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Department of Economics
Economics for a Sustainable Future
With a focus on Environmental Economics and Regional Economic Development, the Economics Department prepares you to tackle real-world challenges like sustainability and local economic growth.
You will gain hands-on experience through research, internships, and community-based projects—many of them paid and connected to industry partners. Small class sizes foster close relationships with professors who know you by name, while a flexible curriculum lets you tailor your degree with an emphasis and a minor in areas like Business, Environmental Policy, Psychology, or Applied Statistics.
Bachelor's Degree
Economics, B.A.
The B.A. in Economics program emphasizes sustainability and real-world application. You'll develop critical thinking skills to analyze complex economic issues, with opportunities for hands-on, often paid, analytical work. Small class sizes and supportive faculty create a close-knit, welcoming learning environment.
Choose from four emphases:
- General Economics
- Environmental & Sustainability Economics
- Applied & Quantitative Economics
- Interdisciplinary Economics
Minor
Why Study Economics?
Hands-On Opportunities
Our service learning course gives you an opportunity to to work with local economic development organizations to make connections between economic theory and real-world applications.
Undergraduate Research
Many of our students work collaboratively with our faculty to publish academic research papers, giving them a leg up as they continue their academic and career journeys.
Ruprecht Research Assistantship
The Ruprecht Research Assistantship engages students in Economics research projects with faculty while providing a stipend to help with college costs. This exciting learning opportunity helps students synthesize what they learn in class.
Place-Based Learning Community: People & Planet
As an Economics freshman, you’ll participate in hands-on activities with your peers before classes even start and in some cases, have the opportunity to live in the same residence halls with your peers. Economics students will join four other departments for People & Planet, which focuses on learning how sustainability is local and global, while addressing specific case studies in fields like agriculture, clean energy, and climate justice.
Career Options
The mathematical and analytical skills that Economics majors develop in school are extremely valuable in just about every workplace, making economics one of the most versatile majors.
Most economics majors find employment in the business and finance industries, while others study things like crime rates, mortality, marriage, divorce, and other types of demographic and behavioral data, which is used in industries like marketing and urban planning.
Featured Alumni
Alumni Updates
John Hollister
Economics, 1968
John completed a Master of Social Work (MSW) and then an MBA. He is a father of two daughters. He has worked in social services for seven years, specifically with troubled teens, and for two years as a social worker for individuals with developmental disabilities. Additionally, John has served as a paralegal advocate for ten years, managed programs for another ten years, and spent ten years as a financial and program auditor. Now I am retired. In his free time, he enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, photography, organic gardening, and promoting peace.
Donald Cresse
Economics, 1985
After 27+ years, Donald Cresse has retired from the LA Department of Water and Power. He worked as an energy conservation rep and then as a supervisor in recycled water. Cresse claims that Drs. Ruprecht and Jewett were instrumental in his education and is thankful for their guidance. Also, Dr. Lehman, who taught him "Appropriate Technology." Cresse says if not for Humboldt and these great professors, he would not be happily retired.
Veronica Sirkis Dunning
Economics, Spanish, 1984
Veronica Dunning's, Economics, 1984, new book, Violet Ribbons, became a finalist in the San Diego Book Awards. The book is available on Amazon and Kindle and is an enjoyable read for escaping with fiction in these trying days. Violet Ribbons provides positive, encouraging messages of self-worth, and dignity.