Program Overview
The Major
The Economics major allows students a great deal of flexibility in choosing courses. Students must earn 36 credits in economics courses. These credits include:
- The four core courses of Introduction to Micro and Introduction to Macro, Intermediate Micro and Intermediate Macro.
- In their junior or senior year, students take Econometrics, which teaches students the advanced statistical tools used in economics.
- In their senior year, students take a three-course capstone sequence that culminates in a Senior Thesis.
In addition, students choose five economics elective courses and must take four non-economics required courses (Math and English).
We also offer a five-year program in which one earns a B.A. at the end of the fourth year and an M.A. after the fifth year. The graduate requirements of the two programs are nearly identical; the major difference is the scheduling of classes.
The Minor
To earn a minor in economics the student must complete the four core courses, Introduction to Micro and Macro and Intermediate Micro and Macro, and an additional six credits of upper-division economics courses.
Graduate Study
The Department of Economics offers a two-year program leading to a Master of Arts degree in Economics. The first year consists of course work and the second year primarily of writing a thesis. The program is purposely small so that students can be given individualized attention by the faculty in both coursework and research projects.
Career Opportunities
Employers have come to value greatly the skills that a liberal arts education provides. In particular, the study of economics helps students develop analytical skills, logical thinking, written and spoken expression, comparative analysis, and mathematical, and problem solving skills. Previous economics students have pursued public and private sector careers in banking, finance, international trade, politics, teaching, public administration, consulting, resource and environmental management and international development planning.
Many of our graduates have gone on to graduate school and law school. Economics is particularly good preparation for law school.