You?ll be prepared to go on to graduate or professional school, or for employment upon graduation.

Economics at James Madison University is an exciting discipline that can lead to a wide variety of career options, including commodities analysis and trading, consumer advocacy, economic analysis, journalism and public administration.?

Mission

The?Department of?Economics?is committed to students' intellectual development by fostering an understanding and appreciation of economic forms of explanation and their relationships to other social sciences.?Economics?faculty members are dedicated to sound and effective pedagogy, to scholarship of the highest quality and to outreach to the local and business community.

The department provides an intellectual foundation for the appreciation and understanding of economic theory and policy. This foundation is developed within a broader educational perspective that stresses the importance of imaginative thinking, free inquiry and the pursuit of life-long learning. In this way, the program prepares students with the economic literacy necessary to cope with the challenges inherent in a world of accelerating change.

The program offers five concentrations:

• Economics - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics?
• Economics - Financial Economics?
• Economics - International Economics?
• Economics - Political Economy?
• Economics - Socioeconomics

Goals

• Help students develop analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Promote cross disciplinary forms of instruction.
• Seek continuous improvement in the quality of classroom instruction.
• Serve the community through outreach services.
• Help students pursue careers and additional education.

Marketable Skills

• Analytical thinking capabilities highly valued by business, government and the nonprofit sector.
• Writing and research skills applicable to a wide variety of careers.
• Statistical and econometric skills used in business and finance.
• Preparation in critical thinking valued by graduate schools, including law, business, and arts and sciences.
• Analytical skills valued by employers for internships in business, government and consulting.