“Fed Raises Key Rates.” “Officials Ponder Hurricane’s Impact on Economy.” “European Economies Slow to Recover.” “Health Insurance Costs Soar.” On any given day more news stories involve economic issues than perhaps any other topic.

Matters of the economy affect all aspects of our lives, and thus solid understanding of how the economy works is an important tool in analyzing the world today. Economists study how and why consumers, business managers and public officials make choices about the allocation of scarce resources. Economists also examine the effects of public policy on prevailing economic conditions, and use their training to develop government policies that are more efficient, equitable and responsive with as little interference as possible.

Not surprisingly, the integral nature of economics translates into interesting work and excellent job prospects. An economics degree prepares students for employment in a wide variety of jobs or serves as an excellent foundation from which to pursue graduate study in business, law, public policy and other fields.  Economics majors take on jobs across a wide range of fields (business, government, nonprofits, academia and research centers), as well as across many issue areas, from the stock market to trade to education policy. 

Combined with the strong business and liberal arts education from the Mount, our economics majors graduate with a solid understanding of the field, a deeper appreciation for the ways in which economic principles and our economic system shape the way we live, and the capacity to search out answers to many of society’s problems in both business and government. An economics minor is an excellent way to add rigor to programs in business, political science, international studies and sociology.

For more details on this and other programs in the Department of Business, Accounting and Economics, please visit the department's site.