Why Economics?
Economics is the study of how people establish social arrangements for producing and distributing goods and services to sustain and enhance human life. Its main objective is to determine an efficient use of limited economic resources so that people receive the maximum benefit at the lowest cost.
Concentrations
- Domestic Economic Analysis
- International Economic Analysis
- Mathematical Economics
- The Modern Economic Enterprise
These basic tenets underlie the purpose of economic analysis; to understand the distribution of our scarce resources. Some may think economics is limited to the study of tax tables and stock investments, but its scope is much broader. It takes a look at such wide-ranging questions as: What affects the choices of people in society? Can you determine the value of a tree, a species or an ecosystem? What are viable alternatives to our current domestic policies toward health care or the welfare system? Is the free market system the best allocator of our resources?
Economics knowledge can be applied internationally or close to home. In either case, it will increase your ability to understand the ramifications of current events worldwide. You will find that economics is an ideal course of study for providing a problem-solving approach to issues such as international trade, public welfare, competition among companies, natural resource management, Third World development, finance and international political systems.
Career Opportunities
Employers have come to value greatly the skills that a liberal arts education provides. In particular, the study of economics imparts desirable transferable abilities—namely analytical skills, holistic and critical thinking, problem solving, and comparative analysis. Previous economics students have pursued public and private sector careers in:
- Teaching
- Banking
- Finance
- Utilities
- International trade
- Politics
- Public administration
- Consulting
- Resource and environmental management
- International development planning
- Computer/information services
- Marketing
Special Opportunities
Awards
After the completion of the fall semester, the department awards the Ankrim-Miller scholarship to a freshman student who has successfully completed a principles course and who has an expressed interest in economics. The department gives four other awards annually: The Ben B. Cheney Leadership Award, the Stanley and Terryl Brue Endowed Scholarship, the Donald F. Reiman Scholarship, and a Senior Award to the senior economics major with the highest grade point average.
Omicron Delta Epsilon Honorary Society
PLU sponsors an Eta chapter of ODE. This society is another mark of an excellent program and the effort made by the faculty to recognize and reward outstanding work by students.
The Western Economics Association
As an institutional member of the Western Economics Association, the department offers special student rates on membership and conference registration fees.
Internships
Faculty members work with the Cooperative Education Office of PLU as well as corporate and government organizations in developing internship opportunities for economics majors. Local internship partners include the Russell Investment Group, the Pierce County Economic Development Council and the Parkland Light & Water Company.
Mentored International Internship
The department offers a mentored international internship in which a group of 10 economics majors, under the direct supervision of department faculty, act as a consulting team to analyze a managerial problem with economic content for a European company.
Honors Major
Outstanding students (overall GPA of 3.5 or higher) may choose to pursue the honors major in economics by completing an honors thesis.
Course Requirements
For a list of course offerings check-out the catalog »
Concentrations:
Domestic Economic Analysis: 101, 102, 301, 302, 495, 499; 12 hours chosen from among: 321, 322, 322, 325, and 327; Political Science 345; Political Science 346; Statistics 231 or Math 341; 4 hours chosen from among Business Administration 202 or Business Administration 302, Math 348, or Computer Science120.
International Economic Analysis: 101, 102, 301, 302, 495, 499; 12 hours chosen from among: 311, 313, 315, 333, 335, 338; Political Science 331; Political Science 347; Statistics 231 or Math 341; 4 hours chosen from among Business Administration 202 or Business Administration 302, Math 348, or Computer Science120.
Mathematical Economics: 101, 102, 344, 345, 301, 302, 499; eight hours of economics electives; Math 151, Math 152, and Math 253; Statistics 231 or Math 341.
The Modern Economic Enterprise: 101, 102, 301, 302, 325, 341, 495, 499; 9 hours of Business Administration electives (200 level or higher, BUSA 201 recommended); Statistics 231 or Math 341. BUSA 495 may be substituted for ECON 495.
Minor: 24 semester hours, including 101 or 111, 102, 301 or 302; 12 additional hours of electives, four of which may be statistics.
Regardless of the specific area being studied, the essence of anthropology is in the observation of different peoples and cultures—studying them as they really are instead of how you think they should or should not behave. It is only through this detailed study of all people that we gain the full picture of what it really is to be human.
Anthropology tries to bring the world’s peoples into human focus. Anthropologists don’t come up with a theory and see if people live up to it. They live with people and see what they do.
Course Offerings
| 101 Principles of Microeconomics |
| 102 Principles of Macroeconomics |
| 111 Global and Environmental Economic Principles |
| 301 Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis |
| 302 Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis |
| 315 Investigating Environmental and Economic Change in Europe |
| 321 Labor Economics |
| 322 Money and Banking |
| 323 Health Economics |
| 325 Industrial Organization and Public Policy |
| 327 Public Finance |
| 330 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics |
| 331 International Economics |
| 333 Economic Development: Comparative Third World Strategies |
| 335 European Economic Integration |
| 338 Political Economy of Hong Kong and China |
| 341 Strategic Behavior |
| 344 Econometrics |
| 345 Mathematical Topics in Economics |
| 386 Evolution of Economic Thought |
| 491 Independent Studies |
| 495 Internship |
| 498 Honors Thesis |
| 499 Capstone: Senior Seminar |
| 500 Applied Statistical Analysis |
| 520 Economic Policy Analysis |
Visit www.plu.edu/~econ to learn more about economics majors and minors, faculty and see detailed course descriptions.
