Department of Economics
DEGREES IN ECONOMICS
Students who major in economics may pursue either a BA or BS degree. Students often ask if there are any important differences in the BA and BS degrees, such as prestige or value to employers or graduate schools. In brief, the answer is no! What separates the two programs is that the BS degree requires students to take two courses in accounting, one course in finance, and a course in international economics to provide the foundation for additional advanced course work in business. Upon graduation, your GPA, work experience, leadership, interpersonal and quantitative skills will be more important to your career than whether you earned a BA or a BS degree in Economics.
A degree in economics is excellent preparation for future graduate study in fields such as law, business, health administration, public policy, urban development, and other applied social science fields. Studying economics also prepares you for a wide variety of job opportunities. According to a May 10, 2010 article from Money College, economics is the second most profitable major – behind engineering and ahead of physics, computer science and statistics!
BA (Liberal Arts) degree in Economics
The BA degree provides students with a flexible liberal arts education and the opportunity to double major in subject areas outside the Bryan School of Business and Economics such as geography, history, international business, mathematics, and political science. The major entails five required courses and a minimum of five economic electives including a writing and speaking intensive course in economics.
BS (Business-oriented) degree in Economics
The BS degree provides students with a business-oriented degree and the opportunity to double major in subject areas inside the Bryan School of Business and Economics. The major entails two accounting courses, one finance course, six required economic courses and a minimum of three economics electives. BS majors have the option to pursue a concentration in financial economics to best prepare for entry into the financial sector such as banking, insurance, corporate finance, investments (trusts), and security analysis.
Minor in Economics requires 15 semester hours of economics beyond ECO 101 (Introduction to Economics) or ECO 201 (Principles of Microeconomics).
BA in Economics
| Economics requirements: | ECO 201 (101), 202, 250, 301, 346, |
| Plus five ECO electives (one must be WI/SI) | |
| Additional requirements: | ISM 110, MAT 120 or 191. |
BS in Economics
| Economics requirements: | ECO 201 (101), 202, 250, 300, 301, 346, |
| Plus three ECO electives and MGT 309 or ECO WI/SI course | |
| Additional requirements: | MAT 120 (191), ENG 101 (FMS 115 or RCO 101), CST 105 |
| ISM 110, ACC 201 (218), 202 and FIN 315 | |
| There is a limit of 10 business courses (ACC, BUS, ENT, FIN, MGT, MKT, ISM, and SCM) in the first 122 hours. |
Concentration within the BS Degree: Financial Economics
| Additional requirements: | ECO 327 and three FIN courses above FIN 315 or |
| FIN 330 and three FIN courses above FIN 315. |