The Economics major provides students with the knowledge necessary to be an engaged participants in the private and public sector, both within and beyond Vietnam’s borders. Economics studies the decisions that individuals, companies, communities, and countries make about the allocation of time, money, and resources. The ways that these decisions are made and how their outcomes affect society raise crucial questions about efficiency and fairness that compel students to think about economics across disciplines within specific historical, political, and cultural contexts. The Economics major at Fulbright prepares students for a wide range of careers as well as for graduate studies in economics, finance, accounting, law, business management, and public policy.
Economics
Economics at Fulbright
Welcome to the Economics Major at Fulbright!
What is Economics? A common myth about economics is that it is all about money and that ‘doing economics’ is about predicting stock prices to make people rich. But economics is much more powerful than just that! Economics is the study of human behaviors and interactions that help us understand our evolution from small, hunter-gatherer societies to the complex world we find ourselves in today. At Fulbright, our economics program introduces students to theories of how individuals and firms make optimal decisions and how public policies can be used to correct market failures, stabilize the macroeconomy, and redistribute income and wealth.
Why Economics? Surveying a sample of college students, it is found the majority choose economics because they want “their education to be valuable”. Students value economics because it offers a framework for understanding global issues, helps improve decision-making skills, and enhances career prospects. The Economics major at Fulbright equips students with necessary analytic and quantitative skills to become ‘true economists’. Whether it is a career in consulting, finance, or government, or graduate studies in economics and related disciplines, our students are provided with an excellent foundation to thrive when they graduate.
For more information about the Economics major, please contact our Major coordinator at hoang.khieu@fulbright.edu.vn
Academic spotlight
Degree Requirements
A Bachelor of Arts in Economics is awarded following the successful completion of:
General education:
- 5 Core courses (20 credits) and 8 Exploratory courses (32 credits), of which up to two Exploratory courses (8 credits) can be counted towards the major.
- Experiential Learning (4 – 12 credits).
Regular Major Requirements:
- 2 foundation courses (8 credits): Principles of Economics 1 and 2.
- 2 methodology courses (8 credits)
- 2 analysis courses (8 credits): Microeconomic Analysis and Macroeconomic Analysis.
- 4 intermediate and advanced courses (16 credits), where at least two of them are advanced courses.
- Capstone I and II OR two additional Advanced (300-level) courses (8 credits).
Sample Student Journey:
- Core Courses
- Exploratory Courses
- Methodology Course
- Principles of Economics 1
- Principles of Economics 2
- Core Courses
- Exploratory Courses
- Methodology Course
- Microeconomic Analysis
- Macroeconomic Analysis
- Experiential Learning
- Electives (200-level and 300-level)
- Advanced Course
- Capstone I and II or Advanced Courses
- Electives
Capstone Eligibility
Students are eligible to do a Capstone if they have:
- Declared Economics as your major,
- Completed at least ONE 300-level course,
- Earned at least a 3.0 major GPA, and
- Been successful with your Capstone application.
Before students apply for a Capstone, they should declare their major, maintain good academic standing, and discuss their Capstone project with their academic advisor.
Minor Requirements
The minor in economics is meant to provide students with the essentials needed to be proficient in the field. A total of six courses are required, with some flexibility to allow students to design a minor that best supports their major or career goals. Students are required to take at least one of Principles of Economics 1 and 2 as well as at least one of Microeconomic Analysis and Macroeconomic Analysis. This allows students to choose four intermediate and advanced courses, of which at least two courses are advanced courses.
Requirements for Declaring Economics Major and Minor
In order to formally declare Economics as your major, you must complete:
- 2 Foundation courses
- 1 Methodology course
- 1 Analysis course
In order to formally declare a minor in Economics, you must complete:
- 1 Foundation course
- 1 Analysis course
Requirements for Graduation
- Students who major in economics must pass all chosen major courses with no more than two courses receiving a grade of D
- Those who minor in economics must pass all chosen major courses with no more than one course receiving a grade of D
Graduation with Honors Requirements
- Students must complete Capstone I and Capstone II
- The Capstone must be graded Honors
A Note for Students Considering Graduate School in Economics or Finance
At the graduate level, studying either Economics or Finance requires a solid background in mathematics. In particular, courses in calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, and real analysis are extremely useful in ensuring success in graduate studies. Students majoring in Economics who are considering graduate school are encouraged to take courses in Fulbright’s Applied Mathematics major to ensure they are well prepared. These students should also set up a meeting with an advisor in Economics to determine precisely which courses will be essential for your chosen graduate program.
Sample course list
- Principles of Economics 1 and 2 (100-level): These two courses introduce microeconomics and macroeconomics, providing an overview of economic theories and analytical techniques applied to current issues. By studying both microeconomics (the analysis of choices made by people, firms, and governments) and macroeconomics (the analysis of the economy as a whole) students will develop their economic intuition as they better understand the functioning of the world.
- Economic Methods (100-level): This course introduces basic concepts and methods of statistical analysis and fundamental rules of mathematics used in economic analysis. Students will be exposed to a wide range of economic problems and the methods to solve them. By completing this course, students will be qualified to take upper-level courses in the Economics major.
Note: The course Introduction to Data Analysis can be counted towards the Methodology Course requirements for students admitted before Fall 2023. Courses from the Applied Mathematics major that are equivalent to Economic Methods can also be counted towards the Methodology Course requirements. Approval of the Economics major coordinator is required.
- Econometrics (200-level): This course is concerned with the application of statistical theory to the analysis of economic data and the estimation of economic relationships. The course focuses on regression analysis and its uses in empirical economic research. Students will learn how to construct economic models and test them with data.
