The Bachelor of Science in Economics is designed to offer the student flexibility in fashioning the major. Students are taught to think critically about typical issues faced in business and social policy and how to analyze their implications. Emphasis is placed on exposing the student to decision-making tools used in a variety of career paths. All economics majors are required to take at least 36 hours of economics courses, including a research experience and economics internship.
Students in Economics are valued in the job market, as they have highly marketable skills. The curriculum focuses on the application of the economic way of thinking, as students refine their analytical and critical thinking skills. Many courses have students working with real world data, and all students participate in a senior research capstone experience that incorporates original research, technical writing for the discipline, and formal presentations.
Students graduating from Longwood’s Economics program have received job offers as economic developers, bankers, bank examiners, management consultants, government economists, investment analysts and corporate analysts, just to name a few. Employers include the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Virgina State Corporation Commission, Anderson Consulting, Geico, First Market Bank of Richmond, Department of Defense, Capital One Financial, Virginia Department of Taxation, and AllianceBernstein Asset Management Company. Students have also been accepted to competitive graduate programs including Johns Hopkins, Texas A&M, George Mason, and James Madison University.
Economics is also considered to be a traditional pre-law degree since students with an economics degree enter law school with well-refined analytical tools and an ability to think about complex issues. The Wall Street Journal has quoted Edward Tom of UC Berkeley School of Law as stating that “of all the majors, economics ranks in the top four or five consistently year after year for both applications and offers made. Logical reasoning and analytical skills are critical to legal studies.” Furthermore, research has shown that economics majors tend to perform well on the LSAT exam. Research published in the Journal of Economics Education reports that of the 14 majors that had more than 2,000 students taking the exam, economics students received the highest average score in both of the time periods studied.
There are two curricular tracks offered for the Bachelor of Science in Economics. The Economics and Business Concentration, focuses on economics while requiring students to take supporting courses in business. It is designed to prepare students for analytical positions in a variety of firms, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations.
The General Economics Concentration provides the most flexibility in both course work and career choices. Students can use elective credits to add a minor, take courses in preparation for graduate school, or possibly double major. Students wanting a social-science orientation will find the General Economics Track appealing.
