BA Economics

BA Economics

“May you live in interesting times!” — reputed to be an ancient Chinese curse.

These certainly do seem to be interesting times in which to be studying economics. The college students of today have discovered themselves to be living in a rather turbulent economic landscape, to say the least. As well, the political leadership and the electorate, and even the economics profession to some extent, seem to be having trouble agreeing on what to do about this.

Here at the University of Denver students in economics seek to understand how the social apparatus which governs the production and distribution of goods and services works. Students inquire into the causes of the process of economic growth and development, both within and across nations, and examine its social impact. They study topics such as the availability and consequences of government policy alternatives, the relation of the financial markets to the economy, the impact of the increasing globalization of economic activities, or the interaction of the economy with both the natural and the social environment. They also study how economic theories have developed over time to address these various topics.

The major uniqueness of our program is due to the fact that our faculty have a somewhat broader view of what Economics is about than is found in the average Economics program in the U.S. We present alternative perspectives on the historical and present-day relevance of our material. Our curricula encourage students not to take in received knowledge as the truth but to examine it and question it.

We regard the economy as one element of a complex society, so we feel that to understand the aspects of society pertaining to Economics, students have to understand something about the other elements as well. Related benefits arising from our approach are that it decreases the “dryness” of Economics often experienced by students and that it lends itself quite readily to emphasizing the importance of writing. Indeed, the department prides itself on the fact that we emphasize written assignments and critical thinking in our assessment of student performance. We also consider our use of primary sources and greater reading assignments than one finds in the typical U.S.Economics curriculum to be huge benefits to our students.

The study of Economics provides students with the knowledge required to be a strong citizen-participant in economic affairs. Economics majors are prepared for a wide variety of careers in government, business, finance, politics, and education. It is also an ideal major for students who plan to pursue higher degrees in law, business, or international studies. Indeed, the kinds of writing and mathematical skills that a student can acquire in our program can prove to be very valuable to a graduate, no matter what road he or she may follow.

About the University of Denver

Founded in 1864—just a few years after the city of Denver itself was founded—the University of Denver is one of the country's premier private universities. The University's 125-acre campus, a few miles south of downtown Denver, is home to more than 11,500 students hailing from all regions of the United States and 83 other countries. The University offers:

• more than 100 undergraduate programs of study.
• more than 120 graduate and professional programs.

Regardless of what they inquire, the students embark on a personal educational journey that helps them find and follow their individual purpose.

COLLABORATIVE, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Our students work closely with faculty, peers and members of the community on projects, research, and fieldwork. They cross disciplines to discover new perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. In and out of the classroom, our students learn by doing, whether they're collecting data in the field or putting theory into practice in a clinical setting.

MAKING AN IMPACT, LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY

Not only do we work to improve our immediate community, but we send our students and faculty abroad for study and research with wide-ranging impact. Just as important, we welcome students and faculty from all over the world to bring new ideas and insights to our campus. Through local and international service learning programs, our students have worked alongside communities everywhere from downtown Denver to Africa, Europe, Asia and beyond. Research led by our faculty and students has made a tangible difference in a huge range of fields, generating new medical technologies, environmental safeguards, archaeological discoveries and much more. But the most significant impact the University has is through its alumni. When they leave here, the students go on to make meaningful and lasting contributions to their professions and their communities.

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