Economics (BA): Finance Concentration
All economics students complete core courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics, as well as specialized elective courses in labor economics, industrial organization, game theory, international economics, econometrics and finance. Poole’s undergraduate economics program gives students the quantitative tools and critical thinking skills that prepare them for post-graduate study or careers in business, finance, government, public policy and more. What sets NC State’s economics major apart is the training in analytical methods, and focus on economic theory and business skills, to provide students opportunities in many career paths.
Finance is at the core of every business in every industry. Whether an entrepreneur is developing a new business or growing an existing one, whether a corporation is launching a new product or a portfolio manager is considering new investments, finance provides tools to evaluate these decisions. At large, finance provides the framework for understanding how businesses, financial institutions as well as individual investors make decisions in accessing and deploying capital (money). As businesses are ever more complex, the tools to help make financial decisions become ever more important.
The concentration’s curriculum explores the topics of financial analysis, capital markets and financial intermediaries, business and project evaluation, personal finance, and international finance – all of which prepare students to answer complex finance questions.
Economics Department
Poole College of Management
4172 Nelson Hall
Raleigh, NC 27695
919.515.5565
Website
Department of Economics
Plan Requirements
Overall GPA for all courses attempted at NC State must be 2.0 or higher; and
Overall GPA for all EC and ECG courses attempted at NC State must be 2.0 or higher
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| M 100 | Personal and Professional Identity Development | 1 |
| MIE 201 | Introduction to Business | 3 |
| ACC 210 | Concepts of Financial Reporting | 3 |
| EC 205 | Fundamentals of Economics | 3 |
| or EC 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| or ARE 201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | |
| EC 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| EC 302 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EC 351 | Econometrics I | 3 |
| EC 490 | Research Seminar in Economics | 3 |
| Business Analytics | ||
| BUS 340 | Information Systems Management | 3 |
| BUS 351 | Introduction to Business Analytics | 3 |
| Economics Electives | ||
| 400/500 Level Econ Electives | 6 | |
| 300/400/500 Level EC Electives | 6 | |
| Humanities and Social Sciences | ||
| Acad Writing and Research 1 | 4 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Argumentation and Advocacy | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | ||
| Communication for Business and Management | ||
| Communication for Science and Research | ||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| Mathematical and Natural Sciences | ||
| GEP Natural Sciences | 7 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Elements of Calculus | ||
| Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| MA 114 | Introduction to Finite Mathematics with Applications | 3 |
| or MA 242 | Calculus III | |
| BUS/ST 350 | Economics and Business Statistics | 3 |
| or ST 312 | Introduction to Statistics II | |
| or ST 370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | |
| or ST 372 | Introduction to Statistical Inference and Regression | |
| ST 307 | Introduction to Statistical Programming- SAS | 1 |
| or ST 308 | Introduction to Statistical Programming - R | |
| Interdisciplinary Perspectives | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | |
| Physical Education | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | |
| Corequisites | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | ||
| GEP Foundations of American Democracy (verify requirement) | ||
| Concentration | ||
| BUS 320 | Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS 420 | Financial Management of Corporations | 3 |
| BUS 422 | Investments and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| Concentration Electives- Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Investments | ||
| Advanced Personal Financial Management | ||
| International Financial Management | ||
| Capital Markets Essentials | ||
| Financial Analytics | ||
| Financial Modeling | ||
| Free Electives | ||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) 2,3 | 22 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- 1
C- or better
- 2
Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement.
- 3
Free Electives: Some courses will not count as free electives, such as FL 101 or 105 (in the language in which proficiency requirement is met), or MA 101, 101, 103, 105. (12 hours of free electives may be taken for credit only.)
