B.S. in Economics

Economics is the study of how people manage their scarce resources. The BS in Economics explores decision-making behavior as well as the system of social, political, cultural and commercial environments where these decisions happen. This major places particular emphasis on critical reasoning, analytical thinking, scientific reasoning, argument and persuasion, real-world problem-solving and self-motivation. Students explore topics in poverty, inequality, sustainability, politics, trade and economy. This program involves 13 ECON courses, 3 courses developing technical skills (MATH/STAT/ITEC) and 2 courses from outside the Davis College of Business and Economics.

This major satisfies the R (Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning) and the A (Cultural or Behavioral Analysis) areas in the REAL General Education Curriculum.

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CONCENTRATIONS

Students pursuing a BS in Economics have two high-value concentrations to choose from:

General Economics Concentration

Students take a wide selection of ECON courses to gain a broad understanding of scarcity, waste, sacrifice, choices, insitutions, markets, industries, economies and how government policies impact communities. Students learn how people and organizations make decisions given their limited resources in many different contexts.

Sustainable Development Concentration

In addition to core economic theory courses, students take classes on climate economics, natural resource economics, environmental economics and economic development. Students also take selected science courses to enhance their knowledge of ecosystems. Students learn how we can build a more sustainable society and maintain high standards of living.

The Economics Highlander

Students pursuing a BS in Economics will focus on concepts like analytical thinking, scientific analysis, critical thinking, information literacy, self-motivation and problem-solving. You will explore how communites deal with scarcity, and how policies affect people's choices.

As an Economics-BS student at Radford University, you will explore current events, learn how to draw real insights from data, create and evaluate arguments about the way things should be, analyze public policies and identify chains of cause-and-effect. You will learn the relationship between scarcity, markets and important social issues (poverty, inequality, prosperity, health, education, crime/violence, and more). Your obsession will be finding new and innovative ways to analyze human decision-making, deconstruct and analyze economic environments, resolve conflicts of interest, and plan for the future. An Economics-BS student works towards becoming an enlightened citizen.

The REAL Curriculum

Students completing the REAL general education curriculum will cover the R and A areas with this major. They will need programs covering the E and L areas. The Davis College of Business provides students with a list of minors covering E. Economics students needing a program which covers L may consider:

Other options are available. Explore more using the REAL Navigator or speak with an Economics faculty member.

GPA Requirements

To graduate with this major, students need to complete 120 credit hours. Students need an in-major GPA of 2.25 and an overall GPA of 2.0. Students are encouraged to keep their GPA as high as possible, and discuss academic needs with their faculty advisors if their GPA drops below these thresholds.