德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校

Economists study how people make choices in life in response to the incentives that they face. It is the foundation for business decision-making. Economists examine all types of markets, the means and strategies for profit maximization, industrial and labor organizations, the distribution of income and ownership rights, governmental activities and political and economic philosophies, and analyze how these and other factors influence the production of goods and services.

Most economists are concerned with the practical applications of tools of economic decision-making and analysis as they relate to firm, industry and government operations. There are many types of economists, including business economists, labor economists, macroeconomists, public finance economists, behavioral economists and game theorists. Economics is a broad-ranging discipline that covers issues such as pricing and production, profit maximization, data analytics, forecasting, the effect of incentives on urban development, or how to counteract a terrorist organization.

Careers in Economics

In the private sector, economists use their understanding of economic relationships to help firms set prices, forecast growth and analyze the impact of government regulations and global economic trends.

An economics degree also is considered excellent preparation for law school or for pursuing an MBA. As a group, economics majors are known to score the highest on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

The University’s Career Center is an important resource for students pursuing their career. Licensed counselors are available to provide strategies for mastering job interviews, writing professional cover letters and resumes and help students connect with campus recruiters.

Economics at UT Dallas

UT Dallas offers two types of economic degrees: a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science.

• The BA in economics degree requires 120 hours to graduate: 42 hours from the University’s core curriculum, 42 hours from the major and 36 hours of electives.
• The BS in economics degree requires 120 hours to graduate: 42 hours from the University’s core curriculum, 51 hours from the major and 27 hours of electives.

The difference between the BA and BS is that the BS emphasizes quantitative skills, requiring more courses in mathematics, statistics and econometrics are part of the major. Both degrees are suitable for employment in the private and public sector.

Fast Track

The Fast Track program enables exceptionally gifted UT Dallas students to include master’s level courses in their undergraduate degree plans. Students who meet the requirements for admission to graduate school and the minimum GPA requirement for their major can take up to 15 hours of graduate level coursework that can apply toward their undergraduate and graduate level coursework. To take graduate courses in the Fast Track program upper-division undergraduates must have completed 90 semester credit hours and petition their associate dean for permission to take graduate courses.