Studying Economics will help you see the world in a different light; and understand how to apply this new perspective to help resolve issues in our society. You'll learn how to help people, governments and businesses make better decisions about using natural and financial resources to meet different goals.

Economists contribute to government decision-making on many different issues, such as shaping new laws and taxes, or advising on international trade agreements. They can also be involved in recommending incentives and penalties geared towards changing people's behaviour, such as encouraging people to leave their car at home.

You'll learn how to explain the reasons for different market structures, analyse the implications of government policy, anticipate how people might react to price changes, and demonstrate the gains from trade.

The practical assignments in Economics can be both challenging and creative. For example, in the first-year paper ECON100, you may create a YouTube video that explains basic economic ideas using real-world examples, and in the second-year paper ECON200, you may analyse a country and come up with some policy options for maintaining its internal macroeconomic stability and global competitiveness. For more information about this subject, visit the .

While studying at Waikato, there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to make new friends, such as through the . This is a student-led group that gets together regularly to discuss economic issues.

If you're passionate about business, current affairs, finance or maths then economics may be a good fit for you. Economics brings together ideas from many different areas: politics, psychology, sociology, geography, law and statistics.