Economics, BA
Do you strive to understand how people, firms, governments, and other actors make decisions and how these decision makers interact with each other in markets and elsewhere? Our Economics BA program trains you on theoretical models of behavior and rigorous data analysis to build this understanding while also giving you the flexibility to personalize your training and prepare for a wide variety of careers.
Program Overview
The Economics BA program teaches statistical data skills to interpret market, health, labor, tax, and other decisions made by governments, individuals, and businesses.
This program is a great fit for students interested in learning about how economic decisions affect public policy, national and international markets, as well as individual consumers. You’ll take courses in micro- and macroeconomics, international economics, and public finance.
Plus, with our four available concentrations, Honors pathway, and minor options, you can choose courses and paths that best fit your aspirations, preparing you to succeed.
Concentrations
Whether you want to learn more about statistical data and software for interpreting economic decisions, or informing government and business economic policy, our concentrations equip you with hands-on skills to excel.
Our current selection of concentrations includes:
- Economics, BA (general)
- Business Economics
- Econometrics and Data Analysis
- Economic Policy
Honors
In addition to concentrations, our program also offers an Honors pathway for the general Economics, BA. This pathway is a great fit for students who want to explore more rigorous coursework. You’ll take Honors economics courses and complete an Honors thesis. Students interested in Honors must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA.
Accelerated Combined BA / MA
Our program also offers an accelerated combined BA/MA program that allows students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics in five years. Undergraduate students take up to 9 credit hours of graduate coursework that counts towards both their BA and MA degrees. This flexible pathway allows you to tailor your education any way you see fit.
Minors
Our current selection of minors includes:
- Economics Minor
If you’re interested in supplementing your primary field of study with knowledge of micro and macro-economics and its applications to business, government, and even national and international economies, this option would be a great fit.
Why Study Economics?
With a bachelor’s degree in economics, you won’t just learn statistical analysis skills; you’ll learn to critically think and analyze data, skills that are highly transferrable to any field.
Our excellent faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville are also dedicated to mentoring and helping you succeed, whether you pursue a career in public policy, government, business, or even go on to obtain your graduate degree.
At UT, you’ll learn to apply economic theory to real-world problems, preparing you to tackle urgent challenges and expand your potential.
What Can You Do with a BA in Economics After Graduation?
A degree in Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences leads students into a field where the career opportunities are endless. The skills you learn within your concentration and the program as a whole- analytical skills, research skills, technology skills, etc.- will help you be successful in business, government, finance, public policy, and a wide range of other career fields.
In business, you could be a business analyst, management consultant, project manager, or strategy analyst. You could work with consulting firms as an economic consultant, or in marketing and business strategy as a market or pricing analyst. In finance and banking, you could become a risk analyst, financial advisor, actuary, or portfolio manager. Other graduates go into data and research, as a data scientist, statistician, or consumer insight analyst. Government and public policy is another option, where you could become an economist, research assistant, city planner, or policy advisor. Some go into law and education, media and journalism, or healthcare and social policy, as well. Whichever path you decide to go down, the economics program gives you a strong, centralized foundation to achieve your career goals.
Featured Courses
ECON 381 Introduction to Economics
This course teaches students introductory probability, statistics, and econometrics from an economic perspective with emphasis on skills related to gathering, managing, processing, presenting, and interpreting economic data. It Includes the use of statistical software in hands-on research projects and considers common econometric problems such as multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation.
ECON 421 International Economics
Students will learn the Balance of payments, exchange rate determination, monetary and fiscal policies, monetary arrangements, comparative advantage, tariff and nontariff trade distortions, protection arguments, and regional integration with analyses based upon intermediate-level economic theory.
ECON 481 Elements of Economic Forecasting
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to predictive econometric modeling in the context of a modern computing environment. Topics covered include statistical graphics, trends, seasonality, cycles, forecast construction, forecast evaluation, and forecast combination. Students acquire modeling skills that help prepare them for positions in government, business, and consulting.
ECON 472 Public Finance: Taxation and Fiscal Federalism
In this course, students will analyze federal, state, and local government revenue systems to include individual and corporate income, sales and property taxes, and other tax and non-tax revenue sources. Students will also consider current policy issues and relations among various levels of government.
Complementary Minors and Certificates
Looking to enhance your degree? Consider these programs as a complement to your primary major.
Looking For More Options?
The College of Arts and Sciences offers students the broadest range of academic programs and opportunities for research and creative activities at the University of Tennessee, powered by faculty expertise across every discipline.
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