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Business Economics, BABA

Seattle University’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BABA) in Economics major provides a comprehensive study of economics, policy, and strategy.

About this Program

Business Economics Major with Social Good in Mind

With an emphasis on economics as it relates to business, Albers’ Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics degree provides a comprehensive study of economics, business policy, and strategy. Studying economics will help you understand the behavior of individuals and organizations. With a command of economics concepts and statistical methods, you will understand how economics relates to business.

Designed for students interested in solving problems and making decisions in the private and public sectors, our program cultivates your analytical, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and communication skills.

Your Jesuit education at Seattle University will help you develop as a person and live your values. Through close relationships with faculty, you’ll learn essential economic concepts and statistical methods and discover new ways of seeing the world.

In your classes, you’ll develop your analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills to explore economics on a local, national, and global scale.

The advisory board includes economists from Seattle’s private, public, and nonprofit sectors. With the advisory board, faculty tune into employers' changing needs. Feedback from the advisory board and other professionals inspires our faculty to design assignments that hone the skills most valued by employers.

Undergraduate Economics at a Glance

Learn how this degree from the Department of Economics will contribute to your career goals. Then, explore course requirements and see how impactful a Seattle University degree can be.

Embarking on a BA in Business Economics opens doors to a world where you understand market forces, analyze data, and make strategic economic decisions. Your journey involves delving into economic theories, honing analytical skills, and applying these skills to real-world scenarios. You navigate through courses covering macroeconomics, microeconomics, and quantitative analysis, gaining a comprehensive understanding of economic concepts and statistical methods. Your BA in Business Economics equips you to thrive in a global economy, where your insights become invaluable.

Undergraduate Business Foundation

  • Demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills.
  • Demonstrate competent oral and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrate competent leadership skills.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the body of knowledge encompassed by the UG Business Foundation courses.

Economics (ECON)

  • Identify, and describe to the lay person, the important institutions and determinants of economic activity at the local, regional, national, and international levels, including the basics of fiscal and monetary policy and how each affects the economy.
  • Explain to the non-economist the fundamental economic problem of scarcity (and tradeoffs);the meaning of a market economy and how markets allocate society's scarce resources; what it means for markets to fail and the role of government in finding solutions for market failure.
  • Analyze the ethical and social justice dimensions of market and policy outcomes.
  • Identify key relationships between important variables.
    • Understand the differences between correlation and cause-and-effect.
    • Apply algebraic, graphical, and statistical tools to analyses of problems and issues in business and public policy.
    • Identify the relationship between assumption and interpretation.
  • Think critically, for example, be able to:
    • Summarize low-level articles from professional journals.
    • Articulate the connections between the different sub-disciplines of economics.
    • Automatically compare and contrast different economic theories.
  • Employ their discipline knowledge and skills in service to the community, for example:
    • Present themselves and interact with others in a professional manner.
    • Communicate economic concepts orally.
    • Convey economic ideas in a variety of written forms.

What You’ll Learn

Find out where you’ll learn new skills for your future career.

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Top 5% World Business Schools & AACSB accredited 

Albers School of Business and Economics

100%

Placement Rate

For graduates of Albers School of Business and Economics

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$70,000

Average starting salary for business majors

Prepared for Success

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Connected to Seattle’s Best Jobs

There’s no better place to learn about business economics than at the Albers School of Business and Economics. Our strong connections to the best companies in Seattle open doors and create opportunities for all our students. The Albers Career Center connects you to the mentors and resources for the current job market.

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Real-World Experience That Makes a Difference

Engage in hands-on classes that involve projects connecting you to our neighborhood and the wider Seattle cityscape. One elective course includes a service learning project, allowing you to witness firsthand how your skills can positively influence local businesses and communities. If you aspire to contribute to global change through economics, Albers is the ideal place for you.

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Studying Support

Need help in mastering economics concepts? Our Economics Lab tutors provide guidance, free of charge, to help you maximize what you learn in the classroom.

Popular Careers for Business Economics Majors

When we study economics, we think about it in two branches: microeconomics and macroeconomics. Your courses cover both, but your career may focus more on one more than the other. With your in-depth study of business economics, you’ll be equipped to solve important problems in the private, nonprofit and public sectors right out of college.

Your business economics major could launch careers in these industries or specialties:

  • International business
  • Law
  • Health
  • Insurance
  • Consulting
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Data analytics

Hear From Our Alumni

Erica Natali alumni spotlight

Erica Natali, '00, BAE

“When I was looking for a school to complete my degree, I knew from past experiences that I wanted a school with small classes, passionate teachers, and an excellent Economics program. I found those things in Seattle University along with a dedication to community service and a supportive culture.”

Sr. Financial Manager, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Featured Faculty

  • Meenakshi Rishi, PhD
    Meenakshi Rishi, PhD

    Professor, Department of Economics
    Howard J. Bosanko Professor of International Economics and Finance, 2023-2026
    Past Director, International Development Internship Program

  • Erin Vernon, PhD
    Erin Vernon, PhD

    Associate Professor, Department of Economics
    Eva Albers Professor, 2022-2025

Here to Help Learn More

For more information about the Business Economics major at Seattle U, contact:

Bridget Hiedemann

Chair, Department of Economics