BS Economics | LSU Department of Economics (2024)

Understanding the complex world of economics.

International Trade & Finance (ITF) is a specialized course of study that focuses on economics at an international scale — where global policy and market drivers shape the world we live in.

As an ITF major, you will take courses focused on international economics and the global markets. You will learn how international trade is mutually beneficial, discuss the effects of tariffs and other trade restrictions, and analyze how economic disturbances originating abroad are transmitted home and what policymakers can do to mitigate them.

What You'll Learn

The Bachelor of Science in International Trade & Finance enables students to identify the role of supply and demand in a market economy and the conditions needed for those economies to function well.

In this 120-hour program, you will understand the economic role of government policy and the Federal Reserve, among several other learning objectives. Students are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and the completion of 30 credit hours to be admitted into the program. Areas of study covered in the program include:

Empirical Economic Analysis Concentration

An empirical economic analysis concentration is available to international trade & finance and economics majors. The concentration provides skills in analyzing business and economic data to solve real world problems. See full curriculum.

Career Path

ITF graduates can be successful in a wide variety of industries. While employment in business roles is most common, they are highly sought after in other professional areas including the public sector, law, nonprofits, international relations, research, and academia.

Career options include:

• Economist
• Financial Risk Analyst

• Diplomat
• Economic Researcher

• Management Consultant
• Investment Analyst

The study of international trade and finance serves as a foundation for those interested in the global economy. The Department of Economics prepares students for a variety of career paths in some of the world's most influential and recognized companies.

Employers that hire ITF graduates include:

Southwest Airlines

Halliburton

Ernst & Young

Georgia Pacific

"As a student in LSU’s Department of Economics, I have seen firsthand how much the faculty cares about creating an environment where asking questions is encouraged and challenging yourself is rewarded. So many of the professors I’ve encountered have stood out as impactful for their great passion and willingness to support students outside of the classroom."

— Faith Howard, Class of 2022