UCLA Economics Job Prospects (Please Read)

Hey guys,
What type of jobs do UCLA Econ (reg econ not biz) students do after graduation? I’ve been hearing that economics is a broad discipline of study so does it mean that companies would hire economic students to staff typical business departments like potentially marketing or consulting?

Or do most work as an economist or someone who crunches numbers in the government?

How long to UCLA grads find their first full-time job? Is it before or after graduation?

Great Question, but not sure. I am applying next year and hopefully all goes well. Try going on the UCLA Economics page or do a google search and maybe you will be able to find something regarding that. Did you get accepted? Whats your statistics?

@IvyLeague2 I think around 4.4 UC GPA and 30 ACT

Colleges offer 2 types of degrees under one roof. Some are vocational in nature such as accounting, engineering, nursing, etc. Biz-econ isn’t exactly an accounting major but it comes close. On the other hand there are the liberal-arts majors. None of the liberal-arts majors lead directly to a career path (except perhaps as a professor in that subject) nor are they intended to. It may also be applicable to some career fields but that is not the main goal; if you want a degree that definitely prepares you for a job, pick a vocational major.

History, econ, french, poli-sci, archeology, you name it. People with these majors can get good jobs too, but it takes more than just the degree. Good grades and involvement in leadership activities is important, and a real key is internships. They set you apart from the thousands of other kids with the same degree, give you experience in the field, and usually lead to offers from the companies where you had internships.

The OP needs to take the broad approach; say to yourself “I’m going to graduate with a college degree, and this is a base requirement for many employers. But in addition to that, what steps do I need to take to identify a potential career and make myself an attractive hire to prospective employers in that field?” You can find the answers by working with the career center, looking at what successful upper-division students in career-related clubs did, etc.

Anyone employed as an economist will have a PhD, not a BA.