Program Overview

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics is a STEM-designated online degree program that equips students with the knowledge to succeed in the dynamic fields of economics and finance. This program is designed to give students the tools to understand how incentives affect human behavior, markets, and economies, enabling them to model real-life situations, effectively allocate resources, and map out the best outcomes.

Program Details

• The program requires a minimum of 120 credits.
• Students must complete prescribed courses, including Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy, Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy, Statistical Foundations for Econometrics, Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis, Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis, and Introduction to Econometrics.
• Supporting courses and related areas include Labor Economics, International Economics, Money and Banking, Decision Making and Strategy in Economics, Economics of Public Expenditures, Environmental Economics, Advanced International Trade Theory and Policy, and International Finance and Open Economy Macroeconomics.
• Bachelor of Arts degree requirements include a foreign language component, where students must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one foreign language.
• General Education requirements include Foundations, Knowledge Domains, Integrative Studies, and Exploration.

Admission Requirements

• To apply for this program, students must be high school graduates or have completed their GED.
• Entrance-to-Major requirements include completing ECON 102 and ECON 104 with a grade of C or better.
• Students must submit official high school transcripts or GED transcript, official college or university transcripts, and English Proficiency test scores (if applicable).

Tuition and Financial Aid

• Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which students register and the number of total credits they have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.
• Tuition rates vary depending on the number of credits taken per semester.
• Financial aid and military benefits are available to eligible students.

Career Opportunities

• The program prepares students for careers in consulting, government, health and environmental policy, public policy, small, medium, or large businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
• Job titles related to this degree include Market Analyst, Economic Analyst, and Research Analyst.
• Employment outlook for occupational fields related to this degree includes Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists, and Economists.

Faculty

• The program features highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, including Dr. Austin Boyle, Dr. David Brown, Jaime Brown, Katherine S. Coll, Dr. William Goffe, Dr. Paul Kagundu, and Dr. Pitchayaporn "Peach" Tantihkarnchana.

News and Events

• The program is part of Penn State World Campus, which has been a leader in online learning for over two decades.
• Penn State has been featured in U.S. News' "Best Online Programs" rankings.
• The program has been recognized for its academic quality and flexibility.