An undergraduate major or minor in economics serves as a foundation for better understanding the social and economics world in which we live. Students in these programs develop highly employable critical thinking and quantitative analytical skills. This is accomplished through a curriculum that includes both core economic theory courses and advanced applied field courses. Students in these programs should craft a personalized course of study that incorporates their individual interests and career aspirations.
The Curriculum
The Economics major requires ECO 2013, ECO 2023, MAC 2233 or higher, STA 2023, ECO 3101, ECO 3203, and four economics elective courses. The Economics minor requires ECO 2013, ECO 2023, MAC 2233 or higher, STA 2023, ECP 3703, and two economics elective courses. Each of these programs allows for substantial customization through the economics elective courses. While students have a lot of flexibility here, the Department strongly recommends selecting these electives to add a defined focus to your degree program. Some purposeful combinations worth considering are:
Business Economics | International Economics | Econometrics & Quant Methods | Public Policy |
| Economics of Competitive Strategy (ECO 4104) | Economic Development (ECS 4013) | Econometrics (ECO 4421) | Economics of Education (ECP 3510) |
| Industrial Organization (ECP 3403) | International Trade (ECO 3704) | Econometrics 2 (ECO 4422) | Environmental Economics and Resource Policy (ECP 3302) |
| International Macroeconomics (ECO 3713) | International Macroeconomics (ECO 3713) | Game Theory and Applications (ECO 4400) | Labor Economics (ECP 3203) |
| Business Finance (FIN 3403) | African Economic Development (ECS 4111) | Mathematical Economics (ECO 4401) | Public Economics (ECO 4504) |
For more detailed information about the Economics major and minor curricula, refer to the UF Catalog.
Economics Advising
The Undergraduate Coordinator, Dr. Estevez (kj719@ufl.edu), holds virtual office hours — Tuesday and Thursday 2:15-3:45pm during Fall, Spring, and Summer A. During These office hours are intended for reviewing double major and dual degree forms, discussing course selections, and general advising. You can connect with Dr. Estevez via Zoom Meeting ID: 381-154-4451. There is no password for this meeting. During Summer B, Dr. Estevez schedules advising appointments on request.
Minor applications are reviewed centrally in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. To apply for the Economics minor, visit the CLAS Academic Advising Center.
Study Abroad
Economics majors and minors are among the most represented in UF Study abroad programs. Many economics students intern, volunteer and study in foreign countries each semester. They pursue programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America. Because economics courses are taught in English in many of the world’s prestigious universities, it is much easier for economics students to complete major/minor coursework while abroad and make progress toward degree completion. For more information, visit: CLAS Beyond 120, Heavener International Programs, or the UF International Center.
Pro tip: Check out programs with an Internship opportunity for unique and robust international experience.
Careers and Internships
The economics major prepares students for a diverse set of careers. There is no one career for economics majors. Econ majors are all over the place! This is “both a blessing and a curse” for you, the economics major. This means that the skills you develop within your major are in demand by a wide range of employers and in various different industries. The bad news is that this means you will need to engage in some career exploration to find the path that is best for you.
Some common career choices for economics majors include: actuary, credit analyst, financial consultant, wealth management advising, market research analyst, economic consultant, and lawyer. But these are just a few of the countless options. The Department of Economics recommends that you begin career exploration as early as possible. One great resource place to start is the AEA website (https://www.aeaweb.org/resources/students/careers). Another is the UF Career Connections Center. Connect with the C3 early and often!
Internships and other experiences are an important part of your development as a future professional. In today’s competitive workplace, employers are looking for dynamic job candidates who can demonstrate real-world experience. Simply put, being a great student isn’t enough. Competitive job applicants must have an interesting and compelling resume. The Department of Economics regularly hosts employer information sessions, and students are strongly encouraged to attend those and connect with recruiters. They should also actively participate in employer events in the CLAS Beyond 120 program and at the C3…and thoughtfully dive into Career Showcase.
Remember, it is never too early to start your internship search!
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research offers a chance to get hands-on experience with economic analysis and develop valuable research skills. But these opportunities are quite limited in our discipline. There are opportunities, but there are not a lot of them. This is not really an “at UF” thing, but more of an “Economics” thing. Most economic research projects do not require assistance — unlike, say, in the laboratory sciences. Much of our research can be done from a laptop in a coffeeshop. A second reason for the limited number of opportunities is that economic research is highly mathematical and often requires graduate training with quantitative methods. Simply put, and maybe unfortunately, the research itself is not particularly accessible to non-graduate-trained economists. Because of this, a small number of opportunities exist, and the few opportunities that do are highly competitive.
The Department typically recommends that if an undergraduate student wants to get engaged in research, they should ask all of their intermediate and advanced economics instructors if they are looking for undergraduate assistants after having excelled in their class. You will get several nos, but will hopefully get at least one yes.
Undergraduate research is not possible until you have successfully completed Intermediate Microeconomics.
Graduate School
UF Economics majors pursue an expansive set of different graduate school opportunities — including M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics, business school, law school, dental and medical school, and many others. Our alumni have been successful in gaining admission to the most prestigious graduate and professional schools in the state and the nation, including Duke University; Harvard University; New College of Florida; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Chicago; University of Florida; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Miami; University of Pennsylvania; University of Virginia.
The Department of Economics offers a Combined BA/MA in Economics program. For more information, contact the Program Director, Dr. Knight.