Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Our students become well-rounded critical thinkers who understand how people, businesses and government choose to allocate resources; they succeed in a range of careers, including financial analyst, policy analyst, business forecaster, auditor and actuary within financial institutions, government, health care or academia.

Economics is the study of how people, businesses and governments choose to allocate their resources—from how humans produce things to how they distribute and consume things. Students explore the quantitative, policy-oriented social science and learn how economic theories can be applied to a wide range of real-world situations. Our graduates are well equipped to perform economic analysis in most commercial and policy settings, and to continue on to graduate school.

  • Understand the process by which societies use scarce resources to attain societal goals and how to predict the consequences of changes in those processes
  • Gain knowledge of theoretical models and quantitative analysis
  • Learn to perform economic analyses in most commercial and policy settings

Our economics program is recognized for its high-quality teaching and research

Our Carl McGuire Center supports research and symposiums on subjects such as globalization, immigration, trade and democratization

We offer a vibrant seminar series, which brings renowned economists from throughout the U.S. to CU Boulder

Be successful.

Be prepared to meet the needs of our 21st-century society by applying your knowledge of economics in business or government.

 
$67,500

Median salary of CU Boulder economic students 1–5 years after graduation

 

Financial analyst, policy analyst, business forecaster, auditor and actuary within financial institutions, the federal government, or in health care or academia, are common job opportunities for graduates

 

Employment of economists is projected to grow 8% from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Academic Plan & Requirements

The economics major provides a highly structured experience that develops increasing levels of sophistication. It begins with courses on economic principles, continues to intermediate courses on economic theory and empirical practice, and culminates with rigorous courses in the applied fields of economics.

Students must complete:

  • 32 credit hours of economics courses, of which at least 24 credit hours must be in upper-division courses
  • The College of Arts and Sciences general education requirements

We offer four enhanced major tracks, available to all economics majors:

  • Environmental and natural resources emphasis: For students interested in careers involving business practices and public policies addressing natural resource use and environmental quality, including: environmental regulation and compliance; energy production and consumption; development of energy, transportation, and urban, rural and regional infrastructures.
  • International emphasis: For students interested in careers involving economic development, international law and diplomacy, international business, or international education.
  • Public emphasis: For students interested in careers involving local, state or federal government; government agencies; international bodies such as the United Nations or the World Bank; pressure groups; politics; law; organizations focused on environmental policy; and organizations focused on other areas of public policy.
  • Quantitative emphasis: For students interested in careers involving organizations focused on applied economics, or interested in attending a graduate program in theoretical and applied economics.

Community & Involvement

We offer students many opportunities to network with peers and faculty, further their studies, and get the most out of their undergraduate experience.

Be inspired.

The economics department has an extensive list of alumni who have worked in a variety of fields across the globe.

Some alumni of the program include:

Jeff Mendel

(BA'00)
Co-founder of Denver’s Tabernash Brewery and part owner of Left Hand Brewing.

Steve Hanke

(PhD'69)
An applied economist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a senior fellow and director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the conservative Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

(BA'70)
A Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.

News & Stories

College of Arts & Sciences magazine cover