400/500 Level Econ Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECG 515 | Environmental and Resource Policy | 3 |
| ECG 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| ECG 530 | Topics in Labor Economics | 3 |
| ECG 537 | Health Economics | 3 |
| ECG 540 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECG 548 | International Economics | 3 |
| ECG 561 | Applied Econometrics I | 3 |
| ECG 562 | Applied Econometrics II | 3 |
| ECG 563 | Applied Microeconometrics | 3 |
| ECG 580 | Course ECG 580 Not Found | 3 |
| ECG 590 | Special Economics Topics | 1-6 |
| FIM 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| MA 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| MBA 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| ST 561 | Applied Econometrics I | 3 |
| Econ Electives II A | ||
| EC 404 | Money, Financial Markets, and the Economy | 3 |
| EC 410 | Public Finance | 3 |
| EC 413 | Industrial Organization | 3 |
| EC 431 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| EC 437 | Health Economics | 3 |
| EC 449 | International Finance | 3 |
| EC 451 | Econometrics II | 3 |
| EC 468 | Game Theory | 3 |
| EC 474 | Economics of Financial Institutions and Markets | 3 |
| EC 490 | Research Seminar in Economics | 3 |
| EC 495 | Special Topics in Economics | 1-6 |
| EC 498 | Independent Study in Economics | 1-6 |
300/400/500 Level EC Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Econ Electives I | ||
| ARE 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 |
| EC 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 |
| Econ Electives I A | ||
| ARE 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 |
| EC 305 | A Closer Look at Capitalism | 3 |
| EC 336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 |
| EC 348 | Introduction to International Economics | 3 |
| EC 351 | Econometrics I | 3 |
| Econ Electives II | ||
| ECG 515 | Environmental and Resource Policy | 3 |
| ECG 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| ECG 530 | Topics in Labor Economics | 3 |
| ECG 537 | Health Economics | 3 |
| ECG 540 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECG 548 | International Economics | 3 |
| ECG 561 | Applied Econometrics I | 3 |
| ECG 562 | Applied Econometrics II | 3 |
| ECG 563 | Applied Microeconometrics | 3 |
| ECG 590 | Special Economics Topics | 1-6 |
| FIM 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| MA 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| MBA 528 | Options and Derivatives Pricing | 3 |
| ST 561 | Applied Econometrics I | 3 |
| Econ Electives II A | ||
| EC 404 | Money, Financial Markets, and the Economy | 3 |
| EC 410 | Public Finance | 3 |
| EC 413 | Industrial Organization | 3 |
| EC 431 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| EC 437 | Health Economics | 3 |
| EC 449 | International Finance | 3 |
| EC 451 | Econometrics II | 3 |
| EC 468 | Game Theory | 3 |
| EC 474 | Economics of Financial Institutions and Markets | 3 |
| EC 490 | Research Seminar in Economics | 3 |
| EC 495 | Special Topics in Economics | 1-6 |
| EC 498 | Independent Study in Economics | 1-6 |
Acad Writing and Research
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Acad Writing Research | ||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| FLE 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| Transfer Sequence | ||
| ENG 202 | Disciplinary Perspectives in Writing | 3 |
| ENG 1GEP | Course ENG 1GEP Not Found | 3 |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| M 100 | Personal and Professional Identity Development | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research (or GEP Natural Sciences with Lab) 1 | 4 |
| MA 121 | Elements of Calculus 2 or Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A or Calculus I | 3 |
| MIE 201 | Introduction to Business | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| FL Proficiency | 0 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MA 114 or MA 242 | Introduction to Finite Mathematics with Applications or Calculus III | 3 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research (or GEP Natural Sciences with lab) 1 | 4 |
| EC 205 | Fundamentals of Economics or Principles of Microeconomics or Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| ACC 210 | Concepts of Financial Reporting | 3 |
| Global Knowledge | 0 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| EC 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| COM 110 | Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication or Argumentation and Advocacy | 3 |
| ST 350 | Economics and Business Statistics | 3 |
| BUS 340 | Information Systems Management | 3 |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EC 302 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EC 351 | Econometrics I | 3 |
| BUS 320 | Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS 351 | Introduction to Business Analytics | 3 |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| ST 307 or ST 308 | Introduction to Statistical Programming- SAS or Introduction to Statistical Programming - R | 1 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Economics Elective | 6 | |
| BUS 420 | Financial Management of Corporations | 3 |
| ENG 331 | Communication for Engineering and Technology or Communication for Business and Management or Communication for Science and Research | 3 |
| Free Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Economics Elective | 3 | |
| BUS 422 | Investments and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Economics Elective | 3 | |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 9 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EC 490 | Research Seminar in Economics | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 4 | |
| GEP Natural Sciences | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- 1
ENG 101 must be completed with "C-" or better.
- 2
MA 131 or MA 141 are encouraged for students who qualify and aspire to take additional calculus. For students completing the MA 141/241/242 sequence, one credit hour of MA 141 will count as free elective credit, MA 241 will count as free elective credit and MA 242 will substitute for MA 114.
GPA Graduation Requirements
- Overall GPA for all courses attempted at NC State must be 2.0 or higher; and
- Overall GPA for all EC and ECG courses attempted at NC State must be 2.0 or higher
Career Opportunities
An undergraduate degree in economics has long served as the foundation for advanced professional degrees in law and business, graduate study in economics, as well as jobs in business, industry and government.
Career Titles
- Actuary
- Administrative Service Manager
- Business Professor
- Community Outreach Manager
- Compensation Administrator
- Compensation Specialist
- Customer Service Supervisor
- Economics Professor
- Economist
- Employment Administrator
- Environmental Economists
- Environmental Research Analyst
- Equal Opportunity Representative
- Event / Convention Planner
- Financial Analyst
- Financial Examiner
- Financial Planner
- Fundraising Manager
- Government Budget Analyst
- Government Service Executives
- Insurance Claim Examiner
- Intelligence Specialist (Government)
- Internal Auditor
- Investment Fund Managers
- Management Analyst
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Managers
- Occupational Analyst
- Operations Research Analyst
- Personnel Administrator
- Product Planner
- Public Relations Manager
- Public Relations Specialist
- Retail Buyer
- Retail Sales Department Supervisor
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Sociologist
- Survey Researchers
- Tax Assessor
- Transportation Planners
- Urban and Regional Planner
Learn More About Careers
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