Bachelor of Economics and Laws Honours

5 Months On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Queensland

Program Overview

The University of Queensland Bachelor of Economics and Laws (Honours) is a combined on-campus double degree designed for students who want to develop professional legal expertise alongside advanced economic analysis and policy knowledge. Offered across St Lucia Campus, Herston Campus, Gatton Campus, and Dutton Park Campus, the program is ideal for students interested in corporate law, economic policy, international trade, finance, government advisory, or regulatory strategy while building strong analytical, quantitative, and legal reasoning skills.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

In the first year, students establish strong foundations in both economics and law while developing analytical and communication skills. Law studies introduce core legal principles through units such as Law, Society and Justice and Legal Analysis and Writing, while economics coursework includes subjects such as Introductory Microeconomics and Introductory Macroeconomics. Students begin understanding how legal systems influence economic activity, policy-making, and business environments.

Year 2

Second year expands students’ understanding of legal frameworks and economic systems. Law units including Contract Law, Torts, and Constitutional Law strengthen legal reasoning and case interpretation abilities, while economics studies explore economic modelling, quantitative analysis, and market behaviour through units such as Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics. Students develop stronger evidence-based decision-making and policy evaluation skills.

Year 3

During third year, students engage with more advanced interdisciplinary learning that combines economics with legal analysis. Law coursework includes Property Law, Administrative Law, and Corporate Law, while economics subjects may focus on econometrics, public economics, international trade, or financial economics. Collaborative research projects and economic case studies help students apply legal and economic theories to real-world issues.

Year 4

Fourth year focuses on advanced electives, strategic policy analysis, and specialist legal studies. Students may study areas such as taxation law, competition law, international commercial law, or corporate governance while continuing advanced economics coursework involving economic forecasting, policy analysis, and financial systems. Students strengthen their professional research, negotiation, and strategic advisory skills.

Year 5

In the final year, students complete honours-level legal studies alongside advanced economics coursework and research-based learning experiences. Law units strengthen advocacy, legal interpretation, and professional judgement skills, while economics studies focus on applied economic research, policy development, and strategic analysis. Graduates complete the program with both accredited legal qualifications and strong quantitative and economic expertise suited to leadership-focused careers.

Focus Areas

Corporate law, economic policy, international trade, taxation law, financial economics, econometrics, commercial law, competition law, public policy, corporate governance, regulatory strategy, legal advocacy, macroeconomics, microeconomics

Learning Outcomes

Develop advanced legal reasoning and advocacy skills, apply economic theory to legal and policy challenges, analyse financial and regulatory systems critically, conduct independent quantitative and legal research, communicate complex economic and legal concepts effectively, evaluate market and governance structures, and integrate strategic economic thinking with legal decision-making.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia, subject to completion of Practical Legal Training (PLT). The economics component provides strong preparation for careers in finance, government policy, consulting, economic analysis, and corporate strategy.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

The University of Queensland is internationally recognised for excellence in law, economics, and business education, with strong graduate employability outcomes and industry engagement opportunities. UQ consistently ranks among the world’s leading universities through major global ranking systems including QS World University Rankings and maintains a strong reputation across economics, finance, and legal disciplines.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the University of Queensland Bachelor of Economics and Laws (Honours) gain practical experience through legal clinics, economic policy analysis, commercial case studies, quantitative research projects, and industry-connected learning opportunities. The program combines professional legal education with applied economic training, helping students develop advocacy, analytical reasoning, statistical interpretation, policy evaluation, and strategic decision-making skills using industry-relevant tools and professional learning environments.

Throughout the degree, students work on collaborative projects, economic modelling exercises, legal research tasks, and policy-based problem-solving activities that reflect real commercial and government challenges. UQ provides access to specialised law facilities, economics research centres, financial databases, digital learning technologies, and collaborative study spaces that support practical academic and professional development:

