The economics faculty is committed to student learning as their first priority. We work closely with our majors to provide an exciting educational environment where students not only learn in the classroom but also have the opportunity to work cooperatively with the faculty on community-based projects. Our “small urban” environment is a wonderful place for economics majors to learn and make a difference in the community through our many research and service learning opportunities. Examples include calculating the economic impact of our annual Oyster Festival, helping prepare the City of Arcata’s development strategy, and preparing monthly estimates for the Humboldt Economic Index. Students have also published papers with faculty on the local gasoline market and local fisheries market, and have researched sustainable energy and real estate. Our faculty’s teaching and research interests include exciting new areas such as Sports Economics, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Real Estate Economics, Energy Economics, and Sustainable Development. Advanced computer technology is used throughout the curriculum. In the liberal arts tradition, we emphasize learning, communication, critical thinking, and development of the whole individual within the context of a rapidly changing world. Our mission is to advance the understanding of economic processes and their relationship to social, political, and cultural institutions, with respect for a broad diversity of ideas and values. The Economics curriculum emphasizes both microeconomic and macroeconomic issues. Microeconomics is about the rationing of scarce resources. All human societies confront this fundamental problem, so economics is of central importance. Macroeconomics is about maintaining high employment, low inflation, and high rates of economic growth. Students learn to make sense of a large and complex economy. They critically evaluate the impact different economic policies have on lives.

Humboldt’s multidisciplinary program in economics emphasizes applied knowledge and accommodates a broad range of student interests. Economic principles are fundamental to many of today’s important debates concerning natural resources and globalization, among others. Many of our graduates attend law school, earn MBAs, or pursue advanced graduate degrees in economics. Economics students typically earn high starting salaries and pursue a diverse range of career tracks including banking, government, advocacy organizations, consulting, brokerage, and sales.