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Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
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2026-2027

Economics (College of Humanities & Sciences)

College of Humanities and Sciences | School of Business

 
Program description

Economics is the science of human choice, the study of how individuals and businesses allocate scarce resources among competing uses. As an economics major, you’ll gain an understanding of markets and incentives, and learn to evaluate current events and assess public policy. From our gateway course to our capstone programs, you’ll develop the analytical and communication skills valued by employers. Our curriculum focuses on applying quantitative and data analysis expertise to address business, public policy, and socioeconomic concerns. We also help you build and refine your communication skills, preparing you to present your work professionally with confidence.

Career opportunities

Undergraduate work in economics is excellent preparation for careers in business, government, and teaching, as well as for graduate work in economics and professional schools such as law, public administration, and medicine. Specialization in economics prepares students for careers that emphasize analytical thinking, a broad understanding of the economy and business organizations, and the impact firm/government decisions have upon consumers, firms, and the economy as a whole. Because of their analytical, quantitative and decision-making skills, students who major in economics are sought after for a wide array of positions. In particular, the specific skills economics majors acquire provide employment opportunities in large organizations that forecast business conditions and analyze economic data.

Change of major requirements
Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5+ and earned grades of C or higher in both ECON 210 and ECON 211. In lieu of ECON 210, an earned grade of B or higher in either ECON 203 or ECON 205 is accepted. Email the CHS Office of Student Services at hsadvisor@vcu.edu to schedule an advising appointment to discuss major requirements. 
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Budget, Financial, or Public Policy Analyst
  • Economist
  • Information Scientist
  • Journalist
  • Loan Officer
  • Personal Financial Advisor
  • Research Assistant
  • Statistician
  • Underwriter
  • Urban Planner
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • College Professor
  • Economic Consultant
  • Financial Manager
  • Policy Advisor
Professional associations and resources
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 200
  • STAT 210 or SCMA 301
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5+ to declare the major and 2.0+ to graduate.

Contact information

Department name:
Department of Economics
Contact name:
Department of Economics
Building/room location:
Snead Hall, Room B3153
Phone:
(804) 828-1717
Email:
econ@vcu.edu
https://business.vcu.edu/academics/economics/
Department name:
Department of Economics
Building/room location:
Snead Hall, Room B3153
Phone:
(804) 828-1717
Email:
econ@vcu.edu
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park
Major map compass icon
Major map

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Enroll in a student success course to connect with campus advisors and build community around your interests and goals.
  • Map out a 4-year course plan in DegreeWorks' Student Educational Planner.
  • Meet with a writing consultant to hone your writing skills.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to start goal planning, and choose electives.
  • Sharpen your study skills in Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) at the Campus Learning Center.
  • Take a virtual library tour to learn about library spaces, services, and research help.
  • Complete HUMS 203: Career Compass and begin exploring how your open electives can support interests such as data analysis, public policy, business or graduate study.
  • Prioritize ECON 210, mathematics and statistics early so you are prepared for upper-level economics coursework.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Review your Career Works 4 year career planning tool and start working on your milestones.
  • Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
  • Attend one career event sponsored by Career Services.
  • Complete and activate your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
  • Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
  • Learn more about potential careers by using Forage in the Navigate 360 app.
  • Seek research opportunities by checking out the Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry webpage.
  • Begin developing the quantitative, data-analysis and communication skills that employers value in economics graduates.
  • Explore the wide range of careers available to economics graduates, including economic and policy analysis, research, finance, government and data-focused roles.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
  • Connect with the Student Alumni Council to connect to VCU alumni.
  • Explore What Can I Do With This Major? to learn about career paths, employers, and strategies for building experience related to your field of study.
  • Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
  • Explore organizations that employ economists and analysts, including government agencies, consulting firms, financial institutions and research organizations.
  • Learn about the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and other Richmond-area organizations where economic analysis is used in practice.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Schedule an appointment with your major advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Work to complete the foreign-language requirement through the 102 level while planning your upper-level ECON electives.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
  • Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
  • Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
  • Build relationships with economics faculty by attending office hours and discussing your interests in areas such as labor, monetary policy, economic growth or experimental economics.
  • Participate regularly in Economics Department or Student Economics Association events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Build a professional resume and upload it to Handshake.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Identify an economics-related problem or policy area that interests you and begin following the data, organizations and professionals working in that field.
  • Seek an internship, part-time position, research opportunity or other experience where you can practice analysis, quantitative reasoning or professional communication.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Meet with a coach at the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Conduct an informational interview with an economist, analyst, policy professional or other professional who uses economics in their work.
  • Identify two or three possible career paths and compare the skills, experience and education typically required for each.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Meet with your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Complete ECON 301: Microeconomic Theory and ECON 302: Macroeconomic Theory and begin completing your 300- and 400-level economics electives.
  • Students considering graduate study or quantitative careers should discuss additional preparation such as ECON 403, ECON 501, MATH 201 or STAT 314 with an advisor.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through Big Interview or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Build evidence of your analytical skills by completing a project that uses economic theory and data to investigate a real-world question.
  • Pursue an economics-related internship or research experience; consider ECON 492 independent study/research or ECON 493 internship when appropriate.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services or the Writing Center.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Connect with VCU Economics alumni and professionals working in fields you are considering.
  • Meet with economics faculty to discuss whether employment, the accelerated B.S.-to-M.A. in Economics, another graduate program or professional school best fits your goals.

Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Apply to graduate for your undergraduate degree.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Complete your capstone in ECON 431, ECON 441, ECON 442, ECON 461 or ECON 489 and finish your remaining upper-level ECON electives.
  • Review your degree audit with your advisor early in the year to confirm completion of all major, ancillary, foreign-language, AI-literacy and graduation requirements.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners. Consider Peace Corps Prep, or scholarship opportunities through the National Scholarship Office.
  • Read scholarly articles about internationalization in your field.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
  • Share your work through undergraduate research, a presentation, publication or economics-related professional event.
  • Take on a leadership or mentoring role in an economics-related student organization or help newer economics students connect with the department.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, or AmeriCorps.
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Use an internship, independent research project or advanced economics course to create a strong example of your data analysis, economic reasoning and written communication for employers or graduate programs.
  • Use an internship, independent research project or advanced economics course to create a strong example of your data analysis, economic reasoning and written communication for employers or graduate programs.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Fill out VCU’s First Destination Survey.
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Ask economics faculty, internship supervisors or other mentors to serve as references and tailor your resume to demonstrate quantitative analysis, critical thinking and economic research skills.
  • Begin applying for economics, analyst, research, government and related positions or graduate/professional programs early in your senior year.
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2026-2027

Economics (College of Humanities & Sciences)

College of Humanities and Sciences | School of Business

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Enroll in a student success course to connect with campus advisors and build community around your interests and goals.
  • Map out a 4-year course plan in DegreeWorks' Student Educational Planner.
  • Meet with a writing consultant to hone your writing skills.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to start goal planning, and choose electives.
  • Sharpen your study skills in Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) at the Campus Learning Center.
  • Take a virtual library tour to learn about library spaces, services, and research help.
  • Complete HUMS 203: Career Compass and begin exploring how your open electives can support interests such as data analysis, public policy, business or graduate study.
  • Prioritize ECON 210, mathematics and statistics early so you are prepared for upper-level economics coursework.
  • Review your Career Works 4 year career planning tool and start working on your milestones.
  • Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
  • Attend one career event sponsored by Career Services.
  • Complete and activate your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
  • Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
  • Learn more about potential careers by using Forage in the Navigate 360 app.
  • Seek research opportunities by checking out the Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry webpage.
  • Begin developing the quantitative, data-analysis and communication skills that employers value in economics graduates.
  • Explore the wide range of careers available to economics graduates, including economic and policy analysis, research, finance, government and data-focused roles.
  • Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
  • Connect with the Student Alumni Council to connect to VCU alumni.
  • Explore What Can I Do With This Major? to learn about career paths, employers, and strategies for building experience related to your field of study.
  • Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
  • Explore organizations that employ economists and analysts, including government agencies, consulting firms, financial institutions and research organizations.
  • Learn about the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and other Richmond-area organizations where economic analysis is used in practice.
Experience Year 2
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Schedule an appointment with your major advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Work to complete the foreign-language requirement through the 102 level while planning your upper-level ECON electives.
  • Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
  • Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
  • Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
  • Build relationships with economics faculty by attending office hours and discussing your interests in areas such as labor, monetary policy, economic growth or experimental economics.
  • Participate regularly in Economics Department or Student Economics Association events.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Build a professional resume and upload it to Handshake.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Identify an economics-related problem or policy area that interests you and begin following the data, organizations and professionals working in that field.
  • Seek an internship, part-time position, research opportunity or other experience where you can practice analysis, quantitative reasoning or professional communication.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Meet with a coach at the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Conduct an informational interview with an economist, analyst, policy professional or other professional who uses economics in their work.
  • Identify two or three possible career paths and compare the skills, experience and education typically required for each.
Year 3
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Meet with your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Complete ECON 301: Microeconomic Theory and ECON 302: Macroeconomic Theory and begin completing your 300- and 400-level economics electives.
  • Students considering graduate study or quantitative careers should discuss additional preparation such as ECON 403, ECON 501, MATH 201 or STAT 314 with an advisor.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through Big Interview or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Build evidence of your analytical skills by completing a project that uses economic theory and data to investigate a real-world question.
  • Pursue an economics-related internship or research experience; consider ECON 492 independent study/research or ECON 493 internship when appropriate.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services or the Writing Center.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Connect with VCU Economics alumni and professionals working in fields you are considering.
  • Meet with economics faculty to discuss whether employment, the accelerated B.S.-to-M.A. in Economics, another graduate program or professional school best fits your goals.
Excel Year 4
  • Apply to graduate for your undergraduate degree.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Complete your capstone in ECON 431, ECON 441, ECON 442, ECON 461 or ECON 489 and finish your remaining upper-level ECON electives.
  • Review your degree audit with your advisor early in the year to confirm completion of all major, ancillary, foreign-language, AI-literacy and graduation requirements.
  • Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners. Consider Peace Corps Prep, or scholarship opportunities through the National Scholarship Office.
  • Read scholarly articles about internationalization in your field.
  • Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
  • Share your work through undergraduate research, a presentation, publication or economics-related professional event.
  • Take on a leadership or mentoring role in an economics-related student organization or help newer economics students connect with the department.
  • Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, or AmeriCorps.
  • Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
  • Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
  • Use an internship, independent research project or advanced economics course to create a strong example of your data analysis, economic reasoning and written communication for employers or graduate programs.
  • Use an internship, independent research project or advanced economics course to create a strong example of your data analysis, economic reasoning and written communication for employers or graduate programs.
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Fill out VCU’s First Destination Survey.
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Ask economics faculty, internship supervisors or other mentors to serve as references and tailor your resume to demonstrate quantitative analysis, critical thinking and economic research skills.
  • Begin applying for economics, analyst, research, government and related positions or graduate/professional programs early in your senior year.