The economics major at Lang, which leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, is centered on understanding the changing shape of the world economy; the world's financial markets and institutions; problems of regulating and guiding economic development in the advanced industrial world and in emerging markets—including issues such as inequality and unemployment, social security, health care, global dependence on oil, and environmental policies; and the economic aspects of class, gender, and ethnic divisions. The economics major emphasizes the historical roots of economic ideas and their application to contemporary economic policy debates, and conflicting explanations and interpretations of economic phenomena, within the context of the conceptual and statistical modeling techniques that serve as the common methodological basis of contemporary economic research.
Economics provides students with critical research and analytical tools to understand the pivotal role of economics in the contemporary world. The department puts what Robert Heilbroner called "the worldly philosophy" (i.e., informed, critical, and passionate investigation of the economic foundations of contemporary society) at the heart of the educational and research enterprise. This engagement with the central unresolved dilemmas of modern society motivates the detailed analysis of concrete problems of economic policy and the explanations of economic phenomena that are the substance of the department's degree programs.
Graduates of the program are prepared for advanced study in economics or they can pursue careers in a wide variety of fields both professional and academic, including law, politics, international institutions, governmental and non-governmental institutions, community-based organizations, and media.
In addition to the major, students have the option, if majoring in a different program, to elect an academic minor in Economics. Students interested in completing the minor should review the minor curriculum.