Professors Onyeiwu (Chair), Allison, Baskan, Bilo, Finaret, Golden, Martin, Nguyen, Nonnenmacher, Ormiston, Sickafuse, Zhang

Economics is a social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The scarcity of human, natural, and other resources requires that these activities be organized to enhance the general welfare of society. Economic activity is organized at many levels, including firms, markets, and governments, and the economics curriculum offers students the opportunity to study decision-making and the consequences of those decisions at all of these levels. The curriculum includes a core of widely accepted general theory and techniques for testing hypotheses and drawing inferences. These theories and techniques are refined by their application to concrete cases in a wide offering of elective courses and co-curricular activities.

The Department of Economics trains students to think analytically about social issues and prepares them to be responsible and productive citizens in a dynamic and diverse world. Many of our alumni pursue graduate study in business, economics, education, finance, international affairs, law, and public policy and enter careers in business and public service.

International Economics and Business

Those students wishing to pursue a career in International Economics or business should combine the study of a particular country and language with a background in Economics. If students are majoring in Economics and minoring in a language, they should take ECON 251  and ECON 256  as their elective 200-level course and ECON 451  or ECON 452  as their elective 400-level course. Students majoring in a language and minoring in Economics should take ECON 251  and ECON 256  and/or ECON 265 , in addition to ECON 240 . In addition, students are encouraged to study abroad and to complete an internship (ECON 530 ) either abroad or with a company engaged in international trade. Students may also select a double major in these two disciplines. For an example of language courses that complement a Business Economics track major or Economics minor, see the course of study described in the “Arabic ,” “Chinese ,” “French ,” “German ,” and ‘Spanish ” sections of this Bulletin.

Graduate Study

Those students intending to pursue graduate study in economics or business should note that these graduate programs usually require a high performance in Economics courses and a thorough understanding of mathematics and quantitative methods. For graduate study in Economics, the recommended minimum is mathematics courses through linear algebra. Proficiency in a second language may also be required. Courses in Political Science may be required for admission to some of the special graduate programs, such as those in city planning and urban affairs.

Courses

To see the courses offered in this department or program, please use the “Course Search” link from the menu at the right of this page.

Programs

• Economics Major
• Economics Major, Business Economics Track

• Economics Minor