David A. Renelt Award
The David A. Renelt Award honors one outstanding rising senior economics major who best exemplifies the traits of growing intellectual curiosity, high ethical principles, enduring spiritual devotion and endearing congeniality.
Bachelor of Science in Economics - Business Economics
Today, organizations of all sizes and types have to be nimble, adapting to our changing economic circumstances. The economics degree with a concentration in business economics at the University of St. Thomas develops your analytical and critical thinking abilities and prepares you for success in the business world.
Why Study Economics at St. Thomas?
Our program will prepare you for success in a variety of careers by fostering your knowledge of economic theory and developing your analytical, quantitative and problem-solving skills throughout your undergraduate career. We are the largest economics program of any private university in Minnesota. You will benefit by having access to faculty and courses focusing on topics including business, international studies, public policy and data analytics. Our well-trained graduates find positions with business consulting firms, government regulatory agencies and a variety of large and small businesses including Target and Best Buy.
Decisions, Decisions
Course Requirements
The major coursework provides the necessary foundations in economic theory and analysis in addition to 12 credits of business courses including accounting. A course in mathematics and a course in statistics will develop your quantitative skills. You also have the opportunity to choose electives based on your personal interests. Additional economics courses explore topics like forecasting, industries and managerial decision-making.
Four-Year Plan
You start with courses in macro and microeconomics, the fundamental principles of economics. From there, you dig deeper while having the freedom to choose from courses based on your personal interests.
Other Economics Degrees Awarded
Internships
Local companies and organizations actively recruit economics majors at St. Thomas for internships, some of which have offered interns full-time employment after graduation. These include Medtronic, Target, General Mills, Allianz, Dorsey & Whitney, Merrill Lynch, and U.S. Bank as well government agencies like the U.S. Treasury and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The Department of Economics forwards opportunities sent by alumni at these companies to current economics students!
Tutoring
The Department of Economics offers student tutoring services to any student in a Principles of Economics course. These tutoring options are complementary and done on a drop-in basis.
Course Requirements
Course Requirements
The major coursework provides the necessary foundations in economic theory and analysis in addition to 12 credits of business courses including accounting. A course in mathematics and a course in statistics will develop your quantitative skills. You also have the opportunity to choose electives based on your personal interests. Additional economics courses explore topics like forecasting, industries and managerial decision-making.
Four-Year Plan
Four-Year Plan
You start with courses in macro and microeconomics, the fundamental principles of economics. From there, you dig deeper while having the freedom to choose from courses based on your personal interests.
Other Economics Degrees Awarded
Other Economics Degrees Awarded
Internships
Internships
Local companies and organizations actively recruit economics majors at St. Thomas for internships, some of which have offered interns full-time employment after graduation. These include Medtronic, Target, General Mills, Allianz, Dorsey & Whitney, Merrill Lynch, and U.S. Bank as well government agencies like the U.S. Treasury and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The Department of Economics forwards opportunities sent by alumni at these companies to current economics students!
Tutoring
Tutoring
The Department of Economics offers student tutoring services to any student in a Principles of Economics course. These tutoring options are complementary and done on a drop-in basis.
What Can Economics Do For You?
Businesses feel the effects of the economy every day. Our faculty, alumni and students are using their practical skills and knowledge to help organizations respond to complex issues.
Georgia Turnock '17
Georgia puts her economics degree and math minor to work as a member of the transfer pricing staff at EY International. She is able to explain global tax strategies and international tax issues to her clients because of her economics coursework and her experience as a tutor for economics program.
Mark Ward '17
What started as an assignment in his Behavioral Economics course grew to be much larger than he expected. Mark and a classmate co-authored a prize-winning paper under the supervision of a St. Thomas faculty member, receiving a cash prize from the Minnesota Economics Association. Mark has taken a position as a financial analyst at Houlihan Lokey, where he works in corporate finance and industrial mergers and acquisitions.
