Department of Economics and Finance

Dr. R. Burrus, chair. Dr. Carter, Dr. Ciner, Dr. Compton, Dr. Dumas, Dr. Farinella, Dr. E. Graham, Dr. W. Hall, Dr. Lawson, Dr. Moffett, Dr. Richie, Dr. Robinson, Dr. Sackley, Dr. Schuhmann (economics program coordinator), Dr. Sigler (finance program coordinator), Dr. Treme, Dr. Wadman.

Executives-In-Residence: Mr. Verrone, Dr. Simpson

The Department of Economics and Finance provides courses and other academic support for the B.S. degree with options in economics and finance and for the B.A. degree with a major in economics. The department also offers a minor in economics for non-business majors.

The economics and finance programs prepare students for careers which emphasize an understanding of the operation of the economy and the proper choice of policies by both government and business enterprises. The economics programs represent a more general area of study, preparing the student to enter government service, or industry, or to pursue a graduate program in economics, business, public administration or other social science disciplines.

The B.S. degree with an option in economics is designed to provide orientation of the individual and the firm in economic society. The student is required to supplement the study of economics with a variety of business and accounting courses.

The B.S. degree with an option in finance consists of four separate but related areas: business finance, investments, financial institutions, and personal financial planning. The finance curriculum prepares students for graduate study and for careers in corporate financial management, the investments and securities business, and the management of banking and nonbank financial institutions. The generalized applicability of finance and the basic tools of financial analysis are emphasized in the courses.

The B.A. degree with a major in economics is designed for the student who wants to focus on economics in the liberal arts tradition, and the minor in economics is designed for students in other schools and disciplines, particularly in the social sciences, to add dimension to their chosen area of academic study. Graduate schools, the government, and private employers seek employees with an economics background.

Both degree programs and the economics minor develop an understanding of contemporary economic problems and institutions and provide a study of economic issues both in an historical setting and under conditions of change.