Economics examines the material prosperity of countries and their citizens in an interdependent world of limited resources and technological change. In doing so, it studies how decisions are made by private businesses, governments, and households in producing, consuming, and distributing goods. In general, economics is concerned with how society can obtain the greatest output from its limited resources. Economics is also concerned with monetary arrangements and their impact upon purchasing power and economic performance.

Economic principles yield basic insights into the workings of the market system and the national and international environment within which business operates. These principles provide analysis that is fundamental to understanding the organization and decisions of the government, business, and financial sectors. Economics also develops criteria for assessing the performance of the market systems and of governments regarding their efficiency and their impact upon the well-being of consumers and workers.Hands-on Opportunities

The Department of Economics prides itself on innovation in the classroom. Students are encouraged to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities and classes to gain practical knowledge, develop networks, hone leadership skills, and learn more about the real world.

Please note: while every section of the above courses might not include exactly the above projects, faculty incorporate real-world learning into the curriculum.

An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BA program has a qualitative focus with a foreign language requirement.

An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BS has a focus on quantitative and mathematical reasoning. This program is recommended if students are considering a graduate degree in economics or related areas in business.

With internationally renowned faculty and research centers, our master of economics degree program takes a pioneering approach to economics that emphasizes public policy and empirical evaluation. The director of the MA program in Economics is Jim Marton. As a student in our innovative program, you’ll learn the fundamentals of economic theories as they apply to the environment, education, economic development, healthcare, public finance, social welfare and other pressing public issues. Our broad and customizable curriculum combines the latest theoretical advances with the analytical skills and practical experience you’ll need to tackle the complex problems facing analysts and economists today. Our program has received STEM designation putting it on par with other STEM fields. This designation recognizes the rigorous instruction students receive. It also benefits international students who can, upon graduation, apply for a STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension that allows them to work in the United States for up to 29 months rather than one year.

With internationally renowned faculty and research centers, the doctoral program in economics takes a pioneering approach to economics that emphasizes public policy and empirical evaluation. In the innovative Ph.D. program, you’ll master advanced econometrics and experimental methods to learn how economics and policy work together in preparation for a successful career as a researcher, university instructor or both. Combining the latest economic theory, analytical skills, research methodology and empirical techniques, the rigorous curriculum will equip you to meet today’s complex challenges and educate the next generation of public economics experts. We offer six fields of specialization within economics: environmental, experimental, health, labor, public and urban. Students choose one primary and one secondary field, and many students choose research that spans more than one field. Our program has been given a STEM designation, which recognizes the rigorous instruction all students receive. It also benefits international students who can, upon graduation, apply for a STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension that allows them to work in the United States for up to 29 months rather than one year (starting with students entering in Fall 2020).

An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BA IEML has a qualitative focus with a language component in Spanish, French, German or Chinese Culture and Society.

The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program helps students become familiar with and capable of contributing to ongoing debates about the nature of good political and economic institutions, as well as the policies and practices that are best suited for creating and sustaining them. Students will develop the intellectual skills of the social scientist, who seeks to understand how the social world operates, and the moral philosopher, who seeks to critically evaluate the social world in relation to how it ought to be. This interdisciplinary program makes use of the analytically rigorous tools of its three disciplines to promote serious thought about practical issues, allowing students to delve deep into moral, social, political and economic issues. PPE graduates contribute intelligently to public dialogue, many in positions of power in government and corporate life. The PPE program supports the Civil Discourse Forum, a student group that encourages discussion of controversial issues and is often led by PPE students. To learn more about our program’s faculty, events and related resources, go to the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics homepage.

The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) prepares students for a range of careers in government, public service, entrepreneurship and the corporate world. Georgia State’s program helps students become familiar with, and capable of contributing to, ongoing debates about the nature of good political and economic institutions, as well as the policies and practices best suited for creating and sustaining them. Students develop the intellectual skills of the social scientist who seeks to understand how social, political and economic institutions operate and are interrelated, and the moral philosopher who seeks to critically evaluate these institutions and the social world more generally, in relation to how they ought to operate. Historically, philosophy, political science and economics were deeply connected.  The intellectual father of modern economics, Adam Smith, was a philosopher concerned with moral and political philosophy.  PPE, as a contemporary academic field of study, began at Oxford University in 1920 and has spread across the English-speaking world.