UQ Pro Bono Centre : Law students can participate in real community legal projects and public interest initiatives while building practical legal research, advocacy, and client communication skills.
Moot Court Facilities : Dedicated moot courtrooms allow students to practise courtroom advocacy, legal negotiation, dispute resolution, and professional presentation through simulated legal proceedings.
Economic Modelling and Quantitative Analysis : Economics students engage in data-driven projects involving economic forecasting, policy evaluation, statistical interpretation, and market analysis.
Statistical and Economic Software : Students gain experience using quantitative analysis tools and economics-related software commonly applied within policy, finance, and research environments.
Bloomberg and Financial Databases : Access to financial market platforms and economic research databases supports investment analysis, economic modelling, and commercial research activities.
Group Policy and Research Projects : Collaborative assignments and case studies help students analyse economic policy, corporate regulation, financial systems, and legal-commercial challenges using evidence-based reasoning.
UQ Law Library : Students have access to extensive legal databases, legislation archives, journals, and digital legal research tools including LexisNexis, Westlaw, and AustLII.
Economics Research Centres and Institutes : Students benefit from engagement with UQ research institutes specialising in economics, public policy, governance, trade, and financial systems.
Industry Networking and Internship Opportunities : Students may participate in internships, work-integrated learning opportunities, employer networking events, and mentoring programs connected to law firms, banks, consulting firms, government departments, and multinational corporations.
Business and Economics Learning Facilities : UQ provides technology-enabled classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, research hubs, and digital teaching environments supporting applied economics and commercial learning.
Policy and Governance Engagement : Students explore contemporary economic and legal issues through seminars, policy discussions, and industry presentations connected to government and commercial sectors.
Research-focused Learning Opportunities : Advanced students may undertake honours-level economic and legal research projects focused on regulation, markets, policy, and commercial strategy.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the University of Queensland Bachelor of Economics and Laws (Honours) develop an outstanding combination of legal expertise and advanced economic analysis skills that prepares them for careers across corporate law, banking, consulting, government policy, international trade, and financial regulation sectors. The program equips students with strong quantitative reasoning, negotiation, advocacy, commercial analysis, and strategic decision-making abilities that are highly valued by employers across both public and private industries. Graduates commonly pursue careers such as Commercial Lawyer, Economic Consultant, Policy Analyst, Investment Advisor, Competition Law Specialist, and Government Economist.

The interdisciplinary structure of this double degree creates strong long-term career flexibility and highly competitive graduate outcomes across legal, financial, and economic sectors:

UQ Careers and Employability Services : Students receive professional career support including resume development, interview coaching, networking events, employer engagement programs, mentoring opportunities, and internship preparation.
Professional Legal Accreditation : The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia, subject to completion of Practical Legal Training (PLT).
Industry Partnerships and Employer Connections : UQ maintains strong relationships with leading law firms, financial institutions, government agencies, economic consulting firms, and multinational corporations that support internships, networking, and graduate recruitment opportunities.
Economics and Financial Industry Preparation : The economics component develops advanced analytical and quantitative skills relevant to banking, investment, policy development, financial analysis, economic forecasting, and consulting careers.
Practical Industry Experience : Through legal clinics, policy research projects, commercial case studies, and economic analysis activities, students graduate with workplace-ready professional experience.
Global Career Opportunities : Graduates are well prepared for international careers involving economic regulation, trade law, public policy, financial governance, and multinational business operations.
Graduate Employability Reputation : The University of Queensland is internationally recognised for strong graduate employability outcomes and consistently ranks among the world’s leading universities for law, economics, and business disciplines.
Median Salary : Graduates entering legal, economic, finance, and consulting sectors commonly report starting salary ranges between AUD $80,000 – AUD $115,000 annually depending on industry, role, and professional experience.
Leadership and Strategic Skills : Students graduate with highly transferable communication, leadership, research, and evidence-based decision-making capabilities that support progression into senior advisory and management roles.
Research and Policy Opportunities : Graduates may also pursue careers in economic policy development, competition regulation, international trade analysis, public finance, and commercial strategy consulting.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this double degree, graduates may continue into Practical Legal Training (PLT) to qualify for admission as practising lawyers in Australia. Students may also pursue postgraduate qualifications such as a Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Economics, Master of Applied Econometrics, Master of Finance, Master of Public Policy, or research-based postgraduate studies including PhD programs in law, economics, governance, public policy, or financial regulation. UQ also offers advanced research pathways through its law faculty and economics research institutes for students interested in academic, policy, or specialist consulting careers.