Economics is the study of how individuals, both consumers and managers of firms, make choices in the face of scarcities. Their decisions result in market-determined prices and quantities for the goods and services provided by an economy. These market outcomes are the primary focus of economic analysis. The study of markets and the determination of prices and quantities has numerous, far-reaching applications. Economists use this market-oriented approach to study such diverse topics as inflation, business cycles, international trade, tax policy, energy costs, agriculture, urban problems, the banking system, the structure of industry, crime and the legal system, labor unions, antitrust policy, regulation, public finance, economic development, and pollution. Economic analysis has also been used to increase our understanding of the dynamics of individual interactions and organizational structures, such as teams in industrial settings.

Economics is located in Purdue's School of Management. This degree is probably the most broad based management degree offered by the School of Management.  As such, Economics provides an excellent background for management and analyst positions in financial institutions, governments, and companies engaged in international trade.  

Undergraduate economics students have found positions in the private sector in areas such as:

  Auditing Finance Forecasts
  Banking Investment Analysis 
  Budget Analysis Marketing/Marketing Research
  Business Economics Pricing
  Commercial Lending Product Control
  Credit Analysis Securities Analysis
  Economic Analysis/Research Systems Design & Programming

In the public sector, undergraduates economics student have found positions in the Federal Government in such agencies as the Treasury, Department of Labor, Department of Commerce, and the US General Services Administration. Jobs are also available in state and local governments, city planning administrations, and international organizations.

Finally, a number of our undergraduates have found the economic program to provide them with the necessary background to continue their studies in economics or business at both the masters and Ph.D. levels.  In addition, because modern legal problems are closely intertwined with economic issues, an economics undergraduate degree is particularly useful in the study of law, and many of our students have gone on to law school.