Economics

Economics is the study of how individuals and societies manage their scarce resources—people must decide how much they work, what they buy, how much they save, and how they use their leisure time. Most societies use decentralized markets as the primary means of allocating resources, so economics gives students insight into how markets function in coordinating the activities of many diverse buyers and sellers.

Economics also analyzes the trends and forces that affect the economy as a whole, including growth in average income, the portion of the labor force that cannot find work, and the rate at which prices are rising. A major in economics provides excellent preparation for graduate and professional school and rewarding careers in consulting, finance, and other private and public sector employment.

The department offers coursework in several areas of economics, including financial economics, international economics, public economics, monetary economics, development economics, labor economics, law and economics, industrial organization, game theory, and econometrics.

There are interdepartmental majors available in Economics & Math and Economics & Political Science. The Department of Economics also offers a B.S. degree in Economics and Quantitative Methods.

For detailed information about this major and degree requirements, visit the departmental website and the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Bulletin.