Economics B.A. or B.B.A.

  • Students in classroom, participating in activity involving scooping dried beans out of a large bowl.

    Economics B.A. or B.B.A.

    Open the door to diverse career possibilities in UAA’s top-ranked, cutting-edge economics program.

Explore the economics bachelor’s degree program at the University of Alaska Anchorage

Economics develops quantitative and analytical skills that can be used to explore a wide range of questions related to how and why people make decisions, as well as how people respond to incentives. Economics knowledge can be applied to many professional fields, including business, health, law, politics and education. UAA offers both a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree in economics, along with a Minor in economics, with convenient online options for lower and upper division courses.

Undergraduate research in the economics program
All UAA faculty are Ph.D. trained economists, some of whom have appointments at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). Economics faculty do cutting-edge research in a variety of areas including natural-resource economics and experimental and behavioral economics, and have brought in millions of dollars to UAA in competitive grants. Faculty have co-published peer-reviewed articles with undergraduate students, and many UAA students participate in research-oriented projects and internships. Many students have gone on to outstanding graduate programs due to their research experiences in economics.

Financial aid
Get help with tuition and education costs. UAA offers a number of scholarships for economics majors as well as other financial aid opportunities though the College of Business and Public Policy. Learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Economics B.A. or B.B.A.

Degree Type:

  • Baccalaureate

Program Length: Four Years

Availability:Anchorage campus

Accredited by: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools and Businesses (AACSB) International

Other program options: Minor in Economics

Did you know..

The UAA economics bachelor’s degree program is ranked in the top 10 percent of institutions internationally in the field of experimental economics.

What can you do with an economics degree from UAA?

A bachelor’s degree in economics provides a well-rounded education that can be applied to a variety of professional fields and advanced study programs.

Economics graduate programs
UAA economics alumni have been admitted to excellent master’s degree and Ph.D. programs including Purdue, Oregon, Harvard, Duke, Oxford, Cambridge, George Washington University and others. Graduate degree options include:

  • Economics (M.A., M.S. and Ph.D.)
  • Law (J.D.)
  • Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
  • Political Science (M.A. and Ph.D.)
  • Public Policy (M.A. and Ph.D.)
  • Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
  • Urban Planning (M.A. and Ph.D.)

Economics careers
UAA alumni have received excellent placements at multiple State of Alaska divisions, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, the U.S. Census, the Army Corps of Engineers and many different private companies. Career opportunities for economics program alumni include jobs in economic consulting, business, law, policy, academic research and scholarship. Economics is also a great option for students with entrepreneurial ambition.

By the numbers..

95%
1-year job placement rate for economics bachelor’s degree alumni
Alaska Department of Labor Statistics
100%
5-year job placement rate for economics bachelor’s degree alumni
Alaska Department of Labor Statistics

Economics bachelor’s degree program highlights

Led by world-class scholars, the economics program features outstanding undergraduate research opportunities and opportunities to gain practical career experience. The following are some of the top reasons to major in economics at UAA.

  • Work one-on-one with top faculty. Unlike many larger colleges and universities, tenure track faculty teach all core upper division courses and almost all lower division courses in UAA’s economics program. Faculty also provide strong support when you apply for graduate schools or employment.
  • Take part in undergraduate research opportunities. At UAA you’ll have opportunities to collaborate with faculty and pursue independent research. Faculty have co-authored publications with students and all students complete a comprehensive research paper prior to graduation.
  • Get hands-on job experience. UAA economics majors have worked paid and unpaid internships for a variety of businesses and government agencies inside and outside of Alaska.
  • Study economics overseas. The economics program offers study abroad opportunities with the University of the Arctic in Tromso, Norway. This exchange program allows students to take classes in Tromso at the cost of UAA tuition. Study abroad options are also available at other universities around the world.
  • Interact with leading economics scholars. The Rasmuson Chair in Economics, the only fully privately endowed scholarly chair at the University of Alaska, brings leading economics scholars to the college, which allows for extended periods of interaction with students and faculty.
  • Work in state-of-the-art facilities. Students and faculty use the Vernon Smith Economic Science Laboratory for research and teaching applications.

Economics bachelor’s degree curriculum

The Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in economics provides a broad-based business background and offers a big-picture outlook of the different functions of organizations. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in economics provides maximum flexibility in course selection and is ideally suited for students looking to double-major in complementary fields such as mathematics, health sciences, political science, English, history or law. Both degrees offer a variety of courses that emphasize experimental, behavioral and resource economics.

Top classes for economics majors

  • Special Topics in Economics: The economics department offers a variety of specialized courses including Experimental Economics, Behavioral Economics, Health Economics, Natural Resource Economics, Development Economics, History of Economic Thought, Econometrics, Methods in Public Policy Evaluation and Business Forecasting.
  • Econometrics for Business and Economics: Learn about concepts such as regression analysis and apply them though econometrics software with naturally-occurring and experimental data.
  • Seminar in Economic Research: Take your past economics coursework and knowledge and formulate your own research project.