c ( S oc Sc ) ▁with ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁doing ▁either ▁main stream ▁econom ics ▁or ▁political ▁economy ▁within ▁that ▁degree . ▁Pro pag anda ▁aim ed ▁at ▁und erm ining ▁the ▁legit im acy ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁degree ▁came ▁from ▁Gro en ew egen ’ s ▁journalist ▁friends ▁Mc Gu in ness ▁and ▁Clark ▁and ▁also ▁from ▁former ▁University ▁of ▁Sydney ▁right - wing ▁student ▁leader ▁Tony ▁Abb ott . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁third - year ▁under grad uate ▁options ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁and ▁the ▁fourth - year ▁hon ours ▁program ▁was ▁attract ing ▁excellent ▁students . ▁Ste ps ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁taken ▁towards ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁post grad uate ▁studies , ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁a ▁research - orient ated ▁Masters ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁( So cial ▁Sciences ) ▁degree ▁program ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁a ▁course work ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁that ▁emphas ised ▁Australian ▁political ▁economy . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁on wards , ▁the ▁John ▁Howard ▁government ▁dram atically ▁cut ▁univers ities ’ ▁fund ing , ▁forcing ▁them ▁to ▁vig or ously ▁seek ▁alternative ▁re venue ▁sources . ▁Att ract ing ▁more ▁international ▁fee - pay ing ▁students ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁game , ▁and ▁the ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁and ▁Business ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Sydney ▁was ▁particularly ▁well ▁placed ▁as ▁a ▁big ▁player . ▁Dis cipl ines ▁such ▁as ▁business ▁information ▁systems