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Darla Moore School of Business

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Economics

B.A. and B.S. Degrees

Two degree programs in economics are available: the business economics degree (B.S.) from the Moore School and a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in economics from the College of Arts and Sciences. All economics courses are taught by faculty at the Moore School. Students earning a degree from the Moore School take additional business core courses, while students earning a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences take more courses in nonbusiness subjects.

Economics offers a wide variety of career opportunities. Professional economists are involved in economic forecasting, market research, cost-effectiveness studies, investment analysis, policy analysis, impact studies, program evaluations and solving budget problems.

Economics graduates are employed in

  • Banking, manufacturing, insurance, retailing and economic research
  • Local, state and federal government positions in regional planning and development, employment and labor force analysis, ecology, transportation and the regulation of industry
  • Teaching economics in secondary schools*

Economics at the Moore School

  • Explores how societies use resources to satisfy wants and needs
  • Requires the business core as well as required and elective course work in economics

This major is a good fit if you

  • Enjoy thinking about business from a theoretical, big-picture perspective
  • Want to keep your options open for careers in a variety of business sectors
  • Are interested in attending graduate or professional school

Why should you enroll?

  • Economists can pursue careers in research, business and education
  • Industry sectors in which economists frequently work include banking and finance, manufacturing, services, government and higher education
  • Economists can perform a wide range of professional activities, including economic forecasting, market research, cost-effectiveness analysis, investment analysis, policy analysis, impact studies and program analysis

*A master's or doctoral degree is generally required to teach in colleges or universities.

Degree Requirements: 122 hours

Major Requirements: 61 hours

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will achieve an acceptable pass rate on questions related to the following core microeconomic concepts: (a) Consumer utility maximization (b) Producer profit maximization (c) Equilibrium and welfare analysis under different market structures (d) Importance of externalities
  • Students will achieve an acceptable pass rate on questions related to the following core macroeconomic concepts: (a) Determination of full-employment output and growth (b) Money creation and inflation (c) Employment and output fluctuations over the business cycle (d) Fundamentals of macroeconomic policy
  • Students will achieve be able to: (a) Solve basic equations to find equilibrium outcomes (b) Use graphs to understand and interpret economic relationships
  • Students will be able to successfully prepare a research paper and present the results of their research their peers in a classroom environment.

All majors are required to take Carolina Core classes to develop problem-solving skills and explore world cultures, history, languages and art. Business students also complete the Business Core Curriculum, which covers the basics for success in advanced business courses. Courses common to all programs include business communications, statistics, international business, accounting, economics, computer applications and business law.

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CMW: Carolina Core Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Writing (6 hours)

Must be passed with a grade of "C" or higher.


ARP: Carolina Core Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving (6-7 hours)

Must be passed with a grade of "C" or higher.


SCI: Carolina Core Scientific Literacy (7 hours)


GFL: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)

Students shall demonstrate in one Foreign Language the ability to comprehend the topic and the main ideas in written and, with the exception of Latin and Ancient Greek, spoken texts on familiar subjects. This ability can be demonstrated by achieving a score of two or better on a USC foreign language test. Those failing to do so must satisfactorily complete equivalent study of foreign language at USC.  CC-GFL courses

GHS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours) any CC-GHS course


GSS: Carolina Core Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours) any CC-GSS course

AIU: Carolina Core Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours) any CC-AIU courses

CMS: Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component* (0-3 hours) any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course

INF: Information Literacy* (0-3 hours) any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course

VSR: Values, Ethics and Social Responsibility* (0-3 hours) any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course


*Course can be Stand Alone or Overlay — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.

The program requires 9 hours of course work with international content that may be completed through other degree requirements. Three hours must be taken from an approved list of courses offered by the Moore School of Business which contain international business or international economics content. The following course options can also be used to satisfy the 3 credit hours of this requirement: approved course work containing international business or international economics content, taken at a semester abroad program; an approved Maymester or summer overseas course containing international business or international economics content; an approved internship course in international business wherein a student would obtain discipline-related work experience in a foreign country; or an approved service-learning component.

Students may choose from one of the following options to complete the remaining 6-hour requirement:

Language: Two language courses at the 200 level or above

or

Electives: Two approved courses with international content taken either inside or outside the Moore School from the list of available internationally-focused courses.

Minors (non-business) may be selected from a University-wide list of approved minors. The minor is normally a minimum of 18 hours of prescribed courses in one subject area. Minors are recognized on the transcript.

Cognates which consist of 4 related courses in a specific field. The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. Cognates do not earn an additional designation on the transcript.

The number of elective hours required depends upon the number of hours used to fulfill other degree requirements, including the optional minor or cognate.  Minimum degree requirements must equal 122 hours. Selecting to pursue a minor or cognate, multiple business majors or the business analytics concentration may be used to reduce the total number of electives hours. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the Darla Moore School of Business. 

Options to meet this requirement may include:

  • Pre-Professional coursework can be applied for students seeking admission to a professional degree program after graduation.
  • A maximum of 4 courses towards completion of an accelerated master’s program if not counted elsewhere in the degree.
  • Directed Electives:  Students may select courses of interest with their advisor.  Students are strongly encouraged to take a business section of UNIV 101. All directed coursework electives must be passed with a grade of C or better. Directed coursework may not include coursework in PEDU or MATH/STAT below the Moore School minimum requirements (ex. MATH 111 or STAT 110) or 1 credit performance classes.

Business Economics Major (15 hours)

Required Courses (nine hours):

Economics Electives (six hours):

  • Six hours of ECON courses numbered 400 or above**

**ECON 421, ECON 476, ECON 499 and ECON 524 cannot be used to fulfill the six-hour requirement.

Optional Business Analytics Concentration (12 hours)*

Economics:
Required Course (three hours)

Choose nine hours from the list below:

*Consult with your academic adviser or department on courses recommended for individual majors. The analytics concentration must be taken in conjunction with another track in your major. The department may add additional electives to the Data Analytics concentration subject to the approval of the Data Analytics Committee.

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