Department of Economics

Prof. Neel Rao teaches Labor Economics on the first day of classes in a Knox Hall lecture hall in February 2021. Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki This image has been approved by UB’s Office of Environment, Health and Safety to align with current health and safety regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economics is a social science that studies how people, companies and governments respond to incentives, and the science behind complex social issues such as inflation, causes of recessions, poverty, discrimination and the future of work. In the Department of Economics, students embrace a rigorous curriculum that teaches students critical thinking and reasoning skills that are necessary to succeed in the labor market.

Experiential Learning

Our department provides experiential learning opportunities that deepen students’ understanding of the world beyond the classroom.  These opportunities include:

  • Serve as an undergraduate teaching assistant
  • Gain first-hand experience in research while working alongside a faculty member
  • Learn invaluable lessons from the professional world at an internship in the Buffalo area or elsewhere

Career-Focused

We are a data-focused and quantitative discipline where students can learn skills that will be valued in the labor market. Popular career fields in economics include financial services, insurance companies, consulting, retail management, marketing industries, non-profit research organizations and government agencies. Students also often go on to graduate study in law, public policy and economics.

Department Website
Meet our students

Degrees

  • BA in Economics
  • BS in Economics
  • MA in Economics
  • MS in Econometric and Quantitative Economics
  • PhD in Economics 

Combined Degrees

  • BA/MA in Economics
  • BA/MS in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics

Joint Major

  • BA in Economics and Mathematics

Minor

  • Minor in Economics