Economics is the study of how people make decisions in the face of scarcities. Economics evaluates topics such as inflation, business cycles, international trade, tax policies, energy costs, the banking system, crime and the legal system, public finance, and economic development. Students explore economic issues and theories through a variety of disciplines while honing their writing, communication, and analytical skills.
Points of Pride
- Purdue University has hosted a number of economics conferences and meetings including Empirical Investigations in International Trade (EIIT), Midwest International Economics and Economic Theory Meeting, and the Conference on Global Economics Analysis.
- The Department of Economics has a distinguished history in the area of Experimental Economics, and an active experimental laboratory.
- Vernon Smith, Nobel Prize recipient, performed his earlier experiments as a faculty member of the department.