"In my day, movies only cost a nickel!” Principles like inflation can explain this and other major changes, and we need economists to apply them. It’s no secret that we’re facing a crisis in our national economy. You know who’s looking to hire people like you? Presidents. Heads of state. Leaders who need to know what to do to save the wallets of not just one business but of a community or a nation. Our program will give you a well-rounded liberal arts education to help you apply the broad theories you’ll learn in economics classes to better understand the movement of money.
Courses
In addition to a core set of economics courses, you’ll take adjunct liberal arts courses in the departments of accounting, political science, math, and more. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:
- Principles of Microeconomics
This course is an introduction to economic analysis: efficiency and equity; production and exchange; costs, supply, and demand; markets, organizations, and government; competition, cooperation, and coercion; and international trade. - Principles of Macroeconomics
This course is an introduction to various theories of inflation and unemployment; economic growth; money, banking, and financial intermediation; interest rates; business cycles; exchange rates, trade balances, and the balance of payments; deficits and the national debt; monetary, fiscal, exchange rate, income, and regulatory policies; and national income, product, and international payments accounting. - Intermediate Microeconomics
This course is an analysis of market and firm coordination, the theory of consumer behavior and demand, the theory of supply, competition, the pricing of goods and resources, and government policies. - Intermediate Macroeconomics
This course considers various theories concerning the functioning of the macroeconomy: Classical and Pre-Keynesian, Keynesian and the Neoclassical Synthesis, Monetarism, Supply-Side, Fisher’s Debt-Deflation Theory, Post-Keynesian including Minsky’s Financial Instability Hypothesis, and Austrian.
Program Objectives
The purpose of the degree in economics is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of economic processes and the ability to analyze critically economic issues, so they can function as intelligent, informed business leaders and productive members of society. Emphasis is placed on understanding how interactions among people in their roles as consumers and producers, and as individuals or members of social, cultural, political, and economic organizations, are coordinated.
- Graduates should be able to critically analyze the economic effects, both intended and unintended, of decisions made under diverse institutional frameworks.
- Graduates should be able to effectively communicate economic theories analyses.
- Graduates should have a broad understanding of the functional areas of business and the application of economics to business decision making.
- Students planning to earn a graduate degree in economics are encouraged to take MATH A257 instead of MATH A116.
Economics Course Information
Find out more about the Economics major and minor: