An economy is a social system where people produce and distribute goods and services. Economists study these systems, focusing on issues related to decision-making in governments, social and economic institutions, firms and industries. Our world is shaped in a fundamental way by economic forces. High unemployment, financial uncertainty, and growing public debt present great challenges for all of us. Concerns about energy sources, and about the environmental impact of economic activity will also be with us for decades to come. Studying economics will allow you to understand these challenges more deeply and will give you tools to help solve these problems. The Economics major is an excellent preparation for a wide range of jobs and graduate and professional studies. Students in the program gain critical thinking and quantitative analysis skills, and these abilities can be used to solve economic and other real-world problems. Beyond the core sequence in micro- and macroeconomics and quantitative and statistical methods, students can choose elective courses focused on money and banking, environmental economics, economic development in poor countries, labor economics, health economics, econometrics, and many other topics. The Economics curriculum offers students an exposure to an unusual breadth of economic thought, as is reflected in elective offerings that examine feminist, historical, and institutional approaches. The flexible course schedule also allows students to complete minors or second majors in fields like business, political science, math, and many others.<br><br>Overall, Economics majors earn higher starting salaries than students who major in any other social science field. At the University of Utah, most of our graduates move directly into the labor market, entering fields like investment banking, financial services, health care administration, and market research, as well as public-sector and non profit work. Graduates of the U's program have put their networking and internship skills to work, pursuing careers as project executives, account managers, financial analysts, entrepreneurs, business development representatives, and accountants. Students may also attend graduate school in areas such as law, public policy, and business administration. About one-third of our recent majors have gone directly into graduate or professional school, with many of them entering prestigious programs in law, public policy, and business administration. An education in economics will prepare you for jobs in fields like investment banking, financial services, healthcare administration, and market research.