Undergraduate Programs

Economics is an essential tool for understanding the complexities of modern society, and it prepares students for a wide variety of educational and career paths.  Economics is an excellent background for graduate school in business, law, public policy or international studies.  Starting salaries in Economics compare favorably with these of other disciplines. The Washington DC area is an ideal location for graduates with bachelors degrees in economics.

Our students find private-sector jobs in banking, insurance, real estate, marketing, data management, budgeting, general management, sales, and in the booming high-tech industries. Government employers like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Fannie Mae, the Dept of Commerce, the Dept of Transportation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have hired our students as entry-level economists. Many of our students have found jobs as research assistants with the major accounting firms in the area, such as Pricewaterhouse, ICF Kaiser, and Booz Allen & Hamilton. Others work for international organizations, such as the World Bank, or the many nongovernmental organizations also in the area. Some of our graduates are entrepreneurs and run their own businesses.

B.A. Degree -- The B.A. degree requires a broader base of  general education in the liberal arts courses in addition to a foreign language. It may be better suited for those students interested in graduate work in law, policy, or international studies, or careers requiring language skills and a solid liberal arts background.

B.S. Degree -- The B.S. degree requires more economics, mathematics, and computer courses, with less emphasis on liberal arts and no foreign language requirement. The B.S. degree is recommended for those planning to pursue graduate work in economics and those interested in working in data management and research positions.

Minor in Economics -- The Economics minor is both flexible and marketable. Whether your primary interest is in business, communications, policy, data management, international studies, or engineering, a minor in economics can give you an additional edge in the workplace.

Fields of Expertise --  The Economics faculty at GMU are noted for their emphasis on comparative institutional analysis and for their concentration on the relationships between economic, political, and legal institutions. We are particularly strong in the fields of  experimental economics, law and economic, and Austrian economics; and GMU boasts a variety of related research centers. (See the course catalogue for a complete list of economics courses.)