Department of Economics Programs

The Department of Economics offers a program in economics that enables students to succeed in a competitive global environment. Students who concentrate on economics learn the basis for integrating knowledge of the functional areas of business administration in industry, government, and non-profit organizations.

The concentration in business economics focuses on the best ways to get the most benefit from scarce resources. It covers firms and organizations (microeconomics) and nations (macroeconomics). The concentration provides the conceptual basis for integrating knowledge of the functional areas of business administration in industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. By so doing, it opens the way not only toward teaching, research, and consulting, but also toward graduate study in business, government and law.

The BA in Economics provides students with an excellent basis for graduate study in economics, business or law, or careers in business, public policy, government or teaching. The major requires a minimum 30 credits in economics. Students build their program based on a rigorous foundation of introductory, intermediate and quantitative courses. Elective courses, chosen in consultation with the adviser, allow students to pursue their individual interests supporting career and post-graduate academic goals. Areas of interest include public policy, advanced theory, macroeconomic theory and policy, economic philosophy and economic history.

The minor in economics offers non-economics majors the opportunity to broaden their knowledge through an exposure to economic decision making. The minor enhances the analytical and critical thinking skills of students and also improves the job market opportunities available to such students.

The minor in political economy welcomes students who are interested in the connections between economics and politics. Economics has political effects and politics has economic effects, and these can be seen in a variety of areas including: international trade, international finance, globalization, health policy, education policy, urban politics, economic development and taxation. The minor also offers the opportunity for students to develop their quantitative skills and then to learn to apply them in assessing, evaluating and modeling public policy outcomes. The minor has the following prerequisites that may fulfill requirements in the LEP:  ECO 100 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECO 101 Principles of Microeconomics, and either PSC 260 US Government (for any of the 300 level American Politcs courses) or PSC 270 International Relations (for any of the 300 level international relations courses).