"Economics" comes from the Greek oikos, meaning "house," and nemein, meaning "to manage." Economics is the social science that studies how people manage their resources. In modern economies this includes an individual deciding on how to use her time; a family managing its budget; a small business controlling its cost; a cultural organization planning its priorities; a city balancing a tight budget with demands for services; a large company working to control the cost of health insurance for its employees; a national government fighting unemployment, poverty, or inflation; and the world community reducing air emissions of mercury and climate-altering greenhouse gases. 

Economics is the foundation of all the applied business disciplines, including accounting, finance, marketing, and management. Students can major in economics in either Liberal Arts (B.A. degree) or Business (B.S. degree). The economics program equips students to pursue careers in business and government, prepares them for graduate study in economics, business, or law. Graduates of the program have achieved success as analysts, managers, and leaders in a wide variety of business, public sector, and nonprofit enterprises. Our graduates are employed as professional economists in such areas as urban economics, workforce and training analysis, business forecasting, school finance consulting, health care systems analysis, budget analysis, market consulting, government procurement, government cost analysis, stock and bond brokerage, insurance, and banking. Some graduates are entrepreneurs with their own companies, and others continue their education in the department's Master of Science in Social and Applied Economics program. 

Members of the faculty serve as academic advisors for our majors. Candidates for a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in economics are required to take a minimum of 33 credit hours in the Department of Economics. Basic courses are supplemented by economics electives. A grade of C or higher must be earned in EC 2040 and EC 2050 prior to registering for 3000-level courses.