Economics and Finance

Keith Gamble, Chair

Anderson, Baum, Deme, Eff, Fayissa, Fowler, Homaifar, Jansen, Klein, Michello, Nagel, Penn, Rennhoff, Roach, Rojas, Salter, Sarver, Seagraves, Shirley, Smith, Stark, Wood, Zhao, Zietz

The mission of the Department of Economics and Finance is to teach students the foundations of economics and finance theory and methodology with a global perspective on markets and the institutional environment.

The department offers programs which lead to the B.B.A. degree with majors in either Economics or Finance through the Jones College of Business and to the B.S. degree with a major in Economics through the College of Liberal Arts.

The Economics major program studies how society allocates scarce resources and comprises two parts-microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics studies individual firms and consumers and models the decisions they make in various types of markets and other institutional settings. Macroeconomics examines national income, growth, unemployment, and prices that result from the interaction of microeconomic agents.

The Finance major program focuses on the financial sectors of modern economies. Students are provided analytical foundations and an introduction to financial processes and institutions. Finance majors may select a concentration in Real Estate.

The B.S. in Commerce provides students with a broad exposure to commerce and business and allows students to focus their studies in multiple areas of specific interest within the broader business context. The program is housed in the Department of Economics and Finance and administered by the dean of the Jones College of Business. Admission to the B.S. in Commerce requires approval of the dean of the Jones College of Business; admission is based in part on the student having experience that qualifies for prior learning assessment and/or military education credit.

The Risk Management and Insurance program offers preparation for identifying and analyzing various sources of risks that jeopardize our futures. Students are shown how to implement financial protection with emphasis on insurance solutions. Career positions for graduates include risk analysts, risk managers, underwriters, claims professionals, agents, brokers, risk consultants, employee benefit specialists, safety professionals, and more.

Students majoring in Economics and Finance are well prepared for careers in the private business sector, for public government service, and for graduate studies in business and law.

Minors are offered in Economics, Economics/Finance, Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate.

The department houses the Weatherford Chair of Finance and the Martin Chair of Insurance. Holders of the two chairs are charged with promoting study leading to careers in financial institution management and insurance, respectively.

Graduate Study

The Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees are offered in Economics. The Master of Science degree is offered in Finance. Degree requirements and a list of the courses offered for graduate credit may be found in the Graduate Catalog.