When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Learning Goals
- Demonstrate understanding of the concept of scarcity of resources and the opportunity cost associated with choices made.
- Demonstrate understanding of basic economic models of supply and demand, the role of prices in efficient allocation of resources, and how changes to supply and demand affect the market price and quantity of a particular good or service.
- Demonstrate understanding of how the national economy works, the role of government in the economy, and the reasons for macroeconomic policy proposals.
- Understand interactions in a global economy setting, the basis for exchange and the sources of comparative advantage that drive trade.
- Demonstrate understanding of international trade issues and the impact of appreciations and depreciations of exchange rates on different sectors of the economy.
- Understand economic data and some basic analysis methods.
Degree Programs in Economics
Susquehanna University has two degree programs in economics. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree is a liberal arts degree earned in the university’s School of Arts and Sciences. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in economics choose an emphasis in financial economics, general economics, or global economy and financial markets. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree is a more technical degree and is earned in the Sigmund Weis School of Business. It integrates extensive business administration coursework into the study of economics.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree—General Emphasis
Majors complete 32 semester hours in economics with a GPA of 2.00 or better. They also complete a required course in statistics and a required course in calculus or quantitative methods. The department recommends two courses in calculus for students planning graduate study in economics. Majors must earn grades of C- or better in all required courses except ECON-201 and ECON-202.
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics
4 ECON-311 Intermediate Macroeconomics
4 Choose from: ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory or ECON-315 Managerial Economics
4 ECON-499 Econometrics
4 One statistics course (MGMT-202, MATH-108, MATH-180, PSYC-123)
4 One course in calculus or quantitative methods
12 12 hours of economics electives selected with faculty adviser guidance. A maximum of 4 semester hours of ECON-503 Internship may be applied to the electives.
Financial Economics Emphasis
The financial economics emphasis is designed to provide both a sound theoretical background in economics and a considerable exposure to finance, all in one package. This degree is especially suitable for students who want to a have a strong liberal arts education combined with several business courses without having to follow the structure of a business program. Students earning their degrees in financial economics will acquire proper skills and connections needed to enter and succeed in rewarding careers. In addition, this degree can facilitate the completion of a minor or a second major.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree —Financial Economics Emphasis
Majors are required to complete 48 semester hours, with a GPA of 2.00 or better, as follows:
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics
4 ECON-311 Intermediate Macroeconomics
4 ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory or ECON-315 Managerial Economics
4 ECON-330 International Trade and Finance
4 ECON-331 Money, Banking and Financial Markets
4 ACCT-200 Financial Accounting
4 FINC-340 Corporate Financial Management
4 FINC-342 Investment Analysis
4 ECON-499 Econometrics
4 One statistics course (MGMT-202, MATH-108, MATH-180 or PSYC-123)
4 Four hours of electives, chosen with adviser’s guidance from one 300 level and above economics course or POLI-333 Development, Globalization and Society.
A maximum 4 semester hours of ECON-503 Internship may be applied to the electives.
No grade less than C- will be accepted in all required courses except ECON-201 and ECON-202. The department recommends students pursuing the financial economics emphasis take MGMT-340 and MGMT-342 in the fall and spring of the junior year, respectively.
Global Economy and Financial Markets Emphasis
This emphasis prepares students for careers in the global economy of the 21st century. The study concentrates on the understanding of economic and policy issues arising from the interconnectedness of national economies. Extensive attention is paid to issues and opportunities associated with capital mobility in the financially liberalized environment of the future world economy. Special courses analyzing the unique nature of globalized financial markets and introducing students to contemporary financial instruments (derivatives) are organic parts of the emphasis.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree—Global Economy and Financial Markets Emphasis
Majors complete 36 semester hours in economics with a GPA of 2.00 or better. They also complete a required course in statistics. Majors must earn grades of C- or better in all required courses except ECON-201 and ECON-202.
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics
4 ECON-311 Intermediate Macroeconomics
4 ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory or ECON-315 Managerial Economics
4 ECON-331 Money, Banking and Financial Markets
4 ECON-465 Global Financial Markets
4 ECON-499 Econometrics
4 One statistics course: MGMT-202, MATH-108, MATH-180, or PSYC-123
8 Electives selected from the following:
4 ECON-330 International Trade and Finance
4 ECON-335 Economic Development
4 ECON-338 International Political Economy
4 ECON-341 Economic Policy
4 ECON-442 Emerging Market Economies
4 ECON-503 Internship
4 POLI-333 Development, Globalization and Society
The department recommends students pursuing the global economy and financial markets emphasis take ECON- 465 Global Financial Markets in the spring of either the junior or senior year. Emphasis electives should be taken in the fall of the sophomore, junior and senior years, respectively. A maximum of 4 semester hours of ECON-503 Internship may be applied to the electives.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Economics
Candidates for the Bachelor of Science with a major in economics successfully complete the business foundation courses as follows and at least 20 semester hours of economics at the 300 level or above as listed below. No grade below a C- will be accepted toward graduation for foundation courses; upon earning a grade below C- in a foundation course, the student must retake the course the next semester in which it is offered. The course descriptions listed later in the catalog identify prerequisites, and these suggest a certain degree of order in completing the foundation. In addition to the foundation, first-semester Weis School students enroll in MGMT-195 Global Business Perspectives (four semester hours), which provides an introduction to liberal studies and college life, as well as an overview of business functional areas, career opportunities and the Sigmund Weis School curriculum. This course satisfies the First Year Seminar requirement of the Central Curriculum.
Business Foundation Courses for Economics (BS) Majors
Year 1
4 MGMT-195 Global Business Perspectives
or 2 MGMT-138 Fundamentals of Business
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics
4 One statistics course
MGMT-202
MATH-108
MATH-180
PSYC-123
Year 2
4 INFS-174 Data Collection and Modeling
4 ACCT-200 Financial Accounting
4 ACCT-210 Legal Environment
2 INFS-233 Data-Driven Decision Making
4 MGMT-240 Principles of Management
4 MKTG-280 Marketing
2 MGMT-105 Introduction to Professional Development
Year 3
4 ACCT-330 Managerial Accounting
4 ECON-311 Intermediate Macroeconomics
4 ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory
or ECON-315 Managerial Economics
4 FINC-340 Corporate Financial Management
Year 4
4 INFS-472 Data Insight and Visualization
4 MGMT-404 Global Business Ethics
4 ECON-499 Econometrics
8 Two economics courses at the 300 level or above.
No grade less than C- will be accepted to satisfy major course requirements.
Double-counting restriction
ECON-201 and ECON-202 (or ECON-105), may double-count toward other majors or minors. Two of the three upper-level courses required for the minor may also be double-counted toward other majors or minors.
