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Department of Economics

Welcome to the Department of Economics

We are proud to be one of only a handful of departments nationwide that combine general economics and agricultural economics in one department. The department was organized in its current form in 1930, and has a long history of excellence in scholarship and education.

We offer B.S. degrees in Agricultural Business, Economics, and Business Economics, and both Ph.D and M.S. degrees in Economics and Agricultural Economics.  Through an active program of co-operative extension, we provide vital information and decision support to the citizens of Iowa. Our nearly forty faculty aspire to excellence in the production, dissemination, and application of economic knowledge.

We are committed to broadening participation in the economics profession by establishing a culture of belonging, in which each member of our community feels welcomed and valued (read the department's statement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging). As a department, we embrace Iowa State University’s Principles of Community. As part of this commitment, we believe that the honest and respectful expression of ideas that avoids ad-hominem criticism is the way to achieve excellence in all we do.

Undergraduate program

Graduate program

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Ask an Economist

Our talented faculty and alumni can answer questions on a variety of economic topics to help you make more informed choices about your day-to-day decisions—or to just add a more reasoned voice when talk of the economy comes up around the dinner table.

Why Study Economics?

Economics is the engine that runs what's important in the world.