- Microeconomic Analysis (200-level): This course focuses on how incentives both constrain and direct the decision making of consumers, producers, and governments. Students will learn to use both graphical and optimization techniques to solve the problems faced by consumers (what to buy), producers (what to produce and what price to sell it at), and governments (which policies to enact).
- Macroeconomic Analysis (200-level): In this course, students will combine empirical observations and economic models to study the dynamics of the aggregate economy. This course focuses on the macroeconomic tools of government – fiscal and monetary policy – and their effects on long-run economic growth, employment, and inflation.
Intermediate Courses (200-level): Intermediate level courses in Economics can be taken after at least one of Principles of Economics 1 and 2 and Economic Methods have been completed. Intermediate level courses will have students using tools and techniques from the first three Foundation level courses in applied areas of Economics.- Economic Development of Southeast Asia
- Environmental Economics
- Game Theory
- International Trade
Advanced Courses (300-level): Advanced level courses in Economics can be taken after at least one of Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Analysis and Econometrics. Advanced level courses have students read, analyze, replicate, and create economic research.
- Behavioral Economics
- Money and Banking
- Economics of Inequality
- Public Finance
- Financial Economics
- International Economics
-
Foundation Courses (2 required) Foundation Courses (100-level):
- Principles of Economics 1
- Principles of Economics 2
-
Methodology Courses (2 required)
Methodology Courses:
- Economic Methods (100-level)
- Econometrics (200-level)
-
Analysis Courses (2 required)
Analysis Courses (200-level):
- Microeconomic Analysis
- Macroeconomic Analysis
-
Intermediate and Advanced Courses (4 required, at least 2 advanced)
Intermediate Courses (200-level):
- Economic Development of Southeast Asia
- Environmental Economics
- Money and Banking
- Game Theory
- International Trade
- International Economics
Intermediate level courses in Economics can be taken after at least one of Principles of Economics 1 and 2 and Economic Methods have been completed.
Advanced Courses:
- Behavioral Economics
- Economics of Inequality
- Public Finance
- Financial Economics
- Macro Finance
Advanced level courses in Economics can be taken after at least one of Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Analysis and Econometrics.
-
Capstone 1 & Capstone II OR Additional Advanced Courses (2 required)
Meet our faculty
Featured faculty
Meet our Fulbrighters
Featured student
- Nguyen Thi Thuy An
- Nguyễn Công Quốc Anh
- Trần Như Bách
- Pham Anh Chi
- Nguyen Dang Hung Cuong
- Phạm Thị Hồng Dung
- Nguyễn Bảo Hân
- Bùi Quốc Khải
- Nguyen Bao Khang
- Cao Nguyen Tuan Khoi
- Nguyen Nhat Lam
- Đinh Hoa Linh
- Nguyễn Phương Linh
- Trần Tú Linh
- Le Duc Dai Loc
- Phạm Đức Minh
- Hoang Dung Vu Minh
- Hoàng Xuân Ngân
- Trần Ngọc Phương Nghi
- Nguyễn Viên Nhi
- Tô Nữ Quỳnh Như
- Hoang Anh Phuong
- Nguyễn Đức Quang
- Le Thi Truc Quynh
- Nguyen Thi Lan Thanh
- Vo Ngoc Thao
- Khuc Thi Huyen Trang
- Nguyen Thi Bao Tram
- Nguyen Phuong Uyen
- Pham Ngoc Ha Vi
- Đinh Tuấn Việt
- Do Thu An
- Truong Thuy Lam Anh
- Võ Tâm Dũng
- Trần Thu Giang
- Nguyễn Đình An Hạnh
- Nguyễn Quốc Hiếu
- Nguyen Dinh Khoa
- Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan
- Nguyễn Hoang Yen Minh
- Lê Nhật Minh
- Bui Thi Mo
- Nguyễn Hà Phan
- Nguyen Minh Phu
- Trần Quang Phúc
- Nguyễn Minh Phương
- Lê Võ Thanh Tâm
- Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo
- Bùi Dương Đăng Thiên
- Nguyen Hieu Thuan
- Huỳnh Ngọc Thủy Tiên
- Tang Linh Trang
- Phạm Gia Khang
- Nguyễn Ngọc Anh
- Lưu Quốc Anh
- Nguyễn Huỳnh Trâm Anh
- Hồ Ngọc Hiếu Châu
- Nguyễn Đăng Tiến Dũng
- Từ Khánh Đăng
- Thuận Thân Đoàn
- Đỗ Cẩm Hoàng Hoa
- Nguyễn Hoài Nam
- Hoàng Thanh Nga
- Phan Thị Kim Nương
- Hứa Nguyễn Lan Phương
- Trần Mai Phương
- Nguyễn Thành Phương
- Lê Đồng Vũ Phương
- Bùi Đoàn Khánh Quân
- Nguyễn Minh Tân
- Nguyễn Minh Thư
- Phùng Thị Anh Thy
- Nguyễn Thu Trang
- Đoàn Lê Phương Uyên
- Trịnh Thế Vinh
- Nguyễn Quốc Huy
- Nguyễn Việt Hà
- Nguyễn Võ Phương Vy
- Nguyễn Phan Việt Hằng
- Nguyễn Như Nhật Nam
- Trần Thuỳ Dương
- Lê Thị Thùy Dương
- Phạm Minh Ngọc
- Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc
- Vũ Thị Thanh Tâm
- Trần Thị Ngọc Mai
- Lê Khánh Đoan
- Hoàng Ngọc Gia Hương
Meet our Alumni
Come and learn how Fulbright has impacted the lives of our current students and graduates.
Featured alumni
Selected Faculty Publications
Capstone projects
Events and News
