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Department of Economics
Economics for a Sustainable Future
With a focus on Environmental Economics and Regional Economic Development, the Economics Department prepares you to tackle real-world challenges like sustainability and local economic growth.
You will gain hands-on experience through research, internships, and community-based projects—many of them paid and connected to industry partners. Small class sizes foster close relationships with professors who know you by name, while a flexible curriculum lets you tailor your degree with an emphasis and a minor in areas like Business, Environmental Policy, Psychology, or Applied Statistics.
Bachelor's Degree
Economics, B.A.
The B.A. in Economics program emphasizes sustainability and real-world application. You'll develop critical thinking skills to analyze complex economic issues, with opportunities for hands-on, often paid, analytical work. Small class sizes and supportive faculty create a close-knit, welcoming learning environment.
Choose from four emphases:
- General Economics
- Environmental & Sustainability Economics
- Applied & Quantitative Economics
- Interdisciplinary Economics
Minor
Why Study Economics?
Hands-On Opportunities
Our service learning course gives you an opportunity to to work with local economic development organizations to make connections between economic theory and real-world applications.
Undergraduate Research
Many of our students work collaboratively with our faculty to publish academic research papers, giving them a leg up as they continue their academic and career journeys.
Ruprecht Research Assistantship
The Ruprecht Research Assistantship engages students in Economics research projects with faculty while providing a stipend to help with college costs. This exciting learning opportunity helps students synthesize what they learn in class.
Place-Based Learning Community: People & Planet
As an Economics freshman, you’ll participate in hands-on activities with your peers before classes even start and in some cases, have the opportunity to live in the same residence halls with your peers. Economics students will join four other departments for People & Planet, which focuses on learning how sustainability is local and global, while addressing specific case studies in fields like agriculture, clean energy, and climate justice.
Career Options
The mathematical and analytical skills that Economics majors develop in school are extremely valuable in just about every workplace, making economics one of the most versatile majors.
Most economics majors find employment in the business and finance industries, while others study things like crime rates, mortality, marriage, divorce, and other types of demographic and behavioral data, which is used in industries like marketing and urban planning.
Featured Alumni
Alumni Updates
Hassan Mujtaba Zaidi
Economics, 2011
Dear Humboldt State University International Office,
I am delighted to share this great news with Humboldt State University's International Office team that I have been chosen among the top 3 candidates for the Queen’s Young Leaders Award 2018 who will represent Pakistan and its positive image at an international level. I will receive the award from the Queen Her Majesty at a special award ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 28th June 2018 with 57 other exceptional young leaders from 53 Commonwealth countries.
Prince Harry’s Message
https://www.facebook.com/queensyoungleaders/videos/2012925105653219/?fr…
Ha
Economics, 2010
Harriet Ann Burr, 2010 Economics, submitted her thesis, Recidivism Reduction in Humboldt County, for a Master’s of Science in Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University. Burr received an A for her work, and has been authorized as a Master of Science. Burr is currently job searching and researching for her Ph.D.
Harriet Ann Burr
EconomicsPol Sci Minor, 2010
Started this month my master's program in Community Economic Development. Very exciting about it! Considering an AmericCorps Vista contract, joined the Northern California Translators Association, and volunteered to do translations for the National Parks Services for the Pacific Region.