Our Economics Major

Do Your Own Research with Leaders in Economics

Studying at one of the nation’s top economics programs for research will give you the real-world skills to succeed. Our graduates land jobs at top employers like Goldman Sachs, Liberty Mutual, Prudential, Vanguard and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Our economics department consistently ranks as one of the top liberal arts economics departments for research by the St. Louis Federal Reserve.

The research training you receive here will show prospective employers in any field that you know how to solve problems. Using cutting-edge approaches, you’ll conduct both extensive examinations of policy-related problems and quick analyses to get the gist of an issue.

You’ll complete at least one major research project and have the chance to present your research at conferences on campus and on the national stage.

Choices to Match to Your Interests

We offer two roads to an economics degree.

Choose our technically focused Bachelor of Science that integrates business administration courses and earn a degree from our AACSB-accredited Sigmund Weis School of Business. Less than 5% of the 15,000+ business programs worldwide have earned AACSB accreditation, making our program part of an elite group.

Or, you can pursue our Bachelor of Arts degree to become a well-rounded economic analyst who excels at writing, teamwork, presentations, critical thinking, interpersonal relationships and leadership.

Either path sets you up for success when you explore a career in finance, investment banking or government, or pursue a graduate or law degree.

Recent graduates are employed at:

Ford Motor Company
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Johnson & Johnson
JP Morgan Chase
PwC
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
U.S. Department of Defense, Marine Corps Base Quantico

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.

Semester Hours	View Full Course Catalog >>
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree-General Emphasis. Majors complete 36 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 Applied Research Methods 4 One statistics course (MGMT-202, MATH-108, MATH-109, MATH-180, PSYC-123) 4 One course in calculus or quantitative methods 16 16 hours of economics electives selected with faculty adviser guidance. Of these 16 elective hours, students may take only one of the following courses: ECON-330 International Trade and Finance, ECON-341 Economic Policy, ECON-375 Topics in Economics, ECON-442 Emerging Markets Economics, and ECON-465 Global Financial Markets. 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-109, 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 of 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-109, MATH-180, or PSYC-123) 8 Eight hours of 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 Economics 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 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-102 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 Perspectives requirement of the Central Curriculum.

Semester Hours	View Full Course Catalog >>
Business Foundation Courses for Economics (BS) Majors Year 1
4 ECON-201 Principles of Macroeconomics
4 ECON-202 Principles of Microeconomics
4 One statistics course (MGMT-202, MATH-108, MATH-109, MATH-180 or PSYC-123)
Year 2
4 INFS-174 Database Systems Analysis and Design
4 ACCT-200 Financial Accounting
4 ACCT-210 Legal Environment
4 MGMT-203 Quantitative Methods for Business and Economic Decisions
4 MGMT-240 Principles of Management
4 MKTG-280 Marketing
2 MGMT-105 Introduction to Professional Development
Year 3
4 ACCT-330 Cost Management
4 FINC-340 Corporate Financial Management
Year 4
4 INFS-472 Management Support Systems
4 MGMT-404 Global Business Ethics
4 ECON-311 Intermediate Macroeconomics
4 ECON-313 Intermediate Microeconomics Theory
or ECON-315 Managerial Economics
4 ECON-499 Econometrics
8 Two economics courses at the 300 level or above. Of these two elective courses, students may take only one of the following courses: ECON-330 International Trade and Finance, ECON-341 Economic Policy, ECON-375 Topics in Economics, ECON-442 Emerging Markets Economics, and ECON-465 Global Financial Markets.
No grade less than C- will be accepted to satisfy major course requirements.

Minor in Economics. The economics minor completes ECON-201 and ECON-202 (or ECON-105 and another four-semester-hour economics course) and 12 additional semester hours in economics including either ECON-311 or ECON-313 (ECON-315 can substitute for ECON-313), or both, selected in consultation with the minor adviser. Students must complete courses applied to the minor with grades of C- or better.

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.