Economics

The field of economics focuses on the study of production, consumption, and distribution of valuable resources in the context of individual and institutional decision-makers and policies governing their behavior. Instruction in economics addresses individual-level and system-level theories, as well as applications to specific areas such as competition, labor markets, trade, fiscal policy, and taxation. Research approaches generally are quantitative, with complementarities between economics and mathematics, statistics, and other quantitative social sciences, although other traditions including history are represented in economic thinking.

This entry provides an overview of the field of economics in U.S. higher education, exploring typical courses included in the curriculum for undergraduate students, problems, and questions that are common applications of economic reasoning, and typical job placement and earnings outcomes for students with economics ...