Program Overview

University of Cape Town Programs

The University of Cape Town offers a variety of programs through its Faculty of Commerce.

Faculty of Commerce

The Faculty of Commerce is composed of several departments, including:

• College of Accounting
• Finance and Tax
• School of Economics
• Education Development Unit (EDU)
• Information Systems
• School of Management Studies
  • Actuarial Science
  • Applied Management (Postgraduate Diplomas)
  • Marketing
  • Industrial and Organisational Psychology
  • Professional Communication
• The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance
• Commerce IT (IT support)

School of Economics

The School of Economics offers several programs, including:

Undergraduate Programs

• BBusSc specialising in Economics
• BCom Economics with Law
• BCom in Economics and Statistics
• BCom in Economics and Finance
• BCom in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
• BSocSci in Economics

Postgraduate Programs

• BCom Honours in Economics
• BCom Honours in Economic Analysis of Financial Markets
• Masters in Applied Economics
• Masters in Economics
• Masters in Economic Science
• Masters in Economic Development
• MPhil specialising in Financial Technology
• PhD in Economics (by Dissertation)
• PhD in Economics by Coursework and Dissertation
• PhD in Economic Sciences

BCom in Economics and Finance

The Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Finance is built around a core set of economics courses. It also focuses on financial issues and provides students with the skills needed to understand and operate in the world of finance.

Why Take a Programme with a Strong Economics Component?

Economics is the study of economic life. It asks what, how, and why goods are produced and who benefits. Economics covers 'micro' subjects like the firm's economics (profit maximisation etc.) and 'macro' issues like unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. Both programmes require that you do core micro and macro courses in the first, second, and third year; other economics courses (some optional, some compulsory depending on the programme) include international trade, political economy, public sector economics, game theory, etc.

The more economics you do, the more you will understand economic policy dilemmas, the complexities of economic growth crises, etc. You will, in other words, be able to talk much more sensibly about economic issues than you would if you just took core economics subjects. This skill will enrich your business life (and certainly make you appear more intelligent in an interview!). It will also improve your attractiveness to many employers. Graduates who can think clearly and logically about the broader economic environment have a lot to offer potential employers, especially asset management, stock-broking, merchant banking, investment guidance, and management consulting. Most jobs in business require further training, and a background in economics is usually a good signal to employers that you are capable of analytical thinking and are worth training further.

Possibilities for Postgraduate Study

Graduates will be eligible to apply for Honours-level study in Economics at UCT. This could lead to Master's and Doctoral studies in Economics or Business at UCT or elsewhere in South Africa or abroad. In addition to the opportunities listed above, graduates will be eligible to apply for any Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programme available in South Africa or abroad.