Best Economics Programs in South Carolina for 2027

Clemson's John E. Walker Department of Economics teaches in the price-theoretic tradition, using competition, incentives and equilibrium to explain and predict behavior, and it offers both a BA and a BS in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. Suggested groupings of courses help you explore topics without locking in a track: markets and strategy with a sports economics seminar, labor and health, public policy and law, money and growth, international trade, and environmental and energy economics. The department notes that recent majors have been admitted to law schools including Chicago, Harvard, Duke and Yale.

Teaching Approach

Price theory focused on competition, incentives and equilibrium

Suggested Course Groupings

Markets, labor and health, public policy, macro and finance, trade, environment

Sports Economics

Seminar in Sports Economics within the markets grouping

Program Sources: Undergraduate Economics Program OverviewEmphasis Areas/Courses

South Carolina lets you choose the flavor of your economics degree: the BS leans into data analysis, while the BA combines people and culture with data skills and suits students headed toward law or other graduate study. Both are taught by Moore School of Business faculty, though Arts and Sciences students take more non-business coursework and Moore students take the business core. Two seminar classes put you on original research and real-world data projects, a specialized data analytics course builds applied skill, and electives reach into environmental, health and experimental economics. An accelerated master's option lets undergraduates start graduate credit early.

BA Versus BS

BS for data analysis focus; BA for connections with psychology, political science or sociology

Research Seminars

Two seminar classes on original research and real-world data projects

Accelerated Option

Earn graduate credit toward a master's while an undergraduate

Program Sources: Economics, B.A. / B.S. | University of South CarolinaDegree Programs - Darla Moore School of Business | University of South Carolina

The College of Charleston's Economics BS has a calculus and statistics foundation: an introductory calculus course, Statistical Methods I and either Statistical Methods II or business statistics, followed by intermediate micro and macro and Introduction to Econometrics. Eighteen further credits come from a long list of 300 and 400-level economics electives, from game theory, urban and environmental economics to the economics of development, with up to six credits allowed in finance. A senior seminar, a bachelor's essay, a tutorial and an internship can all count toward those electives, and the department's podcast and the Omicron Delta Epsilon honor society add community around the coursework.

Quantitative Core

Calculus, two statistics courses and Introduction to Econometrics

Elective Range

18 credits including game theory, urban, environmental and development economics

Capstone Options

Senior seminar, bachelor's essay or internship for elective credit

Program Sources: Program: Economics, B.S. - College of CharlestonCollege of Charleston | Economics

Wofford offers economics as a Bachelor of Science with a computing and calculus spine: Programming and Problem Solving, Calculus I, principles and intermediate courses in micro and macro, Econometrics, and a required Economics Seminar built on contemporary scholarship. Six credits of 300 or 400-level economics and six more at the 400 level complete the elective load. Graduates are expected to analyze data in statistical software, and the department advises anyone considering an economics PhD to add mathematics beyond the requirements. A separate Business Economics BA offers a flexible, more qualitative route and cannot be combined with Economics, Accounting or Finance.

Quantitative Spine

Programming, Calculus I, intermediate theory and Econometrics

Seminar

Economics Seminar required of every major

Alternative Major

Business Economics BA with accounting, finance and business law

Program Sources: Economics (ECO) < Wofford College

Furman guarantees every economics major an independent research experience: in Empirical Methods in Economics, ECN 331, you write your own research question and hypothesis, collect and analyze the data, and present your conclusions. That course also counts toward the Data Analytics minor. Core classes in micro, macro and econometrics come first, and electives range from behavioral economics and health economics to law and economics, poverty and inequality, and the environment. A senior seminar caps the degree, with recent topics such as game theory and information economics, economic forecasting, human capital and the future of work. Joint majors pair economics with mathematics or finance.

Guaranteed Research

Semester-long independent project in Empirical Methods in Economics

Capstone

Senior Seminar, with recent topics in forecasting, human capital and the future of work

Joint Majors

Mathematics-Economics (BA or BS) and Finance-Economics

Program Sources: Program Overview | Economics | Furman University

Winthrop gives economics students a real fork in the road. The Bachelor of Arts takes fewer business classes and fills the junior and senior years with the economics major, a minor of your choosing and free electives, while the BS in Business Administration with an Economics concentration adds the full College of Business and Technology core. The BA is described as a liberal arts degree meant to lead to careers or graduate study in business, economics, public policy or law. Students can add exchange programs, internships, honors courses and independent research with faculty, and join the Economics Club.

Two Degree Paths

BA in Economics or BS in Business Administration with an Economics concentration

BA Flexibility

Minor plus free electives in place of the business core

Extras

Exchange programs, internships, honors courses and independent research

Program Sources: CBT - Economics - Degree Information | Winthrop UniversityCBT - Economics - Economics, BA mission | Winthrop University

Converse offers economics as a BA or a BS inside its School of Business and Data Science. The BA is a 36 to 37 credit major built from micro and macro principles, intermediate theory, money and financial institutions, labor economics, international economics, business statistics and a senior seminar, plus nine hours of upper-level electives. The BS adds Managerial Economics and a mathematics requirement, which lifts the required core to 30 or 31 credits before electives. Advisors recommend finishing the general education math requirement in the freshman year, and the required courses reach into labor and international markets.

BA Core

Intermediate theory, money and financial institutions, labor and international economics, senior seminar

BS Additions

Managerial economics and a mathematics requirement

Upper-Level Electives

Nine hours numbered 300 or above

Program Sources: Economics Major (BA) | Converse UniversityEconomics Major (BS) | Converse University

South Carolina's Master of Science in Quantitative Economics is a compact degree of ten classes that many students finish in just two semesters, and no one needs more than twelve months. Everyone completes a 12-credit common core, then chooses one of three six-course tracks: economics, financial economics or thesis. The financial economics track adds two required courses. Graduate certificates from the Moore School can be added on top, and they appear on your transcript with a separate Post-Bachelor Certificate diploma.

Track Choices

Economics, financial economics or thesis

Length

Ten classes in twelve months or less, often two semesters

Add-On Credentials

Moore School graduate certificates with a separate diploma

Program Sources: Curriculum - Darla Moore School of Business | University of South Carolina

Clemson's economics PhD admits students in the fall and spreads 42 credit hours of coursework plus 18 hours of dissertation research over its length. Assessment mixes graded courses, qualifying exams in micro theory, macro theory and econometrics, field exams or papers in a primary field, second-year and third-year papers, workshop presentations and finally the dissertation defense. The first year pairs Microeconomic Theory with Applied Mathematical Economics and an Introductory Workshop. The department's price-theory training emphasizes mathematically rigorous models applied to a wide range of problems, and named fellowships support its students.

Credit Hours

42 hours of coursework and 18 hours of dissertation research

Milestones

Qualifying exams, second-year and third-year papers, field exam and oral defense

Funding

Named fellowships including Lindsay, Maloney, McCormick, Tollison, Wallace and Warner

Program Sources: Clemson Ph.D. Program in Economics