Economics Department

Although divided into two main areas, all of economics pertains to one overarching problem: the ability of human wants to outstrip available resources. Topics covered under "macro" economics are national income measures, business cycles, unemployment, inflation, economic growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, government debt: the United States banking system, and international trade and finance. "Micro" economics focuses on household, business, and some government decision-making. Topics include the functioning of markets under perfect (supply-and-demand) and imperfect competition, antitrust and regulation, environmental policy, and the distribution of personal income and wealth.

                                    Why Major in Economics?

Economics is a social science that researches people and how they use their resources with a focus on the economic well-being of society. It can serve as good preparation for careers in business, government, law, and education. An economics bachelor’s degree is a great foundation for graduate programs in economics, law, public administration, international affairs, environmental science, management science, or business. A degree in economics also has higher mid-career salaries than finance, accounting, and business majors. The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics has detailed information about Economists, including median pay and job outlook for the next ten years. 

                                                    Types of Economists

Among the many diverse types of Economists are:  Behavioral, Econometricians, Financial, International, Labor, Public Finance, Macro and Micro Economists.

Faculty

 

Full-Time Faculty

Jennifer Pakula View profile information for Staff Member Jennifer Pakula              
Department Chair
Office BGS 351
(949) 348-6170


Travis Ames         
Office BGS 102
(949) 582-4839

 

Part-Time Faculty (link sends e-mail)
 
Hoffman, Bill Russell, Susan Tolentino, Emmanuel
Javanmard, Mike Shieh, Harrison Woodward, Ken

 

PROGRAM STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

Students who complete the Economics Program will be able to:

  • Define scarcity, and show how it relates to the concepts of choice and cost.
  • Outline the role of comparative advantage in exchange.
  • Describe and analyze the economy in quantitative terms using national income and employment data from the standpoint of current and constant dollars.
  • Utilize the demand and supply model and use the model to critically analyze real world examples. 
  • Explain the role of prices in allocating goods, services and factors of production.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

Economic Courses

Core Courses

  • ECON 2 or 2H Principles of Economics (Macro)
  • ECON 4 or 4H Principles of Economics (Micro)
  • ECON 11 or PS 11 International Political Economy 

 

Economics Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T)

 

The curriculum in the Associate in Arts in Economic for Transfer is designed to provide the transfer student the opportunity to achieve an Associate degree.  Please see graduation requirements for Economic- AA-T degree.

 

Zero Textbook Cost

Zero Textbook Cost Classes

What is ZTC?

ZTC (Zero-Textbook-Cost) classes have no textbook-related costs, including access fees for online materials. Such classes often use Open Educational Resources (OER) created under a Creative Commons (a public copyright license) that give people the ability to share, use, and build upon a work that has been created. They may also use library e-books or other sources so there is no cost to the student. Saddleback College faculty have adopted and created OER to provide high-quality educational materials to you at no cost online, and low-cost print options. Click here for more information about our ZTC classes.