BA Economics Syllabus & Subjects 2024

Bachelor of Arts in Economics or BA Economics subjects are centred on the foundation course topics like: microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and mathematical economics. It is through these core subjects that students develop essential skills of quantitative ability and critical thinking. In addition, the BA in Economics course also includes connected specialised subjects like public economics, finance markets, development and international trade, which can help the students to custom fit according to their career goals and aspirations.

Students through taking the BA Economics as a course learn data literacy and critical thinking, which include advanced analytical skills. Such skills put students on the path to well-paid, professionally challenging careers. A diverse range of economics skills are in high demand by organisations engaged in fields such as public policy, management consulting, statistics analysis, journalism, finance, and entrepreneurship. Such employers recruit those who have received a well-balanced education in both theory and data analysis. At the starting salary for BA Economics graduates it usually is around INR 3,60,000, and it grows to INR 30,00,000 and more by the time an individual rises to a management role.

As the digital platform in sectors such as e-commerce, digital finance, and data analytics, are increasing, the Indian economics graduates have multiple career opportunities to explore. Their elixir of statistical, logical, and economic thinking techniques is crucial in these new tech-focused positions. In addition to domain knowledge, a BA Economics degree also cocreates a versatile thinking that is applicable in different transitions. This makes them highly capable of functioning in a wide range of work environments.

Candidates can check the details related to the BA Economics syllabus and course in the table below:

All BA Economics subjects are taught to help undergraduates expand their understanding of economics. The syllabus includes a vast variety of topics ranging from Financial Systems to Foreign Economics Theory. Provided below are the BA Economics subjects that are covered in the course duration of 3 years.

BA Economics 1st Year Syllabus

Check out the first-year BA Economics syllabus below:

BA Economics 2nd Year Syllabus

Captured below are the BA Economics course subjects that are a part of the second-year syllabus:

BA Economics 3rd Year Syllabus

Check out the BA Economics subjects for the third year here:

BA Economics syllabus comprises both core and elective courses. Here are the various main BA Economics Subjects taught in the programme. Candidates must note that some BA Economics subjects are related to social science while some are related to mathematimiddle-incomecs.

Based on typical BA economics curriculum, here are some common subjects that are often required across multiple semesters:

Principles of Microeconomics - Introduces supply and demand, consumer/ firm behaviour, market structures. Usually taken in 1st year.
Principles of Macroeconomics - Covers broader economy like GDP, unemployment, inflation. Also 1st year.
Intermediate Microeconomics - 2nd year, goes deeper into consumer/ firm theory, market failures.
Intermediate Macroeconomics - 2nd year, expands on macro models, fiscal/ monetary policy.
Mathematical Economics - Covers mathematical models used in economics.
Econometrics - Introduces statistical methods for economic data analysis. Often 2nd or 3rd year.
Economic Statistics - Focuses on economic data sources, analysis, inference.

Electives - Fields like international economics, public economics, labour economics.

Other common core subjects:

Microeconomic Theory
Macroeconomic Theory
History of Economic Thought
Political Economy
Economics Research Methods

The order may vary, but these foundational theory, statistical, and mathematical courses tend to be requirements across multiple semesters for a BA in Economics course.

There are only two major (one national-level and other university-level) entrance exams for admission to BA Economics course in India, one is CUET UG and the other one is IPU CET. However, there are many institutions that conduct their own entrance tests to admit candidates to the BA Economics programme. Most of these entrance exams are mostly done for either BA Economics Hons or B.Sc Economics with/ without Hons. degree.

Here’s the CUET UG 2024 and IPU CET 2024 syllabus for BA Economics:

BA Economics CUET Syllabus: 

The BA Economics CUET UG syllabus covers subjects like microeconomics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics, statistics, econometrics, development economics, environment economics, public economics, money and banking, international economics, growth and development economics. Students will need to have a conceptual understanding of these topics and apply economic reasoning to solve problems. The exam will test logical reasoning skills, quantitative ability, and language comprehension as applicable to the domain of Economics.

BA Economics IPU CET Syllabus: 

The BA Economics IPU CET syllabus broadly covers micro and macro economics, statistical and mathematical economics. The major topics include theory of consumer behavior and demand, production, cost analysis, market structures and price determination, national income accounting, determination of income and employment, money and banking, balance of payments, economic growth and development as well as statistical tools like measures of central tendency, correlation and regression. A strong grasp over the principles of economics, ability to analyze real world situations from an economic perspective and apply mathematical and statistical tools are tested in the exam.

While the choice of elective subjects for a BA Economics program may vary across universities, the UGC in India provides general guidelines rather than a specific list of elective subjects. However, here's a compilation of some of the most popular and commonly offered elective subjects for BA Economics students. Please note that the availability of these electives may depend on the specific BA Economics syllabus of the university you are enrolled in:

BA Economics is offered through regular mode as well as Distance mode. In distance mode, candidates not only have the flexibility of time but also they are taught BA Economics course subjects through online mode. The course fees for BA Economics Distance Courses are also less when compared to the traditional courses. The BA Economics Syllabus for distance courses is very similar to the regular BA Economics syllabus. The semester-wise topics and subjects that are often included in the course curriculum of a distance learning programme are as follows:

Here are some of the most helpful and important BA Economics course books for your reference:

In India, you study for a BA in Economics over three years which includes six semesters. During the initial two semesters, your studies are focused on basic subjects like microeconomics and macroeconomics, as well as mathematics, statistics and an introduction to econometrics while also completing courses that are needed for general education. Over the following four semesters, students will take more complex courses that include advanced microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics. They will also study public economics, money and financial institutions as well as international economics along with growth and development in economies.

The programme includes practical subjects like environmental economics, health-related economic studies and understanding of finances pertaining to agriculture or industries which vary based on the institution attended. Many programs require that students choose a specific area in economics and take between five to six classes on this topic during the last year.

The studies also concentrate on developing abilities for analyzing numbers, which are important for creating and assessing economic policies. Many universities include group projects, presentations and hands-on learning with software for economic analysis in their programs. This way of organizing the courses gives students a clear understanding of concepts and important technical abilities needed for jobs that use economic ideas in actual situations.