Which master's specialisation suits a Bachelor's degree graduate in Economics applying to Australia or New Zealand?

An Economics degree already carries the mathematics and statistics foundation most quantitative master's expect, so the real decision is not eligibility but whether you want a broad, employable analytics profile or a narrower, research flavoured economics one.

Ranked Options For An Economics Graduate

• Business Analytics: the highest overall employability, especially once you add Python, R or SQL skills.
• Applied Economics or Econometrics: the closest academic continuation, leading toward economist, analyst or research roles.
• Finance or Financial Economics: suited to banking, investment and financial analyst careers.
• Public Policy Economics: a strong fit for government, NGO or international organisation roles.

Employability First, Or Research First?

UNSW's Master of Applied Economics and the University of Queensland's Master of Economics both build toward research, policy and analyst careers, while the University of Auckland's Quantitative Economics option sits closer to a data driven, corporate direction. Choose based on which outcome you actually want three years from now, not on which degree title sounds more academically serious.

Thesis Vs Coursework: A Choice Inside The Choice

Several of these programmes let you choose between a coursework-only track and one with a research thesis or dissertation component, and that choice matters almost as much as the specialisation itself. A thesis track signals genuine research intent and is the stronger base if you are considering a PhD later, while a coursework-heavy track, more common in Auckland's Quantitative Economics stream, gets you into the job market faster with a broader spread of applied units instead of one deep research project.

This Information Is Also Available On

UNSW's Master of Applied Economics programme page, and the University of Auckland's Quantitative Economics programme page.

My Advice

If you cannot decide, ask what you actually want three years after graduating: a corporate analytics or consulting role points to Business Analytics, while a genuine interest in research, government or international organisations points to Applied Economics or Public Policy. Do not pick pure economics research simply because it sounds academically prestigious if your real goal is a private sector job.