Major in Economics

Economics is a prominent social science. It provides a primary basis for decisions at the national, business, and individual levels. It analyzes how businesses and households make decisions and prescribes solutions to societal problems such as unemployment, inflation, pollution and crime.  Economics students learn to utilize geometric, algebraic and statistical/econometric models to analyze economic problems and to arrive at solutions to real world problems. Should the state government, for example, build a much needed bridge over a pristine river (to alleviate traffic congestion) despite the damage to the environment as a result of the new bridge? Analytical and problem-solving skills learned in the economic context could be applied to other areas. Economics instills in students strong critical-thinking capabilities.  Economics majors consistently attain high scores on national placement tests - GMAT, LSAT and GRE.

Besides preparing students for careers in business, an education in economics is excellent preparation for graduate studies in law, business,  public administration, environmental studies, as well as in economics. Economics is a flexible choice for students seeking a rigorous, well-respected and relevant major without specializing in a narrowly defined area. If you do not want to get stuck in some field, then majoring in economics is a way out!

Careers for Students with Economics Degrees

Majoring in economics prepares students for the workplace of the future which will require workers who are flexible, adaptable to change, and who can propose practical solutions to solve problems quickly. 

Undergraduate majors in economics hold general management positions in every major company in the United States. Banks and financial institutions are leading employers of economics graduates. Governments - federal, state, and local - are also a major source of employment opportunities for economics graduates.

Economics majors hold jobs in virtually every area of business, including: finance; general management; data, information, and marketing analysis; forecasting; and human resource administration.

The College Placement Board reports that starting salaries for economics majors are comparable to those earned by accounting majors, for example, and superior to those earned by majors in other fields in the liberal arts such as psychology and political science. The following provide selected job titles held by economics graduates (some of these require an education beyond a bachelor's degree).

• Bank Officer
• Bond Trader
• Financial Planner/Analyst
• Public Administrator/Manager
• Budget Analyst Forecasting Administrator
• Public Relations Representative
• Cost Analyst Healthcare Administrator
• Quality Assurance Analyst
• Credit Analyst
• Insurance Agent Research Analyst
• Database Administrator
• Economic Analyst
• Labor Economist
• Securities Broker
• Environmental Planner
• Financial Economist

For more information on careers please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/OCO/

Requirements for an Economics Degree

This is not an official document. Please refer to the appropriate OU catalog for official information regarding degree requirements.

The Department of Economics offers the following undergraduate degrees from which prospective students may choose:

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business Administration (Business Economics)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Economics (a non-business degree; does not require business core), and
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics (offered through the College of Arts & Sciences)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Actuarial Science (offered jointly by Economics Department and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics)

To earn the B.S. (Economics) degree, students must complete the following economics courses:

• ECN 200 - Principles of Macroeconomics
  
• ECN 201 - Principles of Microeconomics
  
• ECN 302 - Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ECN 303 - Managerial Economics
• ECN 210 - Principles of Economics
  
• ECN 304 - Consumer Economics
• ECN 399 Achieve
• ECN 405 – Econometric

Students must also complete 15 additional credits in ECN courses numbered 300 or higher, 3 or more credits of which must be at the 400 level.

The B.A. Economics degree requirements are similar to those of the B.S. Economics but provide greater flexibility.

Students undertaking the B.S. Business Economics degree must complete the same “core” courses as majors in all other business areas.

B.S. in Actuarial Sciences requirements include courses in economics, mathematics, statistics, and finance.

Economics Student Organizations at OU

Women’s Economic Society
Economics Students Association 
Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics Honor Society)

Scholarship Opportunities

Apply for Economics-Related Scholarships

Apply for General Scholarships

Meet the Faculty and Staff in the Economics Department

Economics Department

Advising Resources for Economics Majors

Please contact the Economics Major adviser for more specific advice related to major courses in Economics

Major adviser: Anandi (sahu@oakland.edu)