Majors & Minors
Econ Major Catalog Info(opens in new window)
Econ Minor Catalog Info(opens in new window)
Careers
High Returns to Econ Degree
If money is your goal, Tony Carnevale, the director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, will tell you that a certain group of majors provide a bigger return on investment over a lifetime. The Georgetown center has found in its research that of the twenty-five highest-paying majors, all but two (economics and business economics) are in STEM fields.
Career Planning
Analytical skills, a strong quantitative background, and clarity and precision of expression are qualities developed in the economics major. Additionally, knowledge of the operations of a complex economic system and its institutions provides skills applicable to a wide variety of job responsibilities in a number of occupational areas.
The skills listed below are representative of those acquired from the study of economics, and may be applied in various occupations. For example, an investment banker, a technical writer, and an urban planner might use analytical thinking skills on a daily basis, although for different purposes.
For more information, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics Report on the Economics Profession.(opens in new window)
- Financial
- Maintaining accurate records
- Tabulating figures
- Manipulating numerical data
- Developing budgets
- Performing cost/benefit analyses
- Creating and evaluating financial reports
- Research/Analysis
- Designing projects
- Generating/developing ideas
- Organizing materials
- Computing data
- Analyzing results
- Testing an idea/hypotheses
- Using computers
- Applying statistical methods
- Communication
- Writing reports/articles
- Summarizing
- Writing proposals
- Justifying a position
- Reading and interpreting reports
- Speaking persuasively
- Explaining ideas/goals
- Problem Solving
- Assessing needs
- Defining problems
- Reviewing/evaluating goals
- Relating theory to practice
- Projecting/forecasting results
- Applying quantitative analysis
- Generating solutions
- Evaluating policies
Job Search Websites
- CSU, Chico Career Planning and Placement
- JOE - Jobs Openings for Economists(opens in new window) through the American Economic Association (AEA)(opens in new window)
- Economic Research Network(opens in new window)
- Monster.com Job Search(opens in new window)
- Association of Environmental & Resource Economists (AERE)(opens in new window)
- Inomics Job Openings for Economists(opens in new window)
- International Economics Jobs(opens in new window)
- American Agriculture Economic Association (AAEA)(opens in new window)
- National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)(opens in new window)
- National Association for Business Economics (NABE)(opens in new window)
- International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE)(opens in new window)
- International Health Economic Association (IHEA)(opens in new window)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics for Economic Jobs(opens in new window)