Associate of Science in Economics

The requirements below pertain to this Undergraduate Catalog year and are intended as a guide for academic planning. Students should consult with their academic advisor to discuss their individual plan of study.

Program Length: 62 credit hours

Accepted Transfer Credits: Up to 45 credit hours

Economics examines markets' functioning, the determination of prices and income distribution, and the determination of the overall level of income and unemployment rates and inflation. Also, Economics deals with various social problems. As a discipline, the social sciences economics analyzes how society makes resource allocation choices through the production and distribution of goods and services.

The appeal of economics as a practice lies in applying theory and quantitative techniques in understanding contemporary problems.  Many students conclude that it would be challenging to be informed citizens without a basic understanding of economics. As an academic area, Economics vastly differs from the study of business. Its scope is broader and more analytical while encompassing the firm, labor and capital markets, consumer choice, and government economic policy. Economics as an academic discipline is currently enjoying a nationwide surge in popularity as a major choice among college students. With today’s rapidly changing workplace, most people will change jobs several times during their careers. At Leighton University, the major in Economics is designed to provide students with a liberal education with particular emphasis on society's economic aspects and develop the ability to think critically, conceptualize, and possess strong communication (written and oral) and computer skills to evaluate private and public policy issues. The major's goal is to provide students with a rational basis for understanding and evaluating American and other economies' operations and forming intelligent, informed, and critical judgments on relevant issues of public and private concern.

Program Goals and Objectives

• Demonstrate the skills to understand accounting information uses by managers, investors, and creditors, including hands-on learning techniques.
• Demonstrate the skills to appreciate accounting for manufacturing, including cost accumulation for inventory and income determination, pricing techniques, and capital budgeting decisions.
• Demonstrate the skills to evaluate and identify risk, returns, portfolio theory, capital budgeting, dividend policy, long-term financing decisions, liquidity, and concepts to plan and measure profitability.
• Demonstrate the skills to use accounting concepts and procedures essential to business enterprises' administration and accounting cycle and financial statement presentations.

Economics Program of Study

To satisfy the program's requirements, you will need 62 credits hours that sufficiently cover the designated program's components. These may be earned through a combination of the general education courses, content, and electives requirements. Required courses may vary based on transferable credits. Specifically, the students must submit proof of successful completion of a minimum of 62 semester hours of credit, which includes the following:

• Successful completion of the General Education Requirements (34 credit hours) occurs when the student engages in continuous enrollment.
• Successful completion of LIBR 150 - 1 credit hour
• Successful completion of 24 credit hours of discipline-related courses.
• Successful completion of 12 credit hours of  discipline related electives.
• Successful completion of 3  credit hours of a free elective.

Note:

• At least 15 credit total credit hours for the associate degree must be completed at Leighton University.
• A minimum grade point average of C (2.0) on all Leighton credits and a grade of at least C in all discipline-related courses.
• Course prerequisites must be observed. If the student anticipates pursuing a bachelor's degree, courses should be selected to advance that degree goal.

The number of credit hours required to complete an academic major varies according to the academic program. At least half the credits hours earned within the major must be upper-division (i.e., earned in courses numbered in the 300 and400) and must be earned through Leighton University. A course grade may not be lower than a C grade. Specific course work is prescribed for the major and is described under each program.