Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Arts in Economics

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Brandeis provides a comprehensive understanding of human choice and economic behavior, enabling students to analyze connections between individuals, institutions, and social outcomes. Through this program, students learn general principles of economics, microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, statistics, and econometrics, with an emphasis on analytic and quantitative approaches.

Program Details

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree prepares students for a wide range of careers, including business, technology, education, government, and beyond. For students interested in advanced mathematics, the Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics is also available.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

At Brandeis, economics majors can capitalize on the presence of the School of Business and Economics by taking graduate-level courses in economics and finance. They can also take advantage of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management by taking courses on health economics and public policy. Interdisciplinary courses that combine economics with other disciplines in the arts and sciences are also available.

Study Abroad Opportunities

Given the relentless globalization of the economy, study abroad is an ideal way for students to expose themselves to international and cross-cultural approaches to business, finance, and politics. Brandeis offers an intensive summer program in Copenhagen, Denmark, which provides students with the opportunity to study core economic theory and application in the classroom, listen to speakers on European policy issues, and visit places of economic interest.

Academics and Research

• Specific economics electives include courses in:
  • Labor
  • Development
  • Education
  • The environment
  • Race and gender
  • Trade policy
  • Area specializations, such as the economies of China and the Middle East
• Other topics include:
  • Finance and corporate finance
  • Money and banking
  • Industrial organization
  • Public finance
  • Innovation and game theory

The BA/MA Program

The BA/MA Program at the School of Business and Economics is an innovative five-year degree program that allows undergraduates to earn their Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Master of Arts in international economics and finance. Starting in their senior year, students will be engaged and challenged by graduate-level faculty who are thought leaders in their field. Students will be encouraged to pursue one of five tracks:

• Applied economic analysis
• Data analytics
• Financial economics
• Marketing
• Real estate finance

Student and Faculty Excellence

• World-renowned graduate programs: Brandeis School of Business and Economics has quickly developed a worldwide reputation for preparing its graduates to become principled leaders of global companies and public institutions.
• Faculty associations: Faculty members are linked with a range of research and policy institutions around the world, including the Association for Comparative Economic Studies and the Institute for the Study of Labor.

Clubs, Internships, and Study Abroad

• Student clubs: Students can apply their economics skills by participating in organizations such as the Investment Club and Omicron Delta Epsilon, an academic honors society in economics.
• Internships: Economics majors have interned at organizations such as the Grameen Foundation, which was founded to extend the impact of microfinance on the world's poorest people.
• Study abroad: Brandeis offers study abroad programs, including the intensive summer program in Copenhagen, Denmark, which provides students with a holistic understanding of economic issues in Scandinavian Europe.

Careers and Alumni

• Career and graduate opportunities: Economics graduates enter into a wide variety of fields, ranging from consulting and finance to public service and nonprofits, to technology and research.
• Alumni: Brandeis economics graduates include prominent figures such as Mitch Caplan, adviser at Aquiline and former president and chief executive officer of E-Trade, and Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.