Economics

Do you want to understand how a market economy functions, what drives price changes, business and employment opportunities, and business cycles? Are you interested in how government policies can influence economic activity, and how to formulate and implement effective policies? Majors in economics learn how public policies influence the decisions of households and businesses and affect economic well-being, from how changes in incentives can alter the behavior of individuals and firms to how monetary policy impacts economic growth and inflation.

Students will begin by gaining an understanding of basic principles of economics, presented from both microeconomic (decision-making by individual consumers and producers and their interaction in resource and product markets) and macroeconomic (aggregate equilibrium and dynamics) perspectives. Students will gain understanding of how a market economy allocates resources and goods, the sources of movements in interest rates, unemployment, inflation, trade and government deficits. They will learn to anticipate how changing circumstances affect market outcomes, enabling them to navigate those economic fluctuations.

Application will be made to important social issues and the decisions behind the formulation of public policy and economic regulation. They will learn to understand economic statistics and use econometric methods to analyze economic relationships and test predictions. At a personal level, the program provides practical decision-making skills and opens a wide variety of career opportunities, especially in the financial services sector.

ECU Advantage

The ECU Department of Economics’ programs of study avoid one-size-fits-all uniformity. We offer four distinct degree concentrations and an array of economics electives that allow students to fine tune their program to meet their specific career goals, ranging from preparation for immediate employment to advanced professional (business or law) or academic study at the master’s or doctoral level. Studying economics gives students more options and flexibility than other programs.

The ECU economics faculty brings their coursework to life by integrating current events, active learning, and cutting-edge research into their classes. In addition to being highly active researchers, our faculty have received numerous university teaching awards for their enthusiastic and innovative teaching methods. In addition, we have a very high advisor-to-advisee ratio: one faculty advisor for every 10 advisees, which means that our majors receive full attention from faculty.