Minor in Economics

Our students become consummate critical thinkers who understand how people, businesses and governments allocate their resources, and who apply their theoretical and quantitative skills in a range of rewarding careers.

Economics is the study of how people, businesses and governments choose to allocate their resources—from production to distribution and consumption. The minor in economics requires students to investigate and analyze the daily decisions that consumers, workers and managers make, as well as the economic activity of people aggregated over many markets.

  • Understand how societies use scarce resources to attain societal goals and how to predict the consequences of changes in those processes 
  • Gain knowledge of theoretical models and quantitative analysis
  • Complement your undergraduate studies with a minor

Our economics program is recognized for its high-quality teaching and research

Our Carl McGuire Center supports research and symposiums on subjects such as globalization, immigration, trade and democratization

We offer a vibrant seminar series, which brings renowned economists from throughout the U.S. to CU Boulder

Be successful.

A minor in economics allows you to enter the workforce with a foundational knowledge of social science and its range of real-world applications.

 

Broaden your employment possibilities with additional knowledge and skills gained from a minor

 

Financial analyst, policy analyst, business forecaster, auditor and actuary are common opportunities to apply this minor

 

Employment of economists is projected to grow 8% from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Academic Plan & Requirements

To earn a minor in economics, students must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours in economics courses.

Topics of study include:

  • Economics principles
  • Intermediate theory for microeconomics  
  • Intermediate theory for macroeconomics

Community & Involvement

We offer students many opportunities to network with peers and faculty, further their studies, and get the most out of their undergraduate experience.

Be inspired.

The economics department has an extensive list of alumni who have worked in a variety of fields across the globe.

Some alumni of the program include:

Jeff Mendel

(BA'00)
Co-founder of Denver’s Tabernash Brewery and part owner of Left Hand Brewing.

(PhD'69)
An applied economist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a senior fellow and director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the conservative Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise.

(BA'70)
A Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.

News & Stories

College of Arts & Sciences magazine cover