Economics, International

International Economics concerns the fields of finance, business, economics, and policy making with an international scope. You’ll learn about economics-related subjects like taxation, market structure, and economic theory. You’ll learn about human resources, labor economics, and monetary theory. Global markets, international financial strategies, and international law will be of vital concern. You’ll learn how to make quantitative analyses and perform efficient and thorough research in a variety of economic fields. Your research and analysis skills will be applicable to both academic positions and the workplace, giving you a wide variety of career options.

Your business studies will be closely knit with international studies—you’ll learn about international questions of trade and economics, the effects of globalization, environmental regulation, and industrial policy. You’ll learn how the economics of different countries affect and are affected by each other, and how each can work to their greatest potential. The knowledge you’ll gain will be of vital importance to our increasingly global economic environment.

Graduate work in International Economics usually culminates in the Ph.D. Some students also pursue a M.A. in International Economics, or in Economics with an International concentration.

• What are the research interests of faculty and students?
• Where have the faculty members worked? Where do the graduates go on to work?
• How helpful is the program with job placement?
• How connected is the program to the international economics community? How respected are the professors?
• What opportunities exist for international study or work?
• What kinds of opportunities exist for foreign language training?

International Economics graduates pursue careers in a wide variety of fields. While most Ph.D.s aspire to university-level teaching and research, many others go on to work as researchers in government, industry, and business. Graduates work in places like the U.S. Treasury, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Their specialized knowledge not only of economics but also of international trade make them valuable employees at a variety of local, state, and federal institutions, as well as large banks and businesses. Their knowledge and research skills are applicable in a wide range of places, in fields such as human resources, public finance, and labor economics. Graduates become active in all kinds of finance/trade, business, and consulting within international markets.

There are no specific licensing requirements for a career in International Economics.

Tenured university teaching positions in Economics usually pay around $60,000-$80,000, though this number can vary depending on type of school, location, and years of teaching experience.

American Economic Association
Check out the American Economic Association’s website for information on their commitment to the research, discussion, and integrity of economics.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The IMF is an international organization established "to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth and high levels of employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment."

Institute for International Economics
The Institute for International Economics is a private, nonprofit research institution that studies of international economic policy.