Economics is a fascinating major that helps you develop analytical skills that are applicable to a wide range of jobs. Economists work in Wall Street; banking, finance and insurance, all aspects of business; multinational corporations; real estate; utility companies; non-profits; regulation, city, state and federal government agencies; international agencies like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; sports, health and aging; and in academia.

Economic issues are powerful enough to shape the world. Slowly but surely, economic issues make their way to your pocketbook. Many pressing social issues have their roots in economics. Microeconomic principles set the foundation for business. Macroeconomic policies shape the destinies of nations. Keynes put it eloquently when he said, “The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else.”

According to the National Association of Business Economists (NABE), “The key skills of the economic analyst compared to other business analysts is the ability to link industry/market developments to the overall economy, i.e., to see the forest as well as the trees. The broad training of economists provides a flexibility that allows them to turn their hand to a broad range of analytical problems – a critical attribute in a company experiencing a redirection of industry interests.”

Students pursuing graduate degrees in many other fields, such as the social sciences, business, public administration, public health, environmental studies, urban studies, law, and journalism find that economics is their best choice for an undergraduate major or minor, given the extensive economic content of these programs.

• Bachelor of Arts in Economics
• Concentration in Business Economics: Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
• Minor in Economics
• Masters of Arts in Economics

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics has more “free electives”  that give you the flexibility to use your to

• Take courses in just about any field of your interest such as (but not limited to) public administration, urban studies, geography, statistics, mathematics and insurance to supplement your economics major.  The undergraduate advisor in economics, Professor Bhattacharya, can help you select “free electives” that match your interests and enhance your job opportunities.
• Take an internship course, ECON 495 that provides you with hands-on experience which will be very useful in your job search. (Note: ECON 495 is not counted as an econ elective)

The concentration in business economics is a major in business administration with a concentration in business economics.  In this case you are required to take specific business courses instead of the “free electives.”  

The required courses and the list of electives to choose from are listed in the respective roadmaps.

Please consult the CSUF catalog or an advisor for the most updated list of requirements.

Let us look at two cases:

1. Your major is business administration and your concentration is a field other than business economics such as Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Management, ISDS, International Business, etc. In this case, you need to take ECON 320, plus three electives to fulfill your requirements for a minor. These have to be distinct courses which do not double count for anything else. In today’s global world, a minor in economics with a focus on global courses is an excellent supplement to your major.
2. Your major is outside the College of Business and Economics. You will be required to take all of the courses required for the minor in addition to the required coursework for your major.

According to the recent Occupational Outlook Handbook:

"The growing need for economic analyses in virtually every industry should result in additional jobs for economists. Employment of economists and survey researchers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010."

The economics major provides you with the following skills that are highly valued by employers.

• A solid understanding of economic principles that form the foundation of the corporate world and the basis of policy making
• A solid understanding of the global economy
• Overall quantitative and qualitative analytical ability
• Skills in problem solving and computation
• Skills in looking for sources of data
• Compilation of data and interpretation of data trends
• Testing of hypothesis
• Written communication: writing reports and research papers
• Oral communication: class presentations and class discussions
• Experience with statistical packages, such as R, SAS, Stata and Eviews

Knowledge of these skills opens doors to a wide range of jobs: city, state and federal government; Wall Street; law; banking; finance; insurance; real estate; utility companies; nonprofits; regulation; sports; health; aging; academia; all aspects of business; and international agencies like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

According to the National Association of Business Economists (NABE), "The key skills of the economic analyst compared to other business analysts is the ability to link industry/market developments to the overall economy, i.e., to see the forest as well as the trees."

Our majors have landed jobs in Merrill Lynch; Walt Disney; Southern California Edison; local consulting companies; city, state, and federal government agencies; banks; and insurance companies.

Note that this is not counted as an economics elective, but is counted towards the university units. It is a credit/no credit class. The form for registering for an internship is obtained from LH 209. Please check with the Center for Internships and Community Engagement in LH 209 or with the undergraduate advisor for guidelines in choosing an internship that matches your career goals.

Guidelines for the independent study can be picked up from the Department of Economics office at SGMH 3313. You can also reach out to the undergraduate advisor for more information.

Many of our undergraduates have pursued graduate studies in law, business, public administration, public health, environmental studies, urban studies, the social sciences and journalism. Studies have shown that lawyers with undergraduate degrees in economics earn more than other lawyers.

Please consult the scholarship bulletin for several economics awards. These have a deadline early in spring.

Consult these job and career resources.