Economics


The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences offers a BA, BGS and BS, as well as a MA and a PhD in Economics.  The study of economics offers students insight into some of the most fundamental issues facing societies today: what goods and services should we produce, how should they be produced, and how should they be distributed around the world. Economics is outstanding preparation for a career in finance, business, policy analysis, international relations, or any other field that requires rigorous analytic thinking. It also makes an excellent foundation for graduate study in economics, business, law, political science, or public administration.

Economics Department website

Sample of Related Skills

  • Recognize and appreciate the diversity of views that have historically been expressed or may reasonably exist about economic problems and alternative economic systems and present those views in a coherently written essay  
     
  • Identify compile, interpret, and analyze quantitative economic data by expressing relationships between concepts through graphs, statistical or econometric analysis, in coherent English  
     
  • Describe the institutions in the United States that shape monetary and fiscal policy and the processes these institutions use to achieve their goals in addressing issues of unemployment, inflation, exchange rate, balance of payments, or economic growth in a global context  
     
  • Use microeconomic tools and concepts to address public policy issues such as competition, environmental protection, financial regulation, innovation and intellectual property, labor law, or taxation  
     
  • Use macroeconomic models to explain the changes in output, employment, inflation, and growth  
     
  • Find information on price indices, employment and unemployment, world-wide GDP and human development statistics; organize and manipulate the data in spreadsheets and statistical programs; and interpret statistical results  

Popular Career Paths

Economic and Market Research: Can involve forecasting consumer demand and sales of an organization's products and analysis of an organization's competitors' market share and provide recommendations on how to manage the competition. 
 
Banking and Finance: Involves forecasting, planning, and conducting cost analysis for banks and financial institutions. 
 
Government: Includes conducting policy analysis and/or collecting economic data for federal, state or local government agencies. 
 
Research: Involves conducting basic and applied studies of human behavior. 
 
Insurance: Involves advising insurers, their regulators, and legislators on risk management issues. 

Explore More Career Paths

  • Be an Actuary - offers many links to information on the career of an actuary  
     
  • Society of Actuaries - provides links for applicants, recruiters, and interns to find valuable information on the career of an actuary 

Jobs to Consider

Places to Seek Employment

  • Banks/Financial Institutions
  • Brokerage Firms
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Consulting Firms
  • Credit Unions
  • Federal, State and Local Government Agencies
  • Forecasting Companies
  • Health Maintenance Organizations
  • Hospitals
  • Insurance Firms
  • Law Firms
  • Lobbying Organizations
  • Market Research Firms
  • Think Tanks
  • Trade Associations 

Job and Internship Search Resources