For information about the B.B.A. degree with a major in business economics offered by the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, please refer to that college's chapter in this catalog.
Economics provides a way of thinking about everyday decision-making in a world of limited options. It explains the economy as a whole; how it is best organized to provide goods, services, jobs, stable prices, and other economic goals. Economists study the ways a society distributes scarce resources such as land, labor, raw materials, and machinery to produce goods and services choices that must be made because time, income, wealth, workers, and natural resources are limited. Principles of economics are useful at all levels of decision-making, and provide an essential framework for analyzing and understanding such major issues as inflation, unemployment, deregulation of banking, tax reform, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, labor productivity, and foreign debt crises.
Most economists are concerned with practical applications of economic policy in a particular area. They use their understanding of economic relationships to advise businesses and other organizations, including insurance companies, banks, securities firms, computer and data processing companies, management consulting firms, industry and trade associations, labor unions, and government agencies. Some economists work abroad for companies with international operations and for organizations like the World Bank and United Nations.
Economists use mathematical models to develop programs that predict, for example, the nature and length of business cycles, the effects of inflation on the economy, or the effects of tax legislation on unemployment levels. Preparing reports on the results of their research is an important part of the economist's job. Being able to present economic concepts in a meaningful way is particularly important for economists who are involved in making policy for their organizations.
The student with a major or minor in economics may choose from a broad array of topics including foreign trade, environmental and natural resources economics, money and credit, public sector economics, labor economics, economic development, international finance, urban and regional economics, economic history, industrial organization and antitrust policies, and mathematical economics. Majors may pursue careers in many areas, some of which are listed below along with courses applicable to the career choice.
Career Opportunities and Related Courses: A recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that college graduates who majored in economics were among the highest paid employees (economics ranked as the third most lucrative major). An undergraduate degree in economics furnishes a valuable background for a domestic or international career in law, government, business or education. Government service provides many opportunities at the federal, state, and local level that require only an undergraduate degree in economics. What economists do in business is as broad and varied as the full scale of managing a firm's operations; economists are found in staff departments handling marketing, business planning and policy, finance, international operations, government relations, and even purchasing and operating logistics. An economics degree also combines well with training in other disciplines such as finance, real estate, political science, journalism, history, law, and foreign languages.
Students who plan to have a career or pursue graduate work that uses economics should consider the courses listed below. The listings are suggestions for broad categories and do not exclude other offerings. These suggestions do not replace advisement or override any degree requirements regarding choices of major or elective courses.
A Top Ranked Program: The Department of Economics is ranked 1st in Georgia, and 9th among 33 Southeastern programs, and 50th in the U.S., according to a recent issue of the Southern Economic Journal, with considerably higher national rankings in the subfields that our faculty selected as primary areas of concentration, including: 8th in Urban, Rural and Regional Economics; 11th in Public Economics; 20th in Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; 23rd in Labor and Demographic Economics. The department also got high marks in general Economics and teaching (14th), methodology and History of Economic Thought (16th).
There are no admission requirements above the requirements for admission to the University for enrollment in the B.A. or B.S. with a major in Economics or the B.A. with a major in International Economics and Modern Languages.
There are no additional fees other than the tuition and fees charged by the University for enrollment in these programs.
For degree credit, a minimum grade of C must be attained in ENGL 1101 and 1102, in all courses in the major common core curriculum, policy/business and minor for the B.A. and B.S. degrees with a major in Economics, and in all courses in the major common core curriculum and modern languages concentration for the B.A. with a major in International Economics and Modern Languages.
Complete descriptions of requirements for Areas A through E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum can be found in the "University Degree Requirements and Graduation" chapter of this catalog. The number of semester hours credit required for each section is shown in parentheses. Students may not receive both a B.A. and a B.S. degree from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies with a major in economics.
Area A: Essential Skills (9)
Area B: Institutional Options (4)
Area C: Humanities and Fine Arts (6)
Area D: Math, Technology and Science (11)
Area E: Social Science (12)
Area F: Courses Appropriate to the Major (18)
Foreign language requirement: (6) 1001/2002. Choose from Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, Persian, Russian, Swahili, Spanish, or Turkish. A combined course, Fren 1101 or Span 1101, will satisfy the Area F requirement. If a language course level 1002 or higher is chosen in Area C, one or two additional 1000/2000 level elective(s) from Areas A-E must be chosen for Area F.
Elective: One 1000/2000 level course chosen from Areas A-E.
Area G: Major Common Core Curriculum (24) A minimum grade of C is required for all courses in this area.
