Economics

economics Overview

Economics is the study of how people choose to use scarce resources to produce goods and services and how they make allocation decisions to satisfy their wants. In the pursuit of the Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer degree at San José City College, students embark on a transformative journey of economic discovery. Our program equips you with the essential skills and knowledge to analyze complex problems, use sound reasoning, and make informed decisions in a world where resource allocation is paramount.

Success Resources

 

Do you ever wonder why food costs rise when gas prices spike?

Have you ever questioned why U.S. politicians worry when other countries talk of going bankrupt?

Did you ever wonder why you can’t get a good interest rate on your savings account?

All of these phenomena can be explained through economics. Economics is the study of the production and consumption of goods and the transfer of wealth to produce and obtain those goods. Economics explains how people interact within markets to get what they want or accomplish certain goals. Since economics is a driving force of human interaction, studying it often reveals why people and governments behave in particular ways.

Department Contacts

 

Economics Program

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the laws of demand and supply, and apply macroeconomic models to describe the economy.
  • Explain the concepts of economic resources, scarcity, opportunity cost, rational behavior and elasticity.
  • Understand our mixed capitalist system and the national output (GDP).
  • Analyze how monetary and fiscal policy impacts the economy.
  • Explain how markets function and the role of the government into the economy.
  • Understand market structures in the United States, and to demonstrate how consumers try to maximize utilities and firms attempt to maximize profit. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

SJCC offers an Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer (AA-T) degree. This program equips students with skills in analyzing problems using sound reasoning to make decisions. Economics majors develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and written and verbal communication skills.

Upon completion of the AA-T in Economics, students will be able to:

  • Analyze economic problems using sound reasoning.
  • Make informed decisions based on economic principles.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Exhibit effective written and verbal communication abilities.

The program includes courses such as:

  • Principles of Macroeconomics
  • Principles of Microeconomics
  • Statistics
  • Calculus for Business and Social Sciences

Graduates with an AA-T in Economics can pursue various career paths, including:

Public policy analysis
Government agencies and related organizations (e.g., Federal Reserve System, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Business and data analysis

Prospective students should complete the SJCC application process, which includes submitting an online application, providing transcripts, and meeting with a counselor to develop an educational plan tailored to their goals in economics.