IE University students who are passionate about making the world a better place often choose programs like the Dual Degree in Laws and International Relations or the Bachelor in Design to help kickstart their future careers. However, beginning in September 2019, IEU’s inspired incoming undergraduate students will have another exciting option available to them: a Bachelor in Economics.
When you think about jobs in economics, you might imagine people in business suits attending high-power meetings on Wall Street. And you wouldn’t be mistaken—plenty of graduates from IEU’s Bachelor in Politics, Law, and Economics program will go on to do just that, and will land jobs at investment firms like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. These jobs are ripe with opportunity to exert meaningful influence on global economic systems.
However, studying economics at IEU can also open up exciting career paths outside of traditional financial institutions. Jobs available to graduates present a range of opportunities by which they create positive societal changes to make our world a more just and sustainable place.
IEU’s Bachelor in Economics program is unique in its methodology, preparing graduates to be versatile and highly skilled workers in the fields of their choice. In addition to teaching the traditional core of economics—think macroeconomics, microeconomics, and modern and contemporary economic history—the program includes updated quantitative methods borrowed from the computer science field and technology. IEU’s program also teaches students to apply their advanced analytical skills to relevant topics in emerging subfields, positioning them to become leaders in the new economy.
So, are you ready to change the world for the better? Here are a few of the ways you can turn your ideas into actions, with a Bachelor in Economics from IEU:
Solve the climate crisis by championing the circular economy
As the effects of climate change grow increasingly devastating, economists are contributing their skills to finding a solution. Some have proposed transitioning from the linear economy to a circular model. In a circular economy, products would have a regenerative life cycle, instead of being eliminated as waste after use. The idea is to keep resources in use for as long as possible, and then find alternate uses for them after they have served their primary purpose. By making the most of what is available, this economic model could help societies survive leaner times, and ideally reverse some of the damage we’ve already done.
Promote inclusion by means of crowdfunding
In the past, entrepreneurs and young companies with big dreams had to save up for years before they could scrape together enough funds to launch a product. Or, they had to hope a wealthy friend or venture capital firm might take notice of them and be in a generous mood. Since the advent of crowdfunding, however, rounding up the capital necessary to launch a product is increasingly simple. Even better, a broad range of engaged investors is more or less guaranteed, due to the nature of crowdfunding platforms. These conditions make it possible for newcomers to successfully break in to new industries, and for previously underrepresented voices to gain the attention of gaggles of interested investors. According to an article by Virgin, crowdfunding as a fundraising model can have many other benefits, too: “market validation, access to new investors, promotion, community exposure, and real-time feedback.”
Reduce fraud by developing a new cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is managed in highly encrypted digital wallets. Some popular cryptocurrencies you may have heard of are Bitcoin and Ether. Because this type of currency doesn’t belong to any specific country or authority, it is owned entirely by you. For the same reason, there are typically no fees for transactions, be they local or international. Perhaps the most promising innovation in cryptocurrency, however, is security. The simple fact that you cannot counterfeit cryptocurrency helps prevent fraud. Also, users’ greater control over the personal information that they send to merchants means a lower risk of identity theft. These security features mean that cryptocurrency could help prevent theft more generally: a critical step in building a more just society.
No matter your interests, a Bachelor in Economics from IE University will equip you with the tools you’ll need to enter exciting career paths and solve some of the most pressing issues facing the planet today. Graduates of the program will be equally comfortable manipulating data, analyzing relationships at a theoretical level, and leading innovation on the global stage. Which will you do?