The Economics Department offers courses for majors and minors in economics, courses supporting other majors and courses for general electives and liberal studies requirements. Accordingly, economics courses fall into four types: an introductory course, basic principles, rigorous theory and applied economics.

The Economics Department at Northern Michigan University takes pride in its long-standing tradition of emphasizing the application of theory to relevant and current economic issues. The department aims to provide students with a solid understanding of how economics sheds light on the way property rights, social institutions and market and political processes affect real-world economic activity at all levels, from the local to the global. Although the subject matter can be challenging, many students who have never taken economics before are pleasantly surprised with both the power and the wide scope of economic analysis.

A major in economics prepares for graduate work those students intending careers as professional economists. Students also frequently use a major in economics as the basis for entry into professional schools such as law, business and public administration. Other students directly enter careers in business or government.

The department offers the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in economics and secondary education economics, and minors in economics and economics education. In cooperation with other departments, the economics department offers a major in social science and in secondary education social studies.

Department programs are tailored to meet the particular needs and vocational aims of students. Students planning to use the undergraduate major in economics as a foundation for further study in graduate school should minor in mathematics. For careers with the government, mathematics is recommended; for law school, accounting and finance is recommended; and for high school teaching another social science is recommended. As there are many career opportunities for the economics major, there are correspondingly many alternatives in choosing electives and a minor field of study.

All economics majors and minors are urged to become familiar with computers and statistics whatever their career choice.

All majors and minors offered by the department require a 2.00 or higher grade point average for all economic courses. In addition, only courses passed with a "C-" or higher will be counted toward a major. Any exception must be requested by petition to the department.