BAE Department: Economics at Otterbein College


Economics Curriculum
Degree Program
Minor in Economics
Careers in Economics

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Economics

What is Economics?
Economics offers a unique way of examining individual and social behavior. This unique way of looking at the world around us, often called the "economic way of thinking," provides powerful and surprising insights into many social problems such as discrimination, crime, poverty, welfare, education, income inequality, and environmental degradation. On top of examining those societal problems, economists also study how markets work and analyze the behavior of business organizations. Additionally, they investigate the forces and trends that influence our standard of living, the fraction of the population that cannot find work, and the rate at which prices are rising.

Economics is front-page news almost every day, whether it involves policy makers talking about reducing taxes or saving the social security system, business executives talking about restructuring to cut costs, or the average citizen trying to understand the impact of global competition on his or her life. Economics is all this and much more.

Economics Curriculum

The Department of Business, Accounting, and Economics offers both a B.A. and a B.S. degree in Economics. The economics major prepares students to pursue many excellent and rewarding employment opportunities in the private, as well as the public and non-profit, sectors of the economy. Additionally, a Bachelor’s degree in economics offers a solid preparation for graduate education not only in economics, but also in law, political science, all areas of business, and disciplines with an international focus.

The Economics major at Otterbein balances theory and application. Real-life applications are well integrated in all courses and come from the local, national, and international scenes.

Degree Program

The economics curriculum is designed to include a broad foundation in the liberal arts, knowledge and experience from the major, and a number of elective courses that allow students to pursue their individual areas of interest.

The Department offers a B.A. or B.S. degree in Economics. The B.S. degree has the stronger quantitative component necessary for graduate work in Economics, Business, or other related fields.

B.A. or B.S. degree with a major in Economics
Requirements in the Core Curriculum:

Integrative Studies - 50 hrs
Foreign Language - 10 hrs for B.A. or 15 hrs for B.S.
Mathematics - 5 hrs for B.A. or 15 hrs for B.S.
Physical Education - 3 hrs
Senior Year Experience - hrs depend upon course selected

Core Economics Courses (25 Credit Hours): Take all five

ECON 210	Principles of Microeconomics	5 hrs
ECON 220	Principles of Macroeconomics	5 hrs
ECON 310	Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis	5 hrs
ECON 320	Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis	5 hrs
ECON 450	Introduction to Econometrics	5 hrs

Economics Electives (20 Credit Hours): Take any four

ECON 350	Comparative Economic Systems	5 hrs
ECON 360	Labor Economics and Industrial Relations	5 hrs
BADM 370	International Business and Economics	5 hrs
ECON 380	Money and Banking	5 hrs
ECON 390	Independent Study	5 hrs
ECON 425	Environmental Economics	5 hrs
ECON 440	Economic Development and Growth	5 hrs
ECON 499	Economics Seminar	2-5 hrs
HIST 420	Economic History	5 hrs

Required Support Courses (30 Credit Hours):

*A. Take all courses:*
ACCT 200	Financial Accounting	5 hrs
COMM 280	Business and Professional Speech	5 hrs
ENGL 335	Technical and Report Writing	5 hrs
MATH 230	Elementary Statistics	5 hrs
*B. Take Two:*
BADM 300	Principles of Management	5 hrs
BADM 310	Principles of Marketing	5 hrs
BADM 340	Business Finance	5 hrs

When pursuing an internship, it is recommended that BADM 380:Transition to the Workforce also be taken.

Students planning to pursue graduate study in economics should consider a minor in Mathematics. At a minimum, it is recommended that they take MATH 170 & MATH 180.

Required total hours for the degree:At least 180

Application for Degree
A prospective graduate must request an Application for Degree at the Registrar's Office two terms prior to the term in which the degree is to be completed.

Minor in Economics
A minor in economics is considered an excellent complement to other majors such as Business Administration, Accounting, International Studies, and Political Science. A minor requires 25 quarter credit hours. As part of the minor, a student must take the following courses:

Required Courses for Minor
ECON 210	Principles of Economics -- Micro	5 hrs
ECON 220	Principles of Economics -- Macro	5 hrs
ECON 310	Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis	5 hrs
ECON 320	Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis	5 hrs
Remaining five hours from among any ECON or BADM courses listed below:
ECON 350	Comparative Economic Systems	5 hrs
ECON 360	Labor Economics and Industrial Relations	5 hrs
BADM 370	International Business and Economics	5 hrs
ECON 380	Money and Banking	5 hrs
ECON 425	Environmental Economics	5 hrs
ECON 440	Economic Development and Growth	5 hrs
ECON 450	Introduction to Econometrics	5 hrs
ECON 499	Seminar	2-5 hrs

A Business Administration or Accounting major who is seeking an Economics minor cannot count the same economics course toward both the major and the minor.

Careers in Economics

Careers in economics are varied. A list of some career paths that are usually chosen by individuals with an undergraduate degree in economics would include: Economic Consulting; Labor/Trade Organizations; Business Consulting; Banking; Insurance; International Business; Financial Planning & Analysis; Federal, State and Local Governments; Non-profit organizations; Federal Reserve System; Politics; and Education.

Many recent Otterbein graduates who have majored in economics are employed with private consulting companies and businesses in Ohio. Others have found employment in the public sector and with labor/trade organizations. Some of our recent graduates have pursued graduate degrees in economics and law at various universities.

Internships

An excellent way to prepare for a career in economics is to supplement your education with on-the-job experience. Work experiences through internships complement class activities. Similarly, class activities aid students toward more productive work opportunities. At Otterbein, we strongly encourage students to seek internships. Otterbein economics faculty work closely with their non-academic counterparts to plan for and supervise quality work-based learning experiences for internship participants. Internships are offered with excellent companies, many of which are located close to campus. In addition to local internships, national and international internship opportunities are available.

Some of our graduates got started on their careers through positions they held as interns. Others find that just having work experience makes them more confident in their job search and interviews.

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