Program Overview

University Program Information

The University of South Africa (Unisa) offers a range of programs for students.

Colleges

Unisa has several colleges, including:

• Accounting Sciences
• Agriculture & Environmental Sciences
• Economic & Management Sciences
• Education
• Human Sciences
• Law
• Science, Engineering & Technology
• College of Graduate Studies

Department of Economics

The Department of Economics offers various programs, including:

• Bachelor of Commerce Honours (Hons BCom) in Economics
• The program provides students with the opportunity to understand how theories learned in the core economics modules are linked to economics in practice
• The program is a two-year program only
• Students who are registered for this degree are expected to complete the compulsory modules and choose two of the four elective modules
• All students must complete the advanced Microeconomics, advanced Macroeconomics, and advanced Econometrics modules
• In addition to the core honours modules, students are required to complete the research report module
• Students then have a choice of any two from advanced International Economics, advanced Public Economics, advanced Development Economics, and advanced Monetary Economics

Honours Modules Offered by the Department

The following modules are offered by the Department of Economics:

• MACROECONOMICS (ECS4861)
  • Module leader: Dr J Khumalo
  • Module members: Prof SY Ho
  • Purpose: The main focus of this module is to critically compare and contrast the different schools of thought in macroeconomics
  • Syllabus:
    1. The old classical school of thought in macroeconomics
    2. Keynes' critique of classical theory
    3. The orthodox Keynesian school
    4. The orthodox monetarist school
    5. The new classical school
    6. New Keynesian economics
    7. The Post Keynesian school
    8. The new political macroeconomics
    9. Economic growth in the long run
    10. Measurement and costs of inflation
    11. Measurement and costs of unemployment
    12. Measurement and significance of economic growth
• MICROECONOMICS (ECS4862)
  • Module leader: Prof B Moyo
  • Module members: Dr E Ndou
  • Purpose: This module will equip students with insight into the economic behaviour of households, firms, and markets as presented in microeconomic theories
  • Syllabus:
    1. Microeconomic methodology
    2. Revision of undergraduate neoclassical microeconomics
    3. Expansion of neoclassical microeconomics
    4. Criticism and application of neoclassical microeconomic theory
    5. Non-neoclassical microeconomics
    6. Microeconomic policy
• ECONOMETRICS (ECS4863)
  • Module leader: Dr E Ndou
  • Module members: Prof L Leshoro
  • Purpose: This module is an advanced course in econometrics and goes beyond elementary statistics and regression analysis
  • Syllabus:
    1. Single-equation regression analysis
    2. Hypothesis testing, specification, and inference
    3. Multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation
    4. Stationarity and unit roots
    5. Cointegration in single equations
    6. Error-correction models (ECM)
    7. Dummy variables
    8. Qualitative response regression models
    9. Simultaneous-equation models
    10. Macroeconomic cointegration model
• MONEY, BANKING AND FINANCIAL MARKETS (ECS4864)
  • Module leader: Dr C Vermeulen
  • Module members: Prof N Mkhize
  • Purpose: Learners credited with this module will have an advanced understanding of theoretical and practical issues in money, banking, and financial markets
  • Syllabus:
    1. Explaining modern finance through its history
    2. How the financial sector interacts with the real economy
    3. Monetary policy implementation, the transmission mechanism, and quantitative easing
    4. Bank instability, credit cycles, recent banking crises, and bank regulation
    5. Inflation and inflation targeting as monetary policy framework
• ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS (ECS4865)
  • Module leader: Prof SY Ho
  • Module members: Dr C Vermeulen
  • Purpose: This module will provide students with a thorough grasp and understanding of the main theoretical aspects of international trade and international monetary systems
  • Syllabus:
    1. Part 1: International Trade Theory
    2. Part 2: International Trade Policy
    3. Part 3: International Finance
• ADVANCED PUBLIC ECONOMICS (ECS4866)
  • Module leader: Ms K Nchoe
  • Module members: Dr I Maloma, Mr T Malatji
  • Purpose: The module will enable students to critically discuss and analyse the complexities regarding the role of government in a market economy
  • Syllabus:
    1. Efficiency, markets, and governments
    2. Externalities
    3. Public goods and imperfect competition
    4. Public choice and government failure
    5. Public expenditure on social assistance and security
    6. Introduction to government finance and taxation
    7. Personal and corporate income taxation (direct taxes)
    8. Taxes on consumption, sales, wealth, and property (indirect taxes)
• ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS (ECS4867)
  • Module leader: Prof P Lalthapersad-Pillay
  • Module members: Ms K Nchoe
  • Purpose: The module will enable students to critically assess the fundamental differences between developed and developing countries to identify underlying problems and challenges that confront developing countries with the aim of formulating appropriate policies for mitigation
  • Syllabus:
    1. Measuring development
    2. Economic performance of developing countries
    3. Trade
    4. Education
    5. Health
    6. Population
    7. Gender
    8. Investment and finance
    9. Rural-urban migration and the informal sector
    10. The role of the State
    11. Development and the environment