Welcome to the Economics Department

The Economics Department at Radford University brings together a group of diverse and talented students, faculty and external stakeholders to study how people deal with scarcity and find new and innovative ways to create value, reduce waste and resolve key social problems.

ABOUT ECONOMICS

Economics studies how people manage their limited resources and the commercial, social, political, cultural and natural environments where those choices happen. Scarcity (limited resources but unlimited wants) is all around us; it shapes our choices and how our society works. As a result, studying Economics gives you the tools you need to understand current events, build strong arguments to support decisions, identify effective policies, reduce waste, and contribute to important modern issues (such as environmental sustainability, poverty, inequality, employment, welfare and wellbeing, health and education and business development).

THE ECONOMICS STUDENT EXPERIENCE

OUR STUDENTS BECOME GREAT DECISION-MAKERS

Students who take Economics courses at Radford University explore current events, sharpen their analytical skills, create and evaluate arguments about economic issues, analyze public policies and identify chains of cause and effect. Students learn key economic frameworks for making choices and apply those frameworks to all sorts of situations. Our students are exposed to key issues in today's world: environmental sustainability, poverty, inequality, government policy, justice and equity, business development, employment, welfare and wellbeing.

OUR STUDENTS HAVE CHOICES

We have 2 major options:

We also have 2 minor options:

Every semester, the Economics Department offers a wide variety of interesting courses. Past offerings include The Economics of Everyday Life, History of Innovation and Economic Grouth, Natural Resource Economics, The Economics of Entrepreneurship, Economic Development, Money and Banking, Environmental Reosurce Economics, Law and Economics, The Economics of Gender/Race/Class, Urban Economics and more.

OUR STUDENTS DO MORE

Economics students push their Radford experience to the max. Some students choose to travel the world and study Economics in one of Radford's many study abroad programs. Other students choose to do internships at local firms and government organizations. Several students work closely with faculty on supervised research projects of their choosing (some of which ended up getting published in academic journals).

All Economics majors and minors are encouraged to join the Economics Student Association (ESA) and the Economics Book Club. These organizations give students the chance to interact. The ESA has also participated in the prestigious Fed Challange (a central banking competition), giving their education an extra edge.

OUR STUDENTS GET VALUE

The experience pays off. Over the past 5 years, our graduates have found jobs in lucrative sectors:

  • 27% went into information technology, cybersecurity and consulting sectors.
  • 20% went into corporate, large business and industry sectors.
  • 18% went into finance, banking, accounting and insurance sectors.
  • 12% when on to graduate school.
  • 10% went into public service: government organizations, military, K-12 education.

In the US, the Economics major is assoicated with high pay and high employment. Adding an Economics major to accounting, finance, math, social science or natural science can improve these outcomes even more.

Early Career Pay*

$62,000

Mid Career Pay*

$115,000

Employment Rate**

97.7%

* 2022 data from Payscale.com. ** 2018 estimate from the National Center for Education Statistics.

 

Never forget... Economics is everywhere. You might find economics useful in...

  • Law and politics
  • Economic advising and consulting
  • Urban planning, housing development and real estate
  • Ecology and environmental analysis
  • Social work
  • Journalism
  • Health care management
  • Financial and insurance services
  • Activism
  • Business analysis
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Government work (city management, policy analysis, international trade)

ECONOMICS IS WAITING FOR YOU

Join us! It's easier than ever to become an Economics Highlander. Benefits of our programs include:

  • Overlap with other Business majors. Business majors (Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing) need just 2 additional ECON courses for our minor and 7 additional ECON courses for a double-major.
  • Constantly updated curriculum. We are review and update our curriculum each year to find new and better offerings for our students. You always get the latest and the best.
  • Undeclared? Start here. Economics touches on many topics in natural sciences, social sciences and business studies. Our courses help you discover your interests (and give you some useful tools to take with you).
  • First-year courses that matter. Try our introductory courses (ECON 101 - the Economics of Everyday Life, ECON 105 - Principles of Macroeconomics, ECON 106 - Principles of Microeconomics). You'll be surprised how much you learn.

THE ECONOMICS STUDENT EXPERIENCE - MEET CHRISTOPHER DAVIS ('21)

Christopher Davis graduated from Radford University in 2021 with an Economics (BS) major. He went on to pursue a graduate degree. Before he left, he made a short video about his experience in our program to encourage students to choose Radford University. Take a look...

LASTING VALUE AND WISDOM - MEET LARA RAMSEY ('90)

An Economics degree from Radford University can take you anywhere. Our alumni can attest to that. Lara Ramsey graduated from Radford University with a double-degree in Economics and Psychology in 1990. She is currently the Executive Vice President Chief Operating Officer of National Bank. Lara shared her perspective on employment with us and provided some invaluable advice to future Economics students. Take a look...

THE DEDICATION OF OUR FACULTY

Our faculty excel in all 3 areas of academia: teaching, research and service. Our goal is to share Economics knowledge with our students, collegues and community to improve the decisions we all make.

OUR COMMITTMENT TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

When you take an Economics course at Radford University, you are getting a high-quality experience. Our courses are designed to match the needs of our students and the demands of modern society. We emphasize high-order competencies and provide students with the support they need to succeed. Many of our courses are small, allowing students to work closely with peers and instructors for a more engaging learning adventure. We review our curriculum every year so you always get the most up-to-date offerings. Our faculty have diverse backgrounds which allows us to provide students with a variety of courses covering interesting topics. There is something for everyone.

Our faculty care about your wallet. Several of our faculty have adopted open education resources [OERs] for their courses. OERs are free-to-use digital materials (readings, videos) currated by the professor to address the needs of the students. More than 70% of students taking our courses face $0 in textbook/materials costs as a result.

OUR COMMITTMENT TO SCHOLARSHIP

Our faculty engage in valuable economics research. We steadily contribute to the body of economics knowlege by publishing in peer-reviewed journals, presenting research findings and conferences, and contributing chapters to books and technical publications. 

Our faculty have diverse research interests spanning several different areas of Economics. These include Economic Development, Behavioral Economics, Labor Economics, Macroeconomics, Public Policy, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Computational Economics and Business Economics.

OUR COMMITTMENT TO SERVICE

Economics department faculty contribute to several committees and workgroups across the Radford University campus. In addition to helping the university meet its goals, our faculty also serve the wider community. Our faculty has given guest lectures at regional high schools, presented economic studies for local industry groups and have consulted with local businesses. 

ABOUT THE DAVIS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

ACCREDITED BY AACSB

AACSB LOGO

The Davis College of Business and Economics and the Department of Economics is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Less than one third of U.S. business schools, and only about 5 percent worldwide, have achieved business and/or accounting accreditation from AACSB.

OUR FACILITIES

COBE

The Economics Department is based in Kyle Hall, a $44 million facility that opened in 2012. Kyle Hall was dedicated to outgoing President Penelope Kyle in 2016 for her 11 years of service as Radford University president. This amazing building includes 110,000 square feet of space dedicated to high-quality education, research and outreach. This signature space, located at the corner of Jefferson Street and Tyler Avenue, is the first thing students see when they arrive on campus.

Kyle hall includes auditorium-style classrooms, conference rooms, gathering spaces, faculty offices, study rooms and business laboratories. The building features the latest in educational technology, including the SMIPO Trading Room (for financial research and courses).

In keeping with Radford University's commitment to sustainability, the entire complex has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold designation.

Learn more about Kyle Hall...

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