Program Description
“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 economics this includes an individual deciding how to use their time; a family managing its budget; a small business controlling its costs; a cultural organization planning its priorities; a city balancing a tight budgetwith 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.
The economics program equips students to pursue careers in business and government and prepares them for graduate study in economics, business, or law. Our graduates have achieved success as executives in a wide variety of industries and are employed as professional economists in such diverse areas as urban economics, workforce and training analysis, business forecasting, school finance consulting, evaluation of health and delivery systems, budget analysis, market consulting, government planning, banking, and statistical analysis. Some of our graduates continue their education in our master’s program in social and applied economics. The program outlined here is designed to give our students both the background that will broaden their future options and the specific skills necessary to apply economic ideas. This includes the ability to express economic ideas clearly and concisely.
Departmental faculty advisors are available to all students who need advice about formulating and reaching career goals, as well as making decisions about elective courses.
Combined B.S.B - M.S. Program Option
Undergraduate economics majors with at least junior standing and at least 30 credit hours remaining until completion of their bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply for a combined B.A. or B.S.B - M.S. program. This is an accelerated path to the M.S. in social and applied economics. Students will take two graduate level economics electives during their senior year which will count toward both their bachelor’s degree in economics and their M.S. in social and applied economics.
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