Economics

Economics is an excellent example of a real-world discipline, where the claims of theory are tested constantly by the everyday experience of the marketplace. Economists are always in demand by:

• Businesses (both profit and non-profit)
• Research and teaching institutions
• Government agencies

Students of economics are empowered to build bridges between a broad liberal arts curriculum and both their major and chosen field of work. The curriculum of the Department of Economics blends basic economic concepts and their applications with contemporary issues. Courses develop reasoning capacity and analytical ability. By focusing on areas of application, you'll use economic principles to stimulate your powers of interpretation, synthesis, and understanding.

The Economics Department at Fairfield offers a variety of learning environments, from technological pedagogy in the classroom to experiential learning, from study abroad to local internship opportunities. The department's individualized counseling encourages you to tailor your course of study to your career and personal enrichment goals. A major in economics provides an excellent background for employment in the business world while maintaining the objectives of a liberal education. The economics major also prepares students for advanced study in graduate or professional schools.

Economics is an innovative, flexible, challenging, and rewarding major, offering you many pathways to careers or graduate study, a variety of learning experiences, and a minimum of required courses. The major is innovative because:

• Much of the course content is contemporary
• The use of computer applications is frequent
• The faculty are leaders in the use of multimedia technology in the classroom

Flexibility is evident in the choice between tracks leading to either a B.A. or B.S. degree and in the array of electives that let you shape a program to your interests. Students may also minor in economics by completing 3 additional courses beyond their social science core requirement.

The challenge for you will be in the emphasis on critical thinking and logical analysis, supported at different levels by data analysis, statistical inference, and quantitative analysis. All of this strengthens the rich liberal education that you will acquire and the ability you will develop to evaluate and judge the merits of significant real-world events.