Economics (BA)

"Drop everything and solve a world problem: Major in Economics," could well be the slogan of Roosevelt's Program in Economics. Our faculty are dedicated to using economics to address problems of unemployment, poverty, income and wealth inequality, social justice, global climate change, the racial wealth gap, and statistical methods, among others.

• Economics affects almost everything that happens.  Economics students explore the economy and how it works with a focus on issues of equality and equity as well as the more traditional emphasis on efficiency. Roosevelt is one of the few universities in the United States where students can study institutionalist, Post-Keynesian, and Marxist theories, as well as standard Neoclassical and Keynesian economics.
• Course offerings regularly include courses addressing the market economy, the business cycle, financial crises, economic policy, theories of justice, political economy, international trade and development, the economics of women, contemporary labor problems, money and banking, the history of economics, applied economics, and econometrics.
• Economics graduates typically pursue careers in public service, business, law, teaching, and research. Economics majors score highly on the LSAT (the law school admission test) and in any given year the White House, Treasury, and Cabinets are run by economics majors and economics PhDs.
• Students at Roosevelt analyze how the economy works in fresh and innovative ways. Students receive a broad­-based view of contemporary economics with special emphasis on pluralist and heterodox approaches to theory and policy. Students are challenged to be critical of existing institutions and seek new solutions to problems of economic justice, prosperity, poverty, and inequality. For students who are particularly interested in issues of social justice, Roosevelt offers a Social Justice Studies BA degree.
• Studying Economics at Roosevelt not only helps students learn how to make the world a better place, it also helps students get better jobs. Economics majors make about 15% more than the average college graduate, and Economics is consistently ranked among the top 10 highest paid undergraduate majors.

These quantitative requirements also apply to degrees.

• Students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours.
• Students may apply no more than 60 credit hours of 100-level courses toward the degree.
• Students must apply no fewer than 60 credit hours of 200- and 300-level courses toward the degree.
• Students must have at least 18 credit hours (of the 60 credit hours above) at the 300 level.
• Students may transfer in no more than 70 credit hours from community colleges.
• Students earning less than 60 total hours in residence must take their final 30 hours at Roosevelt University. Note that some majors have additional requirements for RU hours.
• Students must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher to graduate. Note that some majors have additional GPA requirements.
• Students may apply no more than 51 hours in the major (BA) or 57 hours in the major (BS)

Requirements

• Majors must complete a minimum of 11 courses (33 credit hours) in Economics with grades of C- or higher, with an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
• At least 12 credit hours in Economics must be completed at Roosevelt University, 6 of which must be at the 300 level.Math 110 Quantitative Literacy Or Higher Is A Prerequisite For Econ 234 Elementary Statistics.
• Eng 102 Composition Ii: Introduction To Academic Research Is A Prerequisite For Econ 210 Money And Banking