Economics Transfer Pathway A.A. Degree

Program Description

It is often suggested that economics is the study of peoples’ efforts to satisfy their unlimited wants by utilizing their limited resources. Economics studies the cost implications of an individual making a decision to go to college, the cost implications of a society making a decision to go to war, and everything in-between. Economics might be the most broadly applied of the social sciences because economists believe that all human decisions have economic costs and, therefore, are worthy of economic analysis. The Economics Transfer Pathway provides a broad base of general education relevant to economics careers, and prepares students for transfer into an Economics baccalaureate degree at Minnesota State universities. A bachelor’s degree in economics will open doors into a number of career fields including management, public administration, public policy, banking, education, and business. It may also be a step to advanced degrees in many fields.

Program Outcomes

By completing this program, students will achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Ask an economic question, gather information and resources, form an explanatory hypothesis, collect data that can be used to test the hypothesis, analyze the data, draw conclusions, and suggest future research;
• Work with mathematical formalizations of economic models and perform mathematical operations; explain the design and results of laboratory and field experiments; and explain the conduct, results, and limitations of basic econometrics;
• Explain economic models as deliberate simplifications of reality that economists create to think through complex, nondeterministic behaviors; identify the assumptions and limitations of each model and their potential impacts;
• Explain the strengths and limitations of economic data and statistical analyses; and think creatively and combine or synthesize existing economic ideas in original ways; and
• Demonstrate knowledge of major economic institutions and familiarity with magnitudes of common economic statistics.

Transfer Opportunities