Best Economics Programs in Alabama for 2027

Alabama houses economics in two colleges. The BA in Arts and Sciences has a Standard Track and a Quantitative Economics Track, the latter adding Calculus I through III and a forecasting course, econometrics and policy evaluation methods, and it also requires a minor or second major. The BS in the Culverhouse College of Business asks you to pick a concentration, a second major or an approved minor. Its Econometrics and Quantitative Economics concentration takes econometrics plus two courses such as behavioral economics, sports economics, financial econometrics, game theory or experimental economics, while the Economic Policy concentration lets you aim at law, trade, health or labor.

BA Tracks

Standard Track or Quantitative Economics Track

BS Concentrations

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics; Economic Policy

Quantitative Electives

Behavioral, sports and financial econometrics, game theory and experimental economics

Program Sources: Economics, BA | University of Alabama CatalogEconomics, BS | University of Alabama Catalog

Auburn awards one economics degree, a Bachelor of Science in the College of Liberal Arts, with two tracks. The primary track requires a minor outside economics, which suits students who want to pair economics with another discipline. The quantitative track is for students pursuing graduate education in economics and adds mathematics and statistics courses; the department's course list includes Mathematical Methods for Economists and a four-credit Econometrics I with a lab. Electives range from law and economics, sports and public choice to American economic history, industrial organization and international economics. An honors thesis, internships and a 15-hour economics minor for other majors round out the options.

Tracks

Primary track with outside minor; quantitative track for graduate study

Quantitative Courses

Mathematical Methods for Economists and four-credit Econometrics I

Elective Range

Law and economics, sports, public choice and economic history

Program Sources: Undergraduate Program | Department of Economics | Auburn University

Jacksonville State offers two ways to study economics. The Bachelor of Science in Business Economics sits in the College of Business and Industry with business communications, operations and supply chain, business finance, money and banking, intermediate macroeconomics and econometrics, and it ends with a policy capstone and a Senior Seminar in Economics. The Bachelor of Arts in Economics with an Approved Minor swaps part of that business load for an approved minor of your choosing. Both carry a writing-intensive economics seminar, and a business economics minor is available for other majors.

Degree Choices

BS Business Economics or BA Economics with an approved minor

Senior Requirement

Senior Seminar in Economics (writing intensive)

Quantitative Courses

Econometrics and two statistics and quantitative methods courses

Program Sources: Business Economics (Bachelor of Science) | JSU Catalog

Auburn University at Montgomery lets you concentrate its Bachelor of Science in Economics in General Economics, International Economics and Commerce, or Political Economy. The concentrations share university core, business classes and some economics courses, then diverge in the third and fourth years. AUM describes itself as the only institution in the Montgomery and River Region offering a bachelor's in economics and a master's in applied economics. The department awards at least $13,000 in scholarships each year, and study abroad has taken students to the Frankfurt, Spanish and London stock exchanges, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.

Concentrations

General Economics; International Economics and Commerce; Political Economy

Study Abroad

Frankfurt, Spanish and London stock exchanges and the Bank of England

Scholarships

At least $13,000 awarded each year by the department

Program Sources: Political Economy | Auburn University at Montgomery

Auburn's MS is a 30-credit program front-loaded with theory: Microeconomic Theory I and II, Macroeconomic Theory I and II, Econometrics I and II and Mathematical Economics in the first two semesters, then Microeconometrics, Macroeconometrics and one field course in the third. Comprehensive exams come early, in micro and macroeconomic theory the first summer and in econometrics the following winter. A 3.0 GPA must be maintained. Because the course sequence mirrors the first-year doctoral work, the degree works well as a stepping stone to a PhD or as rigorous quantitative training for an analyst career.

Credit Requirement

30 credit hours over three semesters

Comprehensive Exams

Micro and macro theory in the first summer; econometrics the next winter

Econometrics Sequence

Econometrics I and II, Microeconometrics and Macroeconometrics

Program Sources: MS in Economics | Department of Economics | Auburn University

Auburn's doctorate asks for at least 60 credit hours and a dissertation made of three original research articles that could be published in peer-reviewed economics journals. Students take micro and macro theory, mathematical economics and econometrics in year one, pass micro and macro preliminary exams the first summer, then complete four field courses in two fields of specialization. Each chapter is presented in the department's brown bag seminar series: the first before the fourth year, the second during year four, the third during year five. A candidacy exam, the proposal defense, comes before year four, and the academic job market begins in the fifth fall.

Dissertation Format

Three original research articles presented in brown bag seminars

Preliminary Exams

Micro and macro prelims in the first summer

Fields

Two fields of specialization with four field courses

Program Sources: PhD in Economics | Department of Economics | Auburn University

Alabama's quantitative economics doctorate starts three weeks before fall classes with Advanced Mathematical Economics, then runs a first-year sequence of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, econometrics, game theory and a second econometrics seminar. Field work comes in two groups: two tool courses such as financial econometric modeling, nonparametric econometrics, experimental economics or causal inference, and two topic courses ranging from industrial organization to behavioral, urban, public and environmental economics. Applicants need a GRE with a quantitative score of at least 160, and those receiving assistantships follow the course sequence as listed. Full funding consideration requires applying by January 15.

Tool Courses

Two from financial econometrics, nonparametric econometrics, experimental economics, causal inference

Topic Courses

Two from industrial organization, behavioral, urban, public or environmental economics

Admission Test

GRE quantitative score of at least 160

Program Sources: Quantitative Economics, Ph.D. | University of Alabama Catalog