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The Boom We Didn’t Really Have: Australian Economics Degree Enrolments, 1990–2007

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  • Alex Millmow

Abstract

This paper revisits the matter of attracting students to study economics, an issue that faces every Australian university economics department. While the Australian economy has been in a boom phase for some period it has not led to a relative increase in economic degree enrolments for local universities. While some of the Go8 universities have seen a steady increase in economics degree enrolments between 1995 and 2007, the national picture, taken over a longer period, reveals that economic degree enrolments as a percentage of the overall student population is still falling. The paper concludes with the shy hope that, apart from improvement to the syllabus and teaching methodologies, the marked economic slowdown might elicit an increase in student interest in economics. The paper closes by suggesting that now might be an appropriate time for the regimen of the ideal economics degree offered by Australian universities to be re‐examined.

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  • Alex Millmow, 2009. "The Boom We Didn’t Really Have: Australian Economics Degree Enrolments, 1990–2007," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 28(1), pages 56-62, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econpa:v:28:y:2009:i:1:p:56-62
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1759-3441.2009.00003.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Pomfret & Liang Choon Wang, 2003. "Evaluating The Research Output Of Australian Universities' Economics Departments," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 418-441, December.
    2. John J. Siegfried, 2008. "Trends in Undergraduate Economics Degrees, 1991-2007," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 297-301, July.
    3. Malcolm Anderson & Richard Blandy, 1992. "What Australian Economics Professors Think," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 25(4), pages 17-40, October.
    4. John J. Siegfried, 2006. "Trends in Undergraduate Economics Degrees, 1991-2005," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 376-381, July.
    5. Randall E. Parker, 2002. "Reflections on the Great Depression," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2473.
    6. John J. Siegfried, 2007. "Trends in Undergraduate Economics Degrees, 1991-2006," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 360-364, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alan Duhs & Ross Guest, 2011. "Economics Education in Australia," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 72, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Ross Guest, 2013. "Towards Learning Standards in Economics in Australia," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 32(1), pages 51-66, March.
    3. John Marangos & Vasiliki Fourmouzi & Minoas Koukouritakis, 2013. "Factors that Determine the Decline in University Student Enrolments in Economics in Australia: An Empirical Investigation," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 89(285), pages 255-270, June.
    4. David K. Round & Martin P. Shanahan, 2010. "The Economics Degree in Australia: Down but Not Out?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(4), pages 425-435, September.
    5. Mahmud A. Mansaray, 2018. "Utility Maximization Model of Teaching Effectiveness in Economics," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 383-408, January.

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