Economics Major

• What is Economics?
• What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?
• What Kinds of Students Major in Economics?
• What Courses Do Economics Majors Take?
• List of Economics Jobs
• What is the Median Salary Range for Economics Careers?
• College and University Departments to Consider

What is Economics?

Economics is the study of how individual sin our society allocates, produces and distributes scarce resources. The scarce resources can include, labor, raw materials, land, machinery, and natural resources. Economists use mathematical models to develop programs predicting answers to questions and to obtain data. Economic theory and practice is used in government, business, non-profit organizations and research and teaching. The foundations for economics are business, finance, marketing and management. Top positions in economics usually require a graduate degree. However, an economic student with a bachelors degree may qualify for entry level positions such as research assistant, administrative or management trainee, marketing interviewer and sales. An economics student can use this degree as a basis for furthering their education in fields such as economics, business, public policy and law, journalism, social welfare and urban planning.

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What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?

Various specializations related to a major in Economics may be offered by colleges and universities. These specializations may be of greater or lesser interest to you. A few of these specializations related to this field include, but are not limited to:

Agricultural Economics	Applied and Resource Economics
Consumer Economics	Development Economics
Economic Development	Health Care Economics
International Development	International Economics
Labor Economics	Mathematical Economics
Natural Resource Economics	Public Finance
Transportation

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What Kinds of Students Major in Economics?

Students majoring in economics must have good command of verbal and written communication skills especially for interviews and presentations. This student should be organized, detail oriented, patient, persistent and enjoy mathematics, especially statistics, as applied to social and economic problems.

Is Economics the right major for you?
Take the MyMajors Quiz and find out if it is one of your top recommended majors!

What Courses Do Economics Majors Take?

The required and elective courses you would take for Economics majors vary considerably among institutions. Courses are listed here that are illustrative of the breadth of topics you are likely to experience were you to major in this field.

Economic Development	Economic Institutions
Economic Theory	Economics
Government and Industry	International Economics
Labor Economics	Money and Banking
Public Finance	Regional Economics
Statistics

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List of Potential Jobs in Economics

These professions and professional organizations illustrate the types of positions you might qualify for if you complete this major. Some majors are more directly related to employment than others, however. You should consider the likelihood of employment after graduation carefully, if you do not plan to go on for graduate work in a field. Even with the completion of graduate work in some fields, however, employment is difficult, so you should determine what the prospects are for this or any major. Employment possibilities are often enhanced by the selecting employment-related courses and by the enrollment in second major or in a minor.

Financial Planner/Analyst	Accounting
Business Manager	Credit/Loan Officer
Development Officer	Financial Officer
Government Administrator	Human Resources Manager
Investment Banker	Journalist
Litigation Consulting	Management Consultant/Analyst
Market Research Analyst	Property Manager
Stockbroker	Teacher
Underwriter

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What is the Median Salary Range for Economics Careers?

U.S. Median Salary(starting):$50,200

U.S. Median Salary(mid-career):$101,000

Note: These numbers are national averages so you could make more or less than these amounts. Actual expected salaries will vary depending on your chosen career path, experience, and even your geographic location. Are you interested in detailed information about the forecasted demand for a particular profession? Are you interested in the estimated salaries such positions are likely to pay? This government Web site allows you to search on a particular job, whether listed here or not, to give you this information.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Colleges and Universities offering majors in Economics

MyMajors complete list has 914 schools in the USA with a major in Economics.
-View the national listing!

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For information on options available to campuses wishing to see their programs listed on MyMajors, contact for details.