30 November of the previous year” and “31 May of the year of commencement”; a few programs such as the medical pathway differ, see below).
• Student visa: international students accepted into full-time study can apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500), which has conditions including the Genuine Student requirement. UQ notes that processing times vary and advises accepting your offer as early as possible.
• International tuition: see the program sections; amounts are indicative annual fees for 2027 (16 units), and UQ says fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
• Scholarships: each program page says you may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships. Names, amounts and closing dates for international scholarships are on UQ’s scholarships website; the pages used for this guide do not list them one by one, so check there.

The Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) page gives the Semester 1 direct-application closing date as 30 November of the previous year, that is 30 November 2026; there is no Semester 2 intake.

Applicants from China

• Prerequisites: the Gaokao is mapped. UQ’s overseas-school prerequisite equivalents page lists GaoKao (China) with a minimum pass of 60%: Gaokao Mathematics corresponds to Queensland Mathematical Methods, and Gaokao Chemistry, Physics and Biology (or Combined Science) correspond to the subjects of the same name. Both the Bachelor of Economics and the Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) require Mathematical Methods (the latter also accepts Specialist Mathematics), so Gaokao Mathematics at 60% maps to Mathematical Methods; Specialist Mathematics is not listed in the Gaokao table.
• Entry scores are converted by country. UQ says that students finishing school overseas must reach the equivalent of the program’s entry score; the program page shows the score once you select your country and qualification. The pages used for this guide do not contain the China conversion table (Gaokao percentage, A-level aggregate and so on), so check it on the program page by selecting China, or ask UQ admissions.
• IB, A-level or AP students: IB scores have thresholds on UQ’s pages (see each program section). For A-levels, prerequisite equivalents are: Mathematics (A or AS Level) for Mathematical Methods, Mathematics (A Level) for Specialist Mathematics, and Physics, Chemistry or Biology (A or AS Level) for the same-named subjects (grade D for A Level, C for AS Level). US high school diplomas (AP minimum grade 3, SAT/ACT) are also mapped; see UQ’s equivalents page.
• How to apply: if your senior schooling is outside Australia, apply directly to UQ or through an approved UQ agent. UQ says applicants from certain countries must apply through an agent and the online system will tell you. Which countries are covered is not given on the pages used for this guide; check in the application system or ask UQ.
• Documents: certified copies of complete transcripts and certificates for all non-UQ study, a passport or national ID copy and evidence of English, uploaded as PDFs. UQ’s exact requirements for Chinese high school transcripts and provincial exam records are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask UQ admissions.
• If your score or prerequisites fall short, see the pathway section on UQ College programs.

English language requirements

• Standard requirement for most undergraduate programs: IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each sub-band; TOEFL iBT 87 (listening 19, reading 19, writing 21, speaking 19); PTE Academic 64 with at least 60 in all sub-bands; Bridging English (BE) overall grade 4 with at least C in all macro skills; CES overall 176 and at least 169 in all sub-bands. OET is not accepted.
• Other ways to meet the requirement include completing senior secondary school in a designated country listed in UQ’s PDF, a recognised bachelor’s or master’s degree, one year of full-time post-secondary study in a designated country, two years of study at a recognised institution, or at least three years of work experience in an English-speaking professional environment. See UQ’s English language requirements page for the lists and conditions.
• Test results must be no more than two years old at commencement. UQ does not recognise IELTS Online, PTE Academic Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL ITP.
• If you are slightly short, you may be eligible for a package offer: an English course at UQ College (Bridging English, 10 to 30 weeks, or Integrated English, 5 to 45 weeks) plus a conditional offer to the UQ program. Tick the package offer on your UQ application rather than applying to UQ College directly.

The Bachelor of Economics page gives the standard requirement above (IELTS 6.5, 6.0 in each band). The Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) requirement is higher: IELTS 7 overall and 7 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking; check the program page for its other test scores.

Transfer students and credit

• Applying with university results: UQ says that if you have completed two years of full-time (or equivalent) bachelor-level or higher study, your selection rank is based on that study only. After one full-time year you can receive a higher selection rank from your GPA; with under two years, UQ uses the higher of your previous study (for example an ATAR) or your GPA; with more than two years, it uses your GPA only. UQ also says that if you fail to progress in a program, you cannot reapply to that program using your ATAR or rank.
• Credit and exemptions: UQ has specified credit, unspecified credit and exemptions, and a credit precedent database of courses it has assessed from other universities. You can apply for credit only after you accept a UQ offer. The TAFE credit tables on UQ’s page cover nursing, midwifery and social work programs.
• IB credit: IB subjects can earn up to one semester (8 units) of credit or exemptions, depending on the subject, grade and program structure. Examples from UQ’s table: Mathematics Analysis & Approaches HL at 4 gives exemption from MATH1040 and MATH1050; Physics SL or HL at 6 gives exemption from PHYS1001; Chemistry HL at 6 gives specified credit for CHEM1100; Biology HL at 6 gives specified credit for BIOL1020; Economics HL at 6 gives exemption from ECON1011 (or ECON1010 and ECON1020). Whether they apply to your program is decided after you are admitted.
• GPA thresholds and places for transfers into individual programs are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask UQ admissions.

For economics, UQ’s IB credit table gives exemption from ECON1011 (or ECON1010 and ECON1020) for Economics HL at grade 6.

Pathways if your score or prerequisites fall short

• Bridging courses: UQ College runs intensive 4-week face-to-face courses each November and December in Mathematical Methods, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and self-paced online courses in Pure Mathematics (Mathematical Methods) and General Mathematics that start year-round. Bridging courses cannot be used to gain a selection rank.
• Tertiary Preparation Program: a 30-week UQ College program at St Lucia that meets prerequisites and gives a selection rank, up to 93 according to UQ.
• Tertiary studies pathway: study another program at UQ or elsewhere and use your GPA to gain a higher selection rank or meet prerequisites.

Fees

• International tuition for 2027 (per year, 16 units): about AUD 56,800 for the Bachelor of Economics and about AUD 60,952 for the Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); UQ reviews fees every year and they may increase.
• Indicative annual fee for domestic students: Bachelor of Economics AUD 17,180 (UQ says 2027 fees are not yet available, so this is the 2026 figure); Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) AUD 17,380 (labelled 2027).

Checklist

Australian domestic applicants: English and Mathematical Methods (C); apply through QTAC by 7 December 2026; reference ATAR 82 for the Bachelor of Economics.

International applicants: apply directly to UQ by 30 November 2026 for February 2027; IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each band) for the Bachelor of Economics and IELTS 7 (7 in each band) for Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); certified transcripts, passport and English evidence; tuition AUD 56,800 a year for the Bachelor of Economics.

Applicants from China: Gaokao Mathematics at 60% maps to Mathematical Methods; check the entry score by selecting China on the program page.

Transfer students: two years of university study means you are assessed on that study; apply for credit after accepting an offer.

Sources: The University of Queensland, Bachelor of Economics; Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); Business, Economics and Law study page; Entry requirements; Prerequisite equivalents; Submit your application; Credit eligibility; Pathway options; Fees; English language requirements. Information is for 2027 entry; entry scores are from the Semester 1 2026 intake. Check UQ for the latest figures.