Microeconomics is the study of the daily decisions that consumers, workers, and business people make, and of the interactions between these decisions in markets. Macroeconomics is the study of how the decisions made by all individuals and businesses are together responsible for the size and growth of the economy, for recessions and for unemployment.
Among the major topics within economics are natural resource and environmental economics, international trade and finance, public economics, labor economics, urban and regional economics, development economics, economic history, industrial organization, law and economics, health economics, financial economics and monetary economics. In addition, econometrics is the study of how statistical methods can be best applied to economic problems. Our department offers courses in most of these fields in every semester.
The economics major provides a highly structured experience that develops increasing levels of sophistication. It begins with courses in economic principles, continues to intermediate courses in economic theory and empirical practice, and culminates with rigorous courses in the applied fields of economics. Successful graduates are well-equipped to perform economic analysis in most commercial and policy settings, and to continue on to graduate school.