At-a-Glance
Admission to major: No requirements other than good academic standing in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Minimum hours required for major: 32 hours of course work in economics (that includes a capstone course) as well as additional hours in statistics (3 hours), mathematics (8 hours) and computer science course IST 203.
Minimum hours required for minor: 16
Advising: Advising is done by faculty members in the Department of Economics. Students who are thinking of majoring in economics should contact the chairperson of the Economics Department’s Undergraduate Committee. Phone: 216-687-4520.
Student organization: Omicron Delta Epsilon
Additional information: The Economics Department offers an honors program to those who have maintained a GPA of 3.3 or better both in overall course work and in major-field requirements. An annual award is made to the year’s most outstanding senior economics major. A cash prize has been given to the recipient of this award in recent years. A Business Economics major is available to students in the College of Business Administration. Secondary teacher certification in economics (as a second teaching field) is available to students in the College of Education and Human Services. Non-majors should consult the Economics Department about elective courses to complement their majors.
A knowledge of economics is essential to understand the economic issues confronting individuals, firms, and society. Economics is an appropriate major for those wishing to pursue careers in business, law, journalism, and industrial relations, as well as for those who wish to become professional economists.
An economics major provides an excellent background for graduate study in economics and other related fields. Economists are employed by universities; corporations; government agencies at the federal, state and local levels; labor organizations; trade associations; and professional societies. Economics majors are trained to develop the analytical skills needed to understand economic problems and to arrive at possible solutions.