2020-21 Academic Catalog

Economics

This is an archived copy of the 2020-21 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.msstate.edu.

Major Advisor: Vicki Mann
vmann@business.msstate.edu

Economics is the scientific study of how people and institutions make choices concerning the use of society’s scarce resources. It is a broad social science that shares common interests with both the behavioral sciences (e.g. sociology and psychology) and the decision sciences (e.g. finance and management). The importance of economic analysis is recognized by being the only social science in which a Nobel Prize is awarded. Economics students receive training in the methods and uses of economic analysis as applied to households, businesses, and governments.

The study of economics offers students many career options. Economics majors are found pursuing careers in industry, trade, finance, law, government, and education. An economics major or minor also helps prepare the student for graduate professional training in business, public administration, and law. The flexibility of the economics major is reflected in relatively high starting salaries and lifetime earnings of economists. Undergraduates at Mississippi State may pursue an economics major through either the College of Arts & Sciences (B.A. degree) as described below or through the College of Business and Industry (B.B.A. degree). The business program in economics is described later in this Bulletin.

Economics Major

Students seeking the B.A. with a major in economics are required to complete all College of Arts & Sciences core and University general education requirements. Majors must also complete the program of study on this page, including 12 hours of advanced electives. Elective courses should be chosen with the advisor’s approval and used to enhance the student’s overall program. Although not required, economics majors may elect to pursue a minor in another discipline with the advisor’s approval. Only grades of C or higher will be accepted for EC courses that are counted toward the major.

Economics Minor

A minor in economics is attained by selecting, in consultation with the economics minor advisor, at least 15 hours of economics course work. Three hours of courses from finance (FIN) or agricultural economics (AEC) may be applied to the economics minor with approval from the advisor. All economics minors must register with the economics minor advisor in the Department of Finance and Economics, 312 McCool Hall. Students with majors in business, engineering, agriculture, the social sciences, mathematics, and pre-law are especially encouraged to consider the economics minor. Only grades of C or higher will be accepted for courses to counted toward the minor.

Advising and Honors Organization

Academic advising and career counseling are available from the economics faculty for both majors and minors. Students interested in the study of economics should contact the Department of Finance and Economics, 312 McCool Hall. Any student who completes 12 credit hours of economics with at least a 3.0 GPA and has an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher is eligible for membership in Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society in economics.