Choose five 4000 level ECON courses (15)
*ECON 4999 is only offered during the Fall and Spring semesters of the academic year. The prerequisites for ECON 4999 are ECON 3900, ECON 3910, and two 4000-level economics courses with a grade of C or better. Students are to plan accordingly with regard to the course prerequisites and graduation.
Area H: Policy/Business (6) A minimum grade of C is required for all courses in this area. Select two courses from the following three topic areas. Both courses cannot be taken from the same topic area, and courses may not be from the department in which the student is receiving the minor.
Policy:
Math/Business:
Skills:
Area I: Minor (15) The 15 semester hours in the minor must include nine semester hours at the 3000/4000 level. A grade of C or higher is required in all minor courses. The minor area must consist of 15 semester hours in one department/school/institute other than the major. For some minors, the department/school/institute has designated specific courses that must be completed to constitute the minor.
Area J: Electives (15) These 15 semester hours must include six semester hours at the 3000/4000 level.
Elective courses to complement the major are selected in consultation with the faculty advisor or undergraduate academic advisor in the Office of Academic Assistance.
Total Semester Hours for Degree: 120
Complete descriptions of requirements for Areas A through E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum can be found in the "University Academic Regulations" chapter of this catalog. The number of semester hours credit required for each section is shown in parentheses.
Area A: Essential Skills (9)
Area B: Institutional Options (4)
Area C: Humanities and Fine Arts (6)
Area D: Math, Technology and Science (11)
Area E: Social Science (12)
Area F: Courses Appropriate to the Major (18)
If all required hours are taken in Area F, any hours over 18 will be counted toward the second 60 semester hours.
Area G: Major Common Core Curriculum (24) A minimum grade of C is required for all courses in this area.
Choose four 4000-level courses (15)
*ECON 4999 is only offered during the Fall and Spring semester of the academic year. The prerequisites for ECON 4999 are ECON 3900, ECON 3910, and two 4000-level economics courses with a grade of C or better. Students are to plan accordingly with regard to the course pre-requisites and graduation.
Area H: Policy/Business (6) A minimum grade of C is required for all courses in this area.
Select two courses from the following three topic areas. Both courses cannot be taken from the same topic area, and courses may not be from the department in which the student is receiving the minor.
Policy:
Math/Business:
Skills:
Area I: Minor (15) The 15 semester hours in the minor must include nine semester hours at the 3000/4000 level. A grade of C or higher is required in all minor courses. The minor area must consist of 15 semester hours in one department/school/institute other than the major. For some minors, the department/school/institute has designated specific courses that must be completed to constitute the minor.
Area J: Electives (15) These 15 semester hours must include six semester hours at the 3000/4000 level.
Elective courses to complement the major are selected in consultation with the faculty Advisor or undergraduate Advisor in the Office of Academic Assistance.
Total Semester Hours for Degree: 120
The Social Studies Education Concentration in Economics is designed for students who wish to become secondary school teachers. This degree provides the initial content area preparation for the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Social Studies Education in the College of Education at Georgia State or a similar master's degree at another university. For teacher certification, the student must also complete the M.A.T. in Social Studies Education or a similar master's degree at another university.
The Social Studies Education Concentration in Economics is designed to provide students with the content area preparation required for teaching economics and other social studies courses at the middle and high school levels. Students pursuing this concentration must take 21 hours in economics and must also choose three allied fields from the following departments, taking nine hours in each (for a total of 27 hours in allied fields): African-American studies, geography, history, political science, and only one of the behavioral science departments of sociology, anthropology, or psychology.
Area G: Major Courses (21): A grade of C or higher is required in all major courses.
Area H: Allied Fields (27): The student must take a total of 27 hours in three allied fields (nine hours in each field). The allied fields are political science, geography, history, or behavioral science. The behavioral science field consists of nine hours from anthropology, psychology, or sociology. The student should see each department's list for the courses to be taken in the nine hours for that discipline.
Area I: Electives (12): Twelve hours (four courses) at the 3000/4000 level selected in consultation with the faculty Advisor.
Total Semester Hours for Degree: 120
Economics as an Allied Field: If a student chooses economics as one of their three allied fields, nine hours (three courses) must be chosen from the courses below:
Select three courses from the following two lists. At least one course must be taken from each list.
Macroeconomics & Policy: (These courses have ECON 2105 as a prerequisite.)
Microeconomics & Policy: (These courses have ECON 2106 as a prerequisite.)