Economics is the study of social activities concerned with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Nearly all social phenomena and problems have economic aspects, and therefore, knowledge of economic systems and their relations with each other is essential to an understanding of the complex world in which we live.

The department has three undergraduate instructional goals: to provide students with basic tools of analysis and the factual, statistical and descriptive materials they will need to perform their duties as citizens; to introduce economics majors to the various fields of economics to prepare them for positions in business and government and for graduate study; and to offer a course of study suitable for a minor in economics.

Major — B.A. Degree

1. Complete the general university requirements. (As part of the core curriculum requirements, complete: MATH F262X* or MATH F200X.*)
2. Complete the B.A. degree requirements. (As part of the B.A. degree requirements, complete: MATH F161X*, ECON F200* and 3 credits of a political science elective.)
3. Complete the following foundation requirements:*
   ACCT F261—Accounting Concepts and Uses I—3 credits
   ECON F227—Intermediate Statistics for Economics and Business—3 credits
   ECON F321—Intermediate Microeconomics—3 credits
   ECON F324—Intermediate Macroeconomics—3 credits
   ECON F463W—International Economics—3 credits
   STAT F200X—Elementary Probability and Statistics—3 credits
   Economics electives at the F300-level or above**—18 credits
4. Minimum credits required—120 credits

* Student must earn a C grade or better in each course.
** Up to 6 credits of the following courses may be included: BA F325, F343 and F360. At least 6 credits of electives must be courses designated writing intensive (W).

Major — B.B.A. Degree

1. Complete the general university requirements. (As part of the core curriculum requirements, complete: MATH F262X* and BA F323X.*)
2. Complete the B.B.A. degree requirements. (As part of the Common Body of Knowledge, complete AIS F310.)
3. Complete the following program (major) requirements:*
   ECON F321—Intermediate Microeconomics—3 credits
   ECON F324—Intermediate Macroeconomics**—3 credits
   ECON F350—Money and Banking II**—3 credits
   ECON F463W—International Economics—3 credits
   ECON F351—Public Finance (3)
        or ECON F451W—Public Expenditure Analysis (3)—3 credits
   ECON F409W—Industrial Organization (3)
        or ECON F420W—Labor Markets and Public Policy (3)—3 credits
   ECON F434W—Environmental Economics (3)
        or ECON F439W—Energy Economics (3)—3 credits
   BA F460O—International Business—3 credits
4. Complete a minor complex (optional) or free electives to meet minimum credits required.
5. Minimum credits required—120 credits

* Student must earn a C grade or better in each course.
** If not taken in the B.B.A. Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).
Note: At least 6 credits in the major must be courses designated writing intensive (W).

Economics provides a logical way of looking at a variety of problems. The study of economics covers topics ranging from making sound business decisions to tackling some of society's most challenging issues. It is not possible to completely understand business decisions, politics, social reforms, or international relations without an understanding of their economic bases.

The faculty members of the Program of Economics have specialized backgrounds in many areas: economic analysis of societal concerns such as inflation and national output, and the problems of individual companies and consumers, public finance, economic history, econometrics and forecasting, industrial organization, money and banking, international economics, urban and regional economics, labor, microeconomics, oil and energy economics and fisheries economics.