B.S. Applied Economics

Ever wonder how economists help solve real-world problems like biodiversity loss, stagnating business growth, food insecurity, or food waste? The Applied Economics major provides students with the ability to weigh the pros and cons of solutions, while avoiding the biases and rules of thumb that commonly produce regrettable decisions. They learn to discover facts in real-world observations using quantitative tools like Microsoft Excel or R programming. In addition to microeconomic, macroeconomic, and quantitative courses, students have the ability to customize their studies by choosing electives from one of five engaging tracks:

• Applied Economics & Policy
• Development & Trade
• Economics of Entrepreneurship
• Food Systems
• Natural Resource & Environmental Sustainability
• Or you can even build your own track 

Electives cross the range of major and minor programs, so students learn how to work with other disciplines to find the best solutions to our most critical problems. The capstone course develops written and oral communication proficiency, while students tackle a problem of their choosing.

The major's flexibility and free electives encourage students to complete complementary minors—with just one or two extra courses: CSOM’s Entrepreneurship Minor, CFANS’s Food Systems Minor, and the University’s Sustainability Studies Minor. CSOM’s Management Minor is another popular choice for our majors.

Our students have used their degrees to pursue careers in government (Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and New York City Economic Development Corp.) and the private sector (e.g., Allianz, Ameriprise, Ecolab, Bremer Bank, Land’O Lakes, and UnitedHealth). Others have pursued professional or graduate training in economics, law, management, and public policy.

Requirements

Find requirements for the APEC major in the University Catalog (link will open in a new window).