Business Economics Major (BBA)
The BBA economics major is designed to provide you with critical analytical skills for different aspects of decision making in business. We study how individuals, corporations, and governments employ limited resources to produce goods and services in the competitive market place. The scarcity of these resources forces us to choose between alternate opportunities. The economics program helps you understand the forces that drive the actions of corporations and consumers, the way an economy works, and the importance of global trade.
Note: Now you can have another major, by taking your four business electives (which you have to take anyway!) and two additional courses in the second subject. Making Economics your second major is a good strategy.
As a BBA economics major, you can take one of the following two emphases:
- General Business Economics
- Real Estate Business Economics
Each emphasis consists of six courses (18-credit hours) as described below:
General Business Emphasis
Required courses (9 credit hours)
ECO 312 Applied Microeconomics
ECO 313 Business Cycles and Growth
ECO 495 Senior Economic Project
Electives (9 credit hours)
Any three upper division economics electives (ECO 300/400)
The upper division Economics course selected as part of the cognate requirements cannot double count as a business economics major elective for the BBA.
Real Estate Business Economics Emphasis
The second emphasis focuses on real estate issues. The Grand Rapids metropolitan service area has a growing population base of more than one million people. Housing and issues related to real estate are becoming more important.
Students who obtain the business economics BBA with the real estate emphasis will take the following:
Required courses (18 credit hours)
ECO 312 Applied Microeconomics
ECO 313 Business Cycles and Growth
ECO 495 Senior Economic Project
FIN 350 Real Estate Finance
ECO 435 Urban Economics
ECO 436 Real Estate Economics
The upper division Economics course selected as part of the cognate requirements cannot double count as a business economics major elective for the BBA.
Recommended: The 18 required credit hours specified complete the real estate economics emphasis requirements. In order to provide a complementary set of skills, any of the following courses are recommended (not required) if students have the flexibility to take more courses:
FIN 331 Risk and Insurance, PA 307 Local Politics and Administration, GPY 307 Introduction to Computer Mapping, GPY 309 Introduction to City and Regional Planing, PA 439 Community Analysis.
Career Opportunities
Students who take the general business economics emphasis can find careers in the business sector or the public sector. The economics major is an excellent foundation for different kinds of graduate work such as law, public administration and business.
Students who take the real estate business emphasis may find careers as these professional: real estate agents, commercial and residential appraisers, mortgage brokers, commercial lenders, urban planners, title examiners, location specialists, REIT managers, and regional developers.
Information on real estate and related professions:
Urban/real estate economist/policy analyst
American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, http://www.areuea.org
Real estate agent/broker
National Association of Realtors, http://www.realtor.org
Land developer/builder
National Association of Home Builders, http://www.nahb.com
Urban Land Institute, http://www.uli.org
Mortgage banker/commercial lender
American Bankers Association, http://www.aba.com
Real estate appraiser/tax assessor
The Appraisal Foundation, http://www.appraisalfoundation.org
Real estate, mortgage, title insurance, underwriter
The American Institute for CPCU and Insurance Institute of America, http://www.aicpcu.org
National Underwriter, http://www.nuco.com
Real estate investment professional
The Bond Market Association, http://www.psa.com
Ginnie Mae, http://www.ginniemae.gov
Look at these average starting salaries comparing economics to several fields!
| Academic Major | Starting Salary |
| Engineering | $56,336 |
| Computer Science | 56,921 |
| Economics | 52,926 |
| Finance | 48,795 |
| Accounting | 47,413 |
| Bus. Admin & Management | 43,823 |
| Marketing | 43,459 |
| Political Science | 43,594 |
| Communications | 35,196 |
| English | 34,757 |
| Psychology | 30,877 |
| Elementary Education | 24,692 |
| Social Work | 19,333 |
Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2008
Page last modified December 17, 2012
