Economics (B.A./B.S.)

Economics is a social science at the intersection of business and public policy. Studying economics will equip you with analytical and communication skills that will prepare you for a rewarding career. You will learn how individuals (households and firms) make decisions, how they interact in markets and how government policy affects economic activity.

At the University of Delaware, over 400 undergraduate students are currently majoring in economics, acquiring fascinating and useful knowledge in areas such as government regulation, development economics, household finance, economic data analysis, health economics and labor economics. Firms consistently tell us that they like hiring our economics majors because they “know how to think about complex issues.”

Earn either a bachelor of science (B.S.) or a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in economics depending on your strengths in mathematics and quantitative skills (B.S.) or foreign language (B.A.).

Program Highlights

Research Opportunities

Economics research opportunities are available during the summer and academic year. Summer research programs are a very good stepping stone to a successful senior thesis or project. More details are available at the Undergraduate Research Program website.

Honors in Economics

The honors program at UD offers a scholarly and enriching community that extends well beyond graduation. You’ll enjoy smaller, more challenging classes and the opportunity to engage in research and assume leadership roles.

The honors degree requires:

1. All requirements for the B.A. or B.S. in economics (B.A. in economics education).
2. All of the University’s generic requirements for the honors baccalaureate degree.

ECON 301 and ECON 304 must be taken in honors sections. Courses in economics at the 600-level or higher may be considered as Honors courses.

Program Requirements

The B.A. and B.S. degrees in economics differ in the quantitative and language requirements:

Language

• B.A. degree students must earn a passing grade in an intermediate level course (107 or 112) offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Students with four or more years of high school work in a single foreign language may attempt to fulfill the requirement in that language by taking an exemption examination.
• B.S. degree students do not have a language requirement.

Quantitative

• B.S. degree students are required to demonstrate proficiency in quantitative methods. This involves successfully completing intermediate-level theory courses with calculus (ECON 301 and ECON 304) and an upper level econometrics course (ECON 422). Note: quantitative skills are an important part of more advanced study in economics, and several 400-level courses in economics require calculus.
• B.A. degree students may take intermediate-level theory courses either with calculus (ECON 301 and ECON 304) or without calculus (ECON 300 and ECON 303). An upper-level econometrics course (ECON 422) is recommended but not required.

B.S. Economics – Suggested Course Sequence

B.A. Economics – Suggested Course Sequence

Career Opportunities

Within 6 months of graduating, for the class of 2023, 95% of Lerner’s BS economics graduates are employed (earning a mean starting salary of $65,758) or pursuing further education and 93% of Lerner’s BA economics graduates are employed (earning a mean starting salary of $56,875) or pursuing further education.

For more information on career resources please visit the Lerner Career Services Center.

Top Employers

Some of the top employers of Lerner’s B.S. economics graduates include:

• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Protiviti
• EY
• BlackRock
• Citi
• Deloitte

Some of the top employers of Lerner’s B.A. economics graduates include:

• Vanguard
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Bank of America
• Amazon
• Citi

Top Jobs

Job titles of recent graduates with a B.S. in economics degree include:

• Account Executive
• Financial Analyst
• Client Service Associate
• Credit Analyst
• Forecast Analyst
• Financial Advisor

Job titles of recent graduates with a B.A. in economics degree include:

• Financial Analyst
• Consultant
• Client Associate
• Executive Recruiter
• Financial Control Analyst
• Fraud Analyst

Visit the Career Outcomes of Lerner B.S. economics students and Career Outcomes of Lerner B.A. economics students to see more top employers, job titles, salaries and locations.

STEM OPT Program

The B.S. in economics program provides international students 24 months of OPT (Optional Practical Training) in addition to the original 12 months. The B.A. is not STEM-designated.

News

• Lerner Professors Deliver Presentations at Emerging Scholar Research Showcase - Four distinguished Lerner College professors presented their recent findings and research methods during Lerner’s Emerging Scholar Research Showcase held in the Lerner Atrium.
• Department of Economics Revives Hutchinson Lecture with Focus on Tax Reform and Tax Compliance - This year’s lecture featured Prof. Natasha Sarin, Professor of Law at Yale Law School and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Treasury.
• Lerner Welcomes New Faculty: Barton Willage - Willage is an associate professor of economics; he spoke with Lerner about his research focus and why he is excited to join UD.
• Lerner College Undergrad Business Program Moves Up in U.S News Rankings - Business program now ranked No. 77 in latest rankings, economics program ranked No. 114.
• Lifelong Lerner: Grace Harvey - A native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Grace Harvey graduated from Lerner College as an economics major. Harvey was also a member of the UD women's soccer team.

Learn More

If you have any questions about the major requirements, contact Professor Elizabeth Bayley, Undergraduate Program Advisor.

Browse course descriptions (Select ECON as the subject).

Admissions Information

Learn more about undergraduate admissions requirements, deadlines, tuition and financial aid available to you.