Minoring in Economics

 

Why Minor in Economics:

Economics provides a marketable minor that complements many other fields. For example, economics overlaps with every other social science.  Recent economics Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman holds a joint appointment in economics and psychology at Princeton University.  Gary Becker, another Nobel laureate, holds professorships in both economics and sociology at the University of Chicago.  Because economic forces drive many political, social, legal and historical trends, top journalists and broadcasters find that a solid knowledge of economic concepts is an essential tool in their professions.

Are you majoring in the sciences?  Economic theories of market competition share much with ideas from evolutionary biology.  Economists build mathematical models of behavior and use heavy doses of statistical theory to test them.   

Even the fine arts interact with economics.  Research published in a recent volume of the Journal of Cultural Economics includes articles entitled, "The Evolution of Free-Lance Music Composition," "The Law and Economics of Artists' Inalienable Rights," and "Quality Judgments and the Demand for French Public Theater." 

Skills learned in economics can enhance a variety of degrees, extend your job opportunities and give you an additional edge in the workplace.

 

What does the minor require?

A minor in economics requires five courses (15 semester hours) with a minimum GPA of 2.0. [Note: This is a change. Prior to January 2005 the minor required 18 semester hours.]

Required courses:

• Econ 215: Principles of Microeconomics
• Econ 216: Principles of Macroeconomics

Elective courses (choose three from the following):

• Econ 306: Econometrics
• Econ 315: Microeconomic Analysis
• Econ 316: Macroeconomic Analysis
• Econ 331: Public Finance
• Econ 332: Economic Games and Strategies
• Econ 335: Money and Banking
• Econ 343: Environmental Economics
• Econ 345: Labor Economics
• Econ 415: Managerial Economics
• Econ 521: International Trade and Investment