Economics

Do you want to help make decisions about how things are made, bought, sold and used?

The field of economics is very broad and can be applied in many ways, which means you can choose from a variety of careers, such as government, law, public policy, teaching, or finance fields like insurance and banking. Our economics program will help you identify the costs, benefits and consequences of a decision. The knowledge you gain both in and out of the classroom will allow you to go into the world examining issues that affect the market in a variety of areas, including criminal behavior, poverty, law, environmental control, population and political behavior.

The BA in ECON is designed for students who wish to combine fundamental training in economics with a liberal arts education. In addition to the general education and related requirements, students in the BA program have in excess of forty credit hours of unrestricted electives and requires the completion of a minor.

The BS in ECON is designed for students who wish to combine training in economics with a strong business core. In addition to the general education and related requirements, students in the BS program take at least 21 hours of Chambers College electives.

Economics accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s (ABM) program allows you to take 12 credit hours of graduate coursework while completing your undergraduate degree, leaving only 18 credit hours in order for you to achieve a master’s degree. Rather than 150 hours being needed for a bachelor’s and a master’s, this option allows you to finish with 138 hours.

Earn your bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years instead of seven years. Once accepted into WVU’s 3+3 program, you would begin taking classes at WVU Law in what would typically be your senior year of college.

3+3 Law Program

The Behavioral Economics and Situational Testing (BEAST) Lab uses experimental methods to explore behavioral questions in economics and related fields, focusing on projects that make a difference for marginalized communities. Undergraduate students can join the BEAST Lab as research apprentices through the RAP program. They can learn from active graduate students in the lab, assist with research and data analysis, and develop their own research skills.

Serving the people of West Virginia, the Bureau of Business and Economic Research provides the state’s business and policymaking communities with reliable data and rigorous applied economic research and analysis, that enables the state’s leaders to design better business practices and public policies.