Dr. Monica Hartmann
Dr. Hartmann studies how business practices and government regulations affect market competition. She has received national recognition for her research on the academic and financial benefits of sleep intervention programs in higher education. She has involved students in business consulting projects focusing on topics such as how we finance low-income housing. She serves as a co-leader of a study abroad course on the economic and political ramifications of Brexit in Northern Ireland too.
Career Paths
We give you the tools to analyze complex situations and make informed decisions, whether that be in the workplace or graduate school. Here are a few paths our alumni pursued after they graduated from St. Thomas.
- Data Scientist, 3M
- Vendor Manager, Amazon
- Pricing Strategy Analyst, Medtronic
- Demand Forecast Analyst, Best Buy
- National Bank Examiner, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
- MBA (e.g. University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Michigan)
Scholarships
Economics Young Scholars
We solicit proposals from students pursuing undergraduate economics research projects and provide generous financial support. In addition, we offer limited financial assistance to students applying for graduate study in economics to help cover some of the costs of GRE fees, application fees and campus visit expenses.
MinneAnalytics Scholarship
This annual scholarship sponsored by MinneAnalytics is awarded to an undergrad student who display a passion for pursuing a career in analytics and a commitment to engaging with the community.
Flexible. Growing. Opportunity is Calling.
15
We have 15 dedicated faculty with a wide variety of expertise and strong interest in working with students.
$109K
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median annual salary earned by economists in 2020 was approximately $109,000.
Top 10
Economics is one of the best college majors according to Princeton Review.
Faculty with Real Dedication
Dr. Monica Hartmann
Dr. Hartmann has worked at the Federal Reserve and Department of Justice Antitrust Division. She researches factors influencing market competition.
Dr. Michael Walrath '03
Dr. Walrath researches firms’ entry and location decisions. He graduated from St. Thomas and returned to teach the next generation of Tommies.
Dr. Terence Langan
Dr. Langan previously served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, using his training in economics for the common good of St. Thomas.
Get Involved
Research, student-run clubs and conferences—the possibilities are endless for getting involved at the university and beyond.
The Economics Club facilitates economic exploration outside of the classroom. Activities include professionals presenting on how they use economics in their careers, and faculty discussing current economic events like tax reform.
We support students as they pursue research. There is financial assistance for engaging in research and presenting results at conferences. Faculty include students in their projects as research assistants or collaborators.
Our faculty are active researchers focusing on a variety of fields. They win government grants, are featured in the New York Times, publish in leading journals and present at global conferences.
Opportunities Abound
Economics students at St. Thomas have unique opportunities to explore a variety of issues affecting us every day. Here is how they have been making a difference lately.
See Another Side of the World
Our study abroad offerings analyze economic issues in a number of countries, including Australia, Botswana, China and Northern Ireland. We offer J-term courses, as well as embedded international travel during the semester over spring break.
Put Your Knowledge to the Test
Our annual DataCom competition is one way you can work with data and engage in economic research. We provide a data set for you to use in development and testing of various hypotheses. The top teams win prize money!
Making a Difference Locally
Students and faculty apply economic skills to advance the common good through multiple courses, partnering with the city of Delano, Metro Transit and the PLACE organization to improve the provision of services helping people’s lives.
Get Connected
Our LinkedIn and Facebook pages, annual alumni panels and other alumni-faculty communication keep us connected to our valued graduates. In return, our alumni engage with current students and help future generations of Tommies.
Surrounded by Passionate Peers
Our program emphasizes faculty-student interaction inside and outside of the classroom. Our annual Chili Fest sees the faculty become chefs, while students are judges. We also say goodbye to our seniors with a Senior Send-Off Bowling event each year.
Practical Experiences
Economics students at St. Thomas have access to a diverse array of opportunities inside and outside of the classroom through research, competitions, dedicated faculty and more. Students use their skills and knowledge to make an impact in their communities every day.
Take the Next Step
There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.