Program Overview

Overview of the Double Honours Degree in Economics and Law

The Double Honours Degree in Economics and Law is a programme offered jointly by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Law, leading to both the degrees of B.Soc.Sci (Hons) and LL.B (Hons).

Economics and Law are, in some areas, complementary disciplines. Increasingly, experts will use methodologies from the two disciplines. Scholars and practitioners of the two fields have been actively examining the places where they meet. For example, most Corporation Law subjects in top law schools now include economic analysis, and economists working on public policy, such as competition policy, require a working knowledge of the supporting legal infrastructure.

Singapore is a regional center for legal services, and a lot of our international legal work involves commercial, corporate and financial law. This means there is – and will continue to be - a demand for lawyers with a strong background in Economics, as well as for economists trained in law. Likely future employers are: some law firms, large commercial banks, and institutions such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Media Development Authority, the Infocomm Development Authority, and the Competition Commission of Singapore.

Programme Details

The programme includes the core of our Economics and Law degrees, as well as some other courses to allow students to explore beyond those areas.

Admission Criteria

Students may be admitted to the programme, on a competitive basis, in one of three ways:

• By direct application from Junior College. These students will spend the first year in the Faculty of Law;
• By application during their first year in the Faculty of Law;
• By application during their first year in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Applicants to the double degree programme must meet the admission requirements of both Faculties.

Academic Requirements

Students must either maintain a GPA of 3.75 for the B.Soc.Sci (Hons) or remain in the top half of the Law cohort. Those who fall below in both degrees for two consecutive semesters will be required to leave the programme. Direct entry students will have the choice of degree into which they exit. Later entry students will exit into their home faculty.

Graduation Requirements

Students who do not qualify for the FASS Honours Thesis will graduate with LL.B (Hons) and BA, if all other conditions are met.

Programme Exit

Students leaving the program by their own wish will be advised on how to use courses taken towards their single BA or B.Soc.Sci (Hons) degree (in Economics) or the Law degree.

Fees and Financial Information

Students in this programme will pay normal fees for each semester of study. They will receive separate classes of Honours for Economics and Law. Each will be calculated from the courses a student does in that subject. In the case of Economics, the university requirements will also be factored into the GPA.