What is Economics:

Economics is the study of how we use our resources for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economists study problems such as inflation and unemployment. They analyze social institutions, banks, the stock market, the government and they look at problems connected with labor negotiations, taxes, international trade, and urban and environmental issues.

What are the features of Miami’s program:

Individual attention

All classes are taught by professors, not graduate assistants, and each professor also advises undergraduates. Upper-level courses have 20 or fewer students.

Innovative teaching

Some professors teach in a laboratory framework where you use computer programs to simulate the economy and test theories such as the cause of the Great Depression.

Internationally recognized faculty

While our faculty's top priority is teaching, they also are active researchers and authors. James Brock's The Bigness Complex was chosen by Business Week as one of the top 10 business books of the year, and Russian universities use his Adam Smith Goes to Moscow as a teaching text.

Develop communication skills

You'll develop the verbal and written communication skills that are so critical in the workplace. Frequent writing assignments, term papers, essay exams, and class presentations will hone your skills.

What courses would I take:

All economics programs require at least 30 hours of economics, which cover principles and advanced microeconomic and macroeconomic theory.

Offered by the College of Arts and Science, the Economics major emphasizes a broad curriculum with additional studies in the liberal arts. With the liberal arts foundation and your economics program, you learn a way of thinking about the world rather than just acquiring the tools for one specific job. This gives you a sound underpinning not just for entry level jobs, but for more advanced positions. Because economics majors receive a broad, theoretical background, the presidents of many large corporations have a degree in economics.

Many students also get a concentration or a double major in another area of interest. A common co-major is Mathematics. Another is International Studies, with a possible career in the state department or with an international organization.

What can I do with this major:

Recent graduates report job titles such as research analyst for the Tax Analysis Division in Ohio government. Another works for Ohio's Legislative Budget Office as an economic analyst. Others work for private firms as forecast analysts, economic analysts, and investment bankers and advisers.

Many economics graduates go on to law school, where they may specialize in the economics of law. Others continue their economics study in graduate school so they can teach or consult in the field. For example, the Federal Reserve Board in Cleveland has 25 Ph.D. economists as well as many research assistants with master's degrees. Large corporations with economic analyst groups have both doctoral and master's level staff.