Program Spotlight: Economics Transfer Pathway A.A.
Earn your economics degree and transfer to a four-year university as a junior
The Economics Transfer Pathway Associate of Arts (A.A.) program at Inver Hills Community College offers you the opportunity to earn a two-year degree on your way to pursuing bachelor’s degree in economics at a four-year school.
Economics courses at Inver Hills give you a strong foundation in economics, covering areas such as the world economy and microeconomics. If you are considering economics or a related field as your major, you can transfer your Inver Hills coursework to a four-year college or university.
The Economics Transfer Pathway A.A. offers you a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an associate of arts degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated economics bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities (see below).
The curriculum has been specifically designed so that you can complete the pathway degree and then transfer to one of the seven Minnesota State universities with junior-year status. All courses in the Transfer Pathway A.A. will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field.
The Economics Pathway consists of two required economics courses, two required mathematics courses, the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) and the Health and Physical Fitness requirement for a total of 60 credits.
Transfer information
After earning your Economics Transfer Pathway A.A. at Inver Hills, you will be fully prepared to pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics at both state and private four-year colleges and universities.
If you plan on transferring to a non-Minnesota State university (including the University of Minnesota), you are strongly advised to plan carefully with an Inver Hills academic advisor or counselor and a representative from your intended transfer institution to tailor your degree to meet the requirements of your chosen four-year college or university.
To guarantee admission to a Minnesota State university’s designated bachelor’s degree program in your major, you must first meet the admitting institution’s minimum transfer GPA and then the admission to major GPA.
Scott Sandok joined the faculty at Inver Hills in August 2007. He has more than 13 years of experience teaching microeconomics, macroeconomics, personal finance, and consumer economics in small classroom and online settings.
In his economics curriculum, Scott applies theoretical concepts to practical use by using experiments, games, and other nontraditional mechanisms for learning. He specializes in teaching adult learners and learners from multiple cultures.
Scott has a Master of Science (M.S.) in Economics from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics, Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.
Multiple career options
Because of their broad analytical skills, quantitative background, and clarity and precision of expression, economics majors are in high-demand in many career sectors.
Employers hire economics majors because they can think on their feet, adapt to new settings and situations, and rapidly learn specialized skills across a range of occupations.
Career categories
Banking and finance
Economics majors have the ideal skill set
Employers: Banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies and investment houses
Knowledge of the economy is indispensable
Management and marketing
Economics majors grasp the market system in a broader social context
Employers: Commercial businesses, law firms and nonprofit agencies
Managing scarce resources is indispensable
Government service
Economic majors choose public service next after business
Employers: federal, state, county and municipal agencies
Data analysis expertise is indispensable
Economic journalism
Economics majors are trained to write for the general reader
Employers: Newspapers, blogs, magazines, journals, trade publications, television networks
Understanding the bottom line is indispensable
Potential job titles
Auditor
Market analyst
Budget analyst
Marketing administrator
Credit analyst
Pricing analyst
Economic analyst
Product manager
Environmental planner
Purchasing analyst
Financial analyst
Real estate appraiser
Import/export agent
Reporter
Insurance agent
Research analyst
Loan officer
Sales analyst
Loan review analyst
Stock broker
Lobbyist
Statistician
Management consultant
Underwriter
Economists
Study monetary, fiscal, and other economic issues and problems.
WAGE
This is a very high-wage career that pays well above the statewide median of $21.49/hour
Minnesota
Median: $47.64/hour High: $58.88/hour
Seven-county Twin Cities metro
Median: $50.15/hour High: $60.69/hour
OUTLOOK
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. Growth rate in the U.S. is 8.1 percent.
There will be a need for about 291 new Economists to meet market demand between 2016–2026. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
You will receive an excellent education with one-on-one interactions with Economics faculty
You will benefit from small class sizes while developing the practical, real-world skills of an economist
You will save money and continue your academic and professional careers with less student debt
On a national scale, student loan debt has mushroomed to $1.56 trillion with 44.7 million borrowers. Minnesota is ranked ninth in the nation with an average student loan debt topping $32,000.
Tuition and fees for one year at Inver Hills costs less than $5,500. Compare that to $15,000 to $20,000 at a for-profit college, or $40,000 to $50,000 at a private college or university. You can complete your first two years at Inver getting a topflight education firsthand from faculty with industry-current experience in economics and then transfer to a four-year as a junior all while saving thousands of dollars.
