Economics

Associate Professor Sharon May, Chair, Division of Social Sciences and Coordinator

The Major in Economics is appropriate for the student interested in the functioning of the economic system and in economic policy. For most positions in the business world, students who major in economics are competitive with those who major in business. For situations with strong theoretical emphasis, the major in economics provides an important advantage. The economics major also provides a basis for graduate study in management, business, finance, law, and a variety of other fields.

Students successfully completing the program of study will have achieved the following learning outcomes:

  1. Access existing knowledge including published research and economic data.
  2. Display command of existing knowledge:
    1. Explain existing economic concepts and how they may be used.
    2. Summarize economic conditions.
    3. Explore current economic policy issues.
  3. Interpret existing knowledge and data:
    1. Understand and interpret numerical data found in published tables.
    2. Identify patterns and trends in published data.
    3. Construct tables from available statistical data.
    4. Read and interpret quantitative analyses including regression results.
  4. Apply existing knowledge to analyze current economic issues, evaluate policy alternatives, or recommend economic policies.
  5. Create new knowledge by formulating a question about a new economic issue, designing and conducting a research study, and presenting the results in a written report.
  6. Search for knowledge and understanding by posing and responding to questions that stimulate productive discussion.