why major in economics?

Economics asks interesting and important questions

Economics studies how consumers, workers and businesses behave, with the goal of providing helpful analysis and advice to private firms, governments and international institutions like the IMF and WTO. Economists believe that individuals and business organizations usually act with an eye to their own self-interest. They use this assumption to predict future market trends, to analyze the relative merits of different possible market structures (e.g. small vs. big business, capitalism vs. socialism), and to advise governments and international bodies about the likely effects of their economic policies (e.g. taxes, unemployment insurance, free trade) upon individuals, industries and whole economies.

There are lots of employment possibilities for trained economists

Many jobs are available for economists in the public sector, especially in the areas of statistical analysis (Statistics Canada is always looking for economists), monetary policy (the Bank of Canada), public finance (advising municipal, provincial and federal governments on taxing and spending), economic development (advising towns and provinces on the best ways to attract business investment or plan for future expansion), and policy analysis (the very best students have a good shot at prestigious and rewarding jobs with institutions like the IMF, the World Bank and the United Nations). In the private sector, there are plenty more possibilities. Students with a training in economics can also find work as foreign-exchange traders, stockbrokers, financial consultants, auditors, tax analysts, investment advisors, research officers, bank managers, market analysts, labour-relations managers, journalists, and so on. And economics degrees open the door to professional programs in Business Administration, Law, Public Administration and Accountancy.

Past graduates of the Department have gone on to successful careers

Banking and finance

• Financial Analyst with a major financial company (D. B.)
• Investment Services Manager with a major bank (K. D., who came back after his B. Admin to get an economics degree)
• Financial Services Officer with a major bank (K. C.)
• Project Manager with Arcas Consulting (K. C.)
• broker for a major bank (J. M.)
• Property Appraiser (S. B.)
• Personal Investment Banker (N. C.)

Teaching

• university-level teacher in Hong Kong (E. L.)
• English teacher at a Korean University (K. W.)

Law

• D. N. went to the University of Saskatchewan Law School, graduating first in his class in 1999 (highest average marks in over 20 years, with the Gold Medal among other awards), and went on to clerk for the Head of the Supreme Court of Canada

Higher Education

• research assistant at Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy (M. T., who got both a B.Admin. and a B. A. in Economics)
• Industry Canada (R. S., after going on to get an M.A. from McMaster)
• professor at University of Regina (D. B., who did an M.A. here and then a Ph.D. at Queen's)
• Saskatchewan Government Finance Department (P. M. and E. T., who both went on to M.A.s here)
• Economic Analyst, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (D. D., after graduate school at Carleton)
• Economic Policy Analyst with the Saskatchewan Government (D. S., who got his M.A. here)

Politics

• Saskatchewan's deputy minister of intergovernmental affairs (G. M.)
• leader of Australia's opposition party, until he suggested bringing in a Goods and Services Tax (J. H.)

Because economists find jobs

Because economists are paid well