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Interdisciplinary Study and Double Majors

More than half of Economics students complete a double major. The most popular Weinberg College majors taken in conjunction with economics are Political Science, History, Mathematics, and Psychology.  Economics also has majors who are pursuing their degrees in the Schools of Engineering (most commonly the Industrial Engineering degree), Communication, Education, Journalism, and Music.

Many undergraduates study economics in conjunction with an interdisciplinary major or minor. The International Studies adjunct major entails course work in the social sciences and humanities and draws on economics for the study of international trade, comparative economic systems, and developing nations.

For students of high mathematical ability, the honors program in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) offers a unique opportunity to obtain rigorous training in the formal analytical methods of contemporary social science research. MMSS students must complete a major in one of the social sciences, and here again economics is a popular choice.

The minor in the Harvey Kapnick Business Institutions Program combines course work in economics with other areas to examine the ways in which business institutions shape societies and are shaped by them.

The Kellogg School of Management offers course to obtain certificates in financial economics and managerial analytics. These programs require students to have an extensive preparation in economics.

Industrial Engineering at Northwestern is the science of decision making in complex and uncertain environments, based on algorithms, computation and mathematical modeling. The IEMS program trains you as a modern decision maker by providing knowledge in data analytics, optimization, logistics and financial engineering. This program is a common double major for Economics students. Please view the worksheet for more information.