Economics-Statistics, BS

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The economics-statistics joint major is intended for students who are interested in economics and enjoy modeling and analyzing data. Although the number of such students is not large, there are usually a few each year who express an interest in pursuing both economics and statistics in a depth suitable for a major. More often than not, these students are prime candidates for graduate school, and want to keep their options open as to which field to enter later. Short of completing two bachelor’s degrees, their only option now is to major in one subject and minor in the other. If they later decide to attend graduate school in their minor subject, they are likely to be less competitive for admission to the best departments than if they had majored in that subject.

A joint major provides a useful compromise to keep their options open. Additionally, a joint major in economics and statistics can be an excellent training ground for the more quantitative areas of business (such as forecasting, investment management, actuarial planning, and accounting), health management, and public health, without losing the breadth provided by a liberal arts program. Graduates of the joint major who are interested in these areas will have the requisite skills for further training or for immediate entrance into the job market. The curriculum for the joint major consists of eight economics courses and eight statistics courses, along with a statistics writing practicum and three mathematics courses, for a total of 62 credits.