<p>I am seriously considering majoring in Economics. I am currently a High School Senior. I wanted to learn a bit more about certain aspects I need to know before fully deciding. I still haven't been able to find a list of undegraduate economics programs and would like one. Also I would like to learn of good economic programs from universities that aren't Harvard, Stanford, Uchicago, etc, which are extremely hard to get into. Finally I would like to learn a bit more about job opportunities after graduation. Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>hard to get into does not equal good. jackie mason does a routine about how you know your doctor is the best along the same lines!
anyway, find a school that is best for you and put prestige on the back burner.</p>
<p>Economics is a versatile major. Among the liberal arts majors, it’s one that has relatively better job prospects. It’s a good preparation for careers in business, politics and government, and some areas of the nonprofit sector. The structure of economics major requirements is pretty similar across different schools. Beyond year-long courses in macro- and micro-economics principles and intermediate economics theory, most economics major programs require calculus, statistics, and econometrics. If you want to go to graduate school in economics, you should realize that it’s a quantitative discipline and more extensive math preparation is essential. [Econ</a> Grad School](<a href=“http://www.davidson.edu/academic/economics/foley/gradschool.htm]Econ”>http://www.davidson.edu/academic/economics/foley/gradschool.htm).
Some schools offer both a BA or a BS in economics, usually with the BS major requiring additional math. Apart from graduate study in economics, an economics major is a good preparation for graduate and professional study in law, public policy, urban planning, business, international relations, health policy, educational policy, and certain areas of political science.</p>
<p>There are several options for those who want to study economics. The usual pathway is to complete an economics major in an economics department. At some schools, you have an option of completing an economics major in the college of arts & sciences or in the business school. The difference is that an economics major in a business school usually requires completion of basic courses in the core business fields (e.g., management, marketing, accounting, finance, business law), which leaves less opportunity for electives in liberal arts subjects. Some schools without a business program offer a number of finance courses through their economics departments. </p>
<p>Another option is to complete a major in a department of agricultural/resource economics. This option is only available if you attend a public landgrant university that has a college of agriculture. This is a good option if you are interested in natural resource and environmental economics, food or agricultural economics, and certain areas of economic development or international trade. It should be considered if you’re interested in certain career areas in finance, such as commodity markets. Since it’s a department in ag colleges, you might have some additional gen ed requirements in natural science/ag that you wouldn’t have in a college of arts & sciences, but that depends on the particular school. Some ag ec programs require a core of basic business courses, too. Such departments also offer coursework in certain areas of public policy that are a useful supplement to econ courses. A few ag ec programs, such as U Minnesota, offer a major focused more generally on applied economics, which could be a good option for business or public sector careers.</p>
<p>A third option is a major in consumer economics. Such majors are usually available at public landgrant universities with colleges of human ecology (or similar titles). These majors might be useful for certain areas of business or pubic policy (e.g., housing, consumer finance). They also might offer an option in personal financial planning, which can prepare for careers as a financial planner (if exams and certain other requirements are met).</p>
<p>Other programs in which include a focus on economics are majors in international relations (with specialty tracks in international economics or economic development); public policy; and interdisciplinary majors in environmental studies (with an option in environmental economics and policy). Some schools offer joint majors in economics and political science (political economy) or in philosophy, politics, & economics.</p>
<p>There is no undergraduate ranking, but if you check the National Research Council ranking of graduate departments (or the US News rankings), it’ll give you some idea of the relative faculty strength of the various departments. [Economics</a> Rankings — PhDs.org Graduate School Guide](<a href=“http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/economics]Economics”>http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/economics)
[Agricultural</a> and Resource Economics Rankings — PhDs.org Graduate School Guide](<a href=“http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/agricultural-economics]Agricultural”>http://graduate-school.phds.org/rankings/agricultural-economics)</p>
<p>If you search google for “careers for economics majors” you’ll find that many department websites include a page similar to this one at U Wisconsin:
[Department</a> of Economics | University of Wisconsin - Madison](<a href=“http://www.econ.wisc.edu/ecdo/career_ops.html]Department”>http://www.econ.wisc.edu/ecdo/career_ops.html)</p>
<p>Some other links:
[Branding</a> Your Economics Major for the Job Search- Part 1 | Psychology Today](<a href=“http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions/201009/branding-your-economics-major-the-job-search-part-1]Branding”>Branding Your Economics Major for the Job Search- Part 1 | Psychology Today)
<a href=“http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions/201009/branding-your-economics-major-the-job-search-part-2[/url]”>http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions/201009/branding-your-economics-major-the-job-search-part-2</a></p>