Welcome to the UC Santa Cruz Economics Department. We use economic tools to study important topics and to inform policy. We are proud to educate the next generation of students through our undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. programs.
Academics
Undergraduate
Economics majors
A Bachelor of Arts degree in economics sets students up for future financial freedom through direct pathways into the job market and significantly higher early-career earnings than many other majors. Our department offers four undergraduate majors to choose from: economics, business management economics, global economics, and economics/mathematics.
Undergraduate
Economics minor
Adding a minor in economics helps students build a foundational understanding of the ideas, concepts, and applications of economics and its tools. The economics minor includes eight economics courses, three of which must be upper-division electives. Students also complete three courses in mathematics and statistics to acquire interdisciplinary skills.
Graduate
Master’s degree
Our M.S. in Applied Economics and Finance is a STEM-designated master’s program that produces Silicon Valley’s next generation of financial and business leaders. Our students develop practical experience, professional connections, and advanced technical skills in data science, econometrics, programming, microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts, and statistical techniques.
Graduate
Doctoral degree
An Economics Ph.D. prepares students to push the frontiers of scientific knowledge in economics and pursue high-impact policy applications. Once students complete our program, we also work with them to develop their competitive advantage in the job market, so that our alumni can land roles that they’re passionate about, whether in academia, government, or the private sector.
Faculty
Our faculty members are renowned global leaders and innovators who are passionate about research and teaching. Faculty members specialize their research and advising in either applied microeconomics, macroeconomics and finance, or behavioral economics, econometrics, and theory. But research and teaching interests often span these groups, bringing faculty together in cross-field collaborations.
Our faculty are also drawn together by a common belief in our department as an engine of social mobility on campus. They are committed to providing an innovative curriculum that changes as the world demands.
Research
The Economics Department at UC Santa Cruz was historically known for its research in international economics, but we have since grown to excel across a broad range of fields, producing innovative research in topics like causal inference techniques, public economics, development, trade, labor, international finance, and many facets of economic theory.
Our research frequently informs policy at the state, national, and international levels. Students at all levels of training have opportunities to get involved through our labs, centers, and research initiatives.
Departmental updates
Economics campus news
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