Economics prepares students for interesting and financially rewarding careers in private business, consulting, government, financial service institutions and medicine. Undergraduate economics majors are also well represented in many graduate programs including MBA and MPA programs, and law schools.

The Economics program at Cleveland State University is similar to programs at other universities throughout the United States by teaching students “the economic way of thinking.” An undergraduate economics program offers excellent preparation for employment and graduate studies by providing analytical and critical thinking skills.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

After completing their education, economics majors go on to a variety of careers and/or additional training. Some 23 percent enter careers in traditional business, 18 percent in government, 18 percent in financial business, 13 percent in graduate school, 4 percent in law, 4 percent in consulting and others. (For more information see the McGraw-Hill website “Careers in Economics: Student Resources”).

Private sector
Graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics prepares one for rewarding career opportunities in the private sector. Some selected job titles held by Economics graduates include: “economist,” “analyst,” “manager,” “stock broker,” “consultant” or “loan officer.”

Government
Federal, state and local governments hire students with a degree in economics. At the federal level, the departments of Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, and State offer jobs for economics majors.

Graduate Studies
Many students with a major in economics successfully pursue graduate degrees in economics, business, law and other fields.

PROGRAM

Major in Economics: The major field requirements include: 31 hours of economics courses, eight hours of mathematics, three hours of statistics, and a three credit hour course in computer literacy.

Core Requirements (12 hours):
ECN 201 Principles of Macroeconomics
ECN 202 Principles of Microeconomics
ECN 301 Intermediate Macroeconomics
ECN 302 Intermediate Microeconomics

Electives:
A total of 19 credit hours of electives must be completed.

 

Mathematics Requirement:
Eight credit hours:
MTH 151 – 156 (8 credit hours) or
MTH 181 – 182 (8 credit hours)

Statistics Requirement:
An introductory course in statistics such as MTH 147, OMS 201, PSY 311, or SOC 354 satisfies this requirement.

Computer Literacy Requirement:
IST 203 or equivalent is required. This course familiarizes the student with word processing, spreadsheets and database software.

Minor in Economics
Those majoring in other fields can earn a minor in Economics by taking three required courses and two electives. The electives must total at least seven credit hours. The required courses for the minor are: ECN 201, ECN 202, and either ECN 301 or ECN 302.

Honors in Economics
The requirements for a student in the Economics Honors program are the same as the regular major except that:
1. A candidate must maintain a 3.3 GPA in economics courses and as an overall grade average.
2. Electives taken must include:
ECN 322 Statistical Methods
ECN 355 Money and Banking
ECN 497 Honors Essay
In addition, two additional economics courses must be taken that have an economics course as a prerequisite.
3. MTH 181 – 182 – Calculus I and II must be taken

Business Economics Majors:
The College of Business Administration, in cooperation with the Economics Department offers a program in business economics which leads to a B.B.A. degree.

A total number of 128 hours are required for the Bachelor of Arts in Economics. A minimum of 45 credit hours are needed to complete the major requirements. All degree seeking students are required to complete a specific number of General Education (GenEd) courses. Students are responsible for ensuring the appropriate selection of courses to satisfy GenEd requirements and are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor regarding the applicability of selected courses. A comprehensive description of Cleveland State University's General Education Requirements for undergraduate students is available online at http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/gened/.

SAMPLE COURSE OF STUDY FOR ECONOMICS MAJOR

Year One - Fall Semester ECN 201 Principles of Macroeconomics MTH 151-156 Math Concepts Year One - Spring Semester ECN 202 Principles of Microeconomics Statistics Course Year Two - Fall Semester ECN 301 Intermediate Macroeconomics IST 203 Software Tools Year Two - Spring Semester ECN 302 Intermediate Microeconomics Year Three - Fall Semester ECN 333 Health Economics Year Three - Spring Semester ECN 355 Money and Banking Year Four - Fall Semester ECN 433 Industrial Organization Year Four - Spring Semester ECN 391 Consumer Economics ECN 482 International Economics

Credits 3 8 Credits 3 3-4 Credits 3 3 Credits 3 Credits 4 Credits 4 Credits 4 Credits 3 4

For more information, contact:
Economics Department
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue, RT 1715
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
Phone: 216.687.4520
class.csuohio.edu/economics

For official requirements for a degree in this major, see the Undergraduate Catalog for the academic year in which you were admitted to the University.