Economics Department
Economics Department Majors
The Economics Department offers both an economics major and a business economics major. Students may select courses from a wide variety of areas, including international trade and finance, economic development, fiscal economics, money and banking, labor economics, the political economy of women, environmental economics and sports economics.
The department offers two different concentrations that lead to the B.A. in economics: one leads to a traditional economics degree, the other emphasizes international political economy and public policy. Moreover, courses in the economics major may be combined with a professional sequence leading to qualification for provisional certification as a teacher of secondary social studies.
The major in business economics allows students with career goals in various management-related fields to aquire the skills necessary for such careers. The major leads to the award of the bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree.
Economics
Business Economics
Management Minor
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Cortland's economics major is uniquely designed to emphasize critical thinking and creative problem solving skills, in addition to providing technical training in the economics discipline. By stressing these general analytical skills, economics majors achieve the flexibility of mind that prepares them for a wide range of challenging and interesting professional careers.
After receiving training in the principles of economics, students are encouraged to apply these analytical techniques to real world problems that are developed in elective courses within the major. Because the Economics Department has a highly diverse faculty, students may select courses from a wide variety of areas, including: international trade and finance, economic development, fiscal and monetary economics, labor economics, the political economy of race and class, the political economy of women, and environmental economics. In many of these courses students are introduced to theories and policies from a wide range of contrasting schools of thought, and important controversies are debated in terms of these contending perspectives.
The department offers two different paths or concentrations that lead to the B.A. in economics. The concentration in international political economy and public policy is a new program designed to give students a solid grounding in the analysis of the contemporary international economy and the key issues that face policy makers on the local, state, national, and international levels. The concentration prepares students for a wide range of planning, labor, housing, law, public administration, teaching, journalism, and environmental policy. Students interested in working for international organizations, international businesses, or agencies concerned with social change will also be well served by this concentration. Internships are strongly encouraged in all of these areas.
The concentration in economics provides students with a more conventional background in macroeconomics, microeconomics, political economy, and the applied fields. This concentration prepares students for professional careers in finance, business, labor, government, and other areas that benefit from the specialized conceptual and analytical tools of economics
Either concentration may be taken alone or combined
with a management minor (see below) or other minors offered by the College.
Moreover, courses in the economics major may be combined with a professional
sequence leading to qualification for provisional certification as a teacher
of secondary social studies. Both concentrations prepare students to go
on to graduate programs in economics, and students considering graduate
work in economics and/or business are encouraged to enhance their technical
training by selecting courses such as mathematical economics and econometrics.
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Business Economics Major
Business Economics Major
The major in business economics is designed to allow students with specific
career goals in various management-related fields to acquire the skills
necessary for such careers. The major leads to the award of the bachelor
of arts or bachelor of science degree. This major is unique among SUNY
institutions in that it is designed to emphasize the development of both
technical and analytical skills in a strong liberal arts context.
The foundation of the program lies in the core courses in economics and management. These common core courses provide critical thinking skills, as well as application-oriented skills essential in today's high-tech organizations. In order to master the increasingly complex demands of the business world, students in the business economics major are required to take coursework in computer applications, accounting, finance, statistics, and mathematical economics. The core courses are supplemented by electives in subject areas of interest to the student.
The thrust of the business economics program is the opportunity for students to tailor their study in any one of four areas of concentration or a more general selection of electives. The four 12-hour concentrations are: human resource management, international business and economics, financial management, and environmental management. These concentrations are desrcirbed briefly below. If the student does not wish to focus their studies on any of the concentrations above, they may instead choose a different combination of elective courses which will provide them with a broad perspective of important issues. This perspective allows students to choose one course from the following categories: (a)Alternate Economic Theory; (b)International Economics; (c) Applied Economics; and (d)Economic Policy Perspective.
The concentration in international business and economics adresses the complexity of today's economy through a variety of international course offerings. The concentration examines the importance of the global economy through coursework in economic development, international trade and finance, and comparative analysis of different economies.
The increased realization of the importance and diversity of the employees of an organization is captured in the concentration in human resource management. Companies today understand that quite often the single biggest investment that they make is in the area of human resources. The issues of race and gender are also covered in detail in this concentration, as today's workplace is comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
The financial management concentration allows interested students to pursue courses that will allow them to function well in any area of finance. Every organization, large and small, for profit or not, must manage their finances well. The increasingly competitive marketplace dictates that companies must have a firm grasp on cash inflows and outflows. Proper financial management is an essential function of organzations and an important skill for individuals as well.
The concentration in environmental management provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the various environmental issues that confront today's society. The obvious costs of unrestrained pollution and waste generation are examined from different viewpoints. The important trade-offs between regulation and free enterprise are also examined from a variety of perspectives. The interdisciplinary nature of this concentration reflects its importance to a large number of academic areas.
As important new developments occur in today's global economy and competitive business world, the Economics Department continously modifies its programmatic offerings to reflect current realities.
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The popular minor in management allows students in other majors to gain
an exposure to many of the basic concepts of management. The minor is
designed to acquaint students with management techniques which can complement
their understanding of a major field, and thus, increase their opportunities
for employment.
Management suggest a commitment to the broader range of principles and skills found in large and complex organizations. Therefore, the minor is not limited to the study of control of the operations of firms in business and industry, but also encompasses the management of other types of organizations such as public and voluntary agencies.
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