Prepare for a career in management, finance, public policy or law with a major in Economics.
Major Roadmap
Explore your options — classes, internships, research and study abroad. Utilize the Economics BBA Major Guide to find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future.
You’ll become a valued advisor to business or government because of your ability to understand patterns and forecast the future. With sharp analytical thinking and quantitative skills, you’ll have the background to become a financial analyst with the World Bank, a public policy specialist for a congressional representative, or a consultant for a multinational company. You’ll also become a standout candidate for law schools, which often require students to understand economic principles.
As an Economics major, you’ll study markets, banking, business law and current economic issues like the environment and healthcare. Learn about consumer decision-making, business law, how pricing and wages are determined, and international trade.
Austin, one of the nation’s fastest growing cities and a tech hub, offers endless opportunities to network and try on roles in the professional world. You’ll have the chance to work with a professor on relevant research that benefits the community, like studies to determine the economic impact of the Austin Marathon, international tourism from Austin Sister Cities, and Latin entrepreneurship. And you’ll conduct financial analysis and track global market trends at internships with companies large and small, across all industries.
Earn Two Degrees in Five Years
Complete your BA in Economics and Master's Degree (MBA) with our pathway to receive two degrees in five years.
Success Coaches and Academic Advisors guide students through undergraduate and graduate courses to maximize benefits. Learn More.
What do our graduates do?
Economics majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.
- Analyst with JP Morgan Chase & Co.
- Associate at Deutsche Bank
- Customer experience data analyst at WPEngine
- Senior associate at Vida Capital
- Business development representative for Latin America at VMWare, the cloud computing giant
- Teacher at the Académie de Versailles in France as part of the TAPIF program
Persistence Pays Off
Economics major Justin Lim ’18 knew he wanted to work for a tech startup in Austin. After applying to a few positions at WP Engine and not hearing the answer he wanted, he decided to attend a company meet-and-greet. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Classroom and Beyond
Because an Economics degree develops intellectual ability, quantitative strength and critical thinking, students in this program bring relevant skills to their experience outside the classroom. They participate in internships, conduct research and practice leadership in student organizations.
Economics Club
The Economics Club promotes an interest in economic ideas at St. Edward’s University. The club acts as a forum of discussion for economic issues and as an information exchange regarding economics careers and graduate programs. It also fosters social interactions among students interested in economics.
Research
Faculty in the Finance and Economics Department are dedicated to conducting research that influences the profession and benefits the Austin community and often include interested Economics students in the research and reporting process.
Degree Requirements
Major Requirements: The Economics degree plan requires 70 hours of major coursework.
General Education Requirements: All majors require 44 hours of general education that students complete over the course of four years, in addition to their major courses.
A few examples of the Economics courses students take:
- Microeconomic Theory – Analyze how pricing, output and employment are determined; the role of markets in the allocation of resources; and the types of market structure in a mixed economy.
- Money and Banking – Study the nature of money, the role of the Federal Reserve System, monetary theory and policy, commercial banking, credit structure, financial markets and international finance.
- Law and Economics – Learn the basics of our legal and economic systems and examine how regulatory constraints and judicial decisions affect our market economy. Areas of study will include property rights, contract law, criminal law and antitrust.
Degree Programs
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Economics
The BBA in Economics is ideal for students who prefer a business-intensive degree that targets careers in fields such as management or finance. Students will develop a solid foundation in economics and business principles and will take a variety of courses in management, marketing, accounting, finance, statistics and business law.
Internships
Economics students intern at locally, nationally and internationally recognized organizations, where they conduct financial analysis, track global market trends, assist portfolio managers and work to minimize risk. Some collaborate with fellow interns and supervisors to assess their organization’s short-term and long-term goals. Our students have interned at JPMorgan Chase & Co., WP Engine, and Vida Capital, to name a few.
Our Faculty
Our faculty members stay active in their fields and specialize in areas including industrial organization, asymmetric information, data analysis, heterodox economics, statistics, and the economics of networks and high-technology markets.
Faculty bring years of industry expertise to the classroom. They help connect students to valuable opportunities for learning and growth and support students holistically in their career development.
Economics Minor
Students pursuing the Economics minor analyze and comprehend global, regional and local issues by learning how goods and services are produced and distributed worldwide.
Required Courses:
- ECON 2301 – Microeconomic Principles
- ECON 2302 – Macroeconomic Principles
- ECON 3000+ – Any Upper-Division ECON Courses (12 hours)
Total Hours: 18
Are you a current student? Contact your advisor for next steps on declaring your major or minor.