Economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Economics provides you with problem-solving and data-gathering
skills to make informed decisions in a variety of settings; e.g.
government, law, finance, business and journalism; and for a
variety of job responsibilities, from college intern or a
newly-hired bank credit analyst, at one end of the spectrum, to
U.S. senator, Supreme Court justice, or CEO of a successful
business, on the other.
Besides being a strong major in its own right, economics is a
nice complement to students who have interests in philosophy,
political science, sociology, history, mathematics, psychology,
foreign languages, engineering and English. Indeed, the Nobel Prize
in economics is often awarded to economists who also have a keen
interest in one of the above areas.
Here at Butler, you can study economics as a major in the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or as a major in the College of Business
Administration. The student in Liberal Arts and Sciences may
have a given career path in mind but often does not. He or she
knows that economics offers an array of opportunities and takes
economics to learn critical thinking skills and about the dynamic
economic environment in which we live. The career choice will
follow. The same applies to a student who majors in the College of
Business, but the career choice is more targeted to the business
sector. The economics courses taken in either college are the same;
the courses outside of economics, though, are different between the
two colleges.
Students who major in economics will learn and discuss issues
such as how the Federal Reserve creates money and influences
interest rates domestically and around the world, why the euro
changes in value against the dollar, and the reason behind Zimbabwe
inflation. They will learn about the "Wealth of Nations" from rich
countries (e.g. the U.S.) to poor ones (e.g. Bangladesh), about
growing countries (e.g. China) and countries transitioning to
capitalism (e.g. Russia). They will learn about the invisible hand
of the market and the different roles of government in a mixed
economy. The tools in addressing these questions include
supply and demand, international trade and exchange rate
determination, monetary and fiscal policy, market structure and
statistical relationships.
A minor in economics is also offered.
Requirements for the LAS Economics
Major
Requirements for the LAS Economics
Minor
Course Descriptions
Faculty (College of
Business)