As an economics major, you can take a broad range of courses in such fields as economic theory, econometrics, money and banking, international economics, economic history, growth and development and industrial organization. You can also study the new field of behavioral economics, which attempts to improve economic analyses by incorporating insights from psychology, and take a new seminar that facilitates collaboration among economists and psychologists and draws students into faculty research.

Requirements

Want to start right away? Here are some basic requirements for students wanting to major in Economics. Keep in mind this isn’t the complete list of formal requirement — that list can be found on the Courses of Study page.

Before applying for admission to the Economics Major, you need to complete ECON 1110, ECON 1120, and MATH 1110 (or equivalents).For the major, you need to take 12 courses listed by the Department of Economics, or approved by the student’s major advisor, that satisfy these requirements:

• Except for ECON 1110 and ECON 1120, all courses must be at the 3000-level or higher.
• All students must take four core economics courses, one each in:
  • Microeconomics: ECON 3030
  • Macroeconomics: ECON 3040
  • Statistics: ECON 3110 or ECON 3130.
  • Econometrics: ECON 3120 or ECON 3140.
• All students must take at least three courses at the 4000-level or higher. 
• See additional requirements on the department website.

Sample classes

Outcomes

All information below is based on the 2022 First-Destination Survey. Lists are not exhaustive; rather, they are a sampling of the data. If you would like more information, please email as_careers@cornell.edu

What can you do with a degree in economics?

Graduate school:

In 2022, 13% of economic majors embarked on graduate school journeys. They pursued various advanced degrees, with 26% focusing on their MS, 21% working towards a MEng, 16% dedicated to a JD, and more. Their graduate field interest ranges from law(45%) to law (16%) and computer science (11%).

These ambitious individuals have chosen to continue their education at prestigious institutions like Duke University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University.

Employment: 

85% of economics graduates secured employment, and the majority entered sectors in financial services (43%), consulting/professional practice (25%), and technology (8%). Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and Deloitte Consulting were the top 2022 employers.

Where 2022 Economics Graduates Work

Employer	Job Titles
Activant Capital	Investment Fellow
Amazon	Software Development Engineer
Barclays	Investment Banking Analyst
Capital One	Business Analyst
Citigroup	Investment Banking Analyst
Deloitte Consulting	Business Analyst
Goldman Sachs	Quantitative Strategist
Meta	Software Engineer
Slack	Software Engineer
Wayfair	Data Analyst