Economic issues affect the world in so many ways, from interest rates, taxes, and inflation to energy and environment, and inequality and emerging markets. It’s a fascinating social science that has many real-world applications, and those who study online college economics courses certainly benefit from understanding the trends.
Those who want to study economic courses do not have to enroll in a college if they want to take economics courses online. This guide will cover how to find online college economics classes and lists the best online college economics courses for credit in 2023.
Why Should I Take an Online Economics Course for Credit?
You should take an online economics course for credit because it opens the door for some of the best programs and future jobs. For example, an online bachelor’s degree in economics can help you gain the numerical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that businesses seek. Also, it makes you suitable for business research, planning, marketing, and management.
Because these courses are online, you don’t need to spend money on transportation or rent, like on-campus students do. These programs are also cheaper than an online bachelor or advanced degree’s tuition fees. The flexibility makes it easier to attend classes, and you’ll also have an opportunity to use the credits toward a future degree.
Top 10 Online Economics Courses for Credit
| Course Title | Provider | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Macroeconomic Principles | Arizona State University | $425, one-time fee |
| Introduction to Business Analytics | Community College of Philadelphia | $159 per credit hour |
| Econometrics | Lindenwood University | $453 per credit hour |
| Managerial Economics | Southern New Hampshire University | $320 per credit hour |
| Macroeconomics | StraighterLine | $74, plus $99 monthly membership fee |
| Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics | University of Nebraska at Kearney | In-state: $259 per credit hour Out of state: $396 per credit hour |
| Elements of Economics | University of North Dakota | $370.08 per credit hour |
| Principles of Microeconomics | University of Phoenix | $1,194, one-time fee |
| Economic and Financial Literacy | The University of Texas at Tyler | $146 per credit hour |
| Principles of Macroeconomics with Data Applications | The University of Toledo | $397.75 per credit hour |
Best Online College Economics Classes and Courses: Explained
1. Macroeconomic Principles
This course offers insight into the mindsets of economists and is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on a common household, highlighting the spending habits and workloads of members of the house, and how all sizes of businesses make important economic decisions. The second focuses on policy-making and how policies enhance or distort market outcomes.
2. Introduction to Business Analytics
This course offers an introduction to the core concepts of data analysis. Students will learn to interpret, understand, explain, and display data. The class also covers mathematical concepts, ethical issues, statistical measurements of frequency, and data analysis, and offers practical training to help students learn data visualization and market analysis.
3. Econometrics
This econometrics course introduces learners to different statistical methods for estimating and testing economic models. Some topics it will cover include the theory and application of multivariate linear regression analysis as well as the basics of the econometrics software. It is a practical course, so learners will participate in conducting regression analysis with real datasets.
4. Managerial Economics
This course focuses on quantitative analysis and techniques to solve business decision problems and economic theory. Students will learn the basics of microeconomics, and some class topics include production, demand, market structure, and cost. Also, students will learn to use qualitative tools such as linear programming and regression.
5. Macroeconomics
This Macroeconomics course offers college-level material and thorough instructions to help master economic principles. Some of the topics in this course include growth, inflation, employment, economic measures, supply, and demand.
6. Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics
This course will cover the basics of economics and macroeconomics. Some topics in the course include money, banking, prices, national income, labor relations, production, and economic policy. It is a three-credit course.
7. Elements of Economics
In this course, students will learn to understand and apply economic principles to real-time and real-world situations. It will also cover select economic issues and how students can recognize economics and identify it as a life study of human behavior. Also, the course will teach students to recognize types of economic systems.
8. Principles of Microeconomics
In the Principles of Microeconomics course, students learn economic concepts, basic theories, usages, and terminologies surrounding microeconomics. Online students will also take part in exercises to learn practical applications for microeconomics, learn to assimilate fundamental concepts, and analyze real-life economic events.
9. Economic and Financial Literacy
The economic and financial literacy course is ideal for individuals who want to understand personal finance, the economic way of reasoning, and how these factors affect families, industries, firms, and individuals. This course is also ideal for working professionals and it includes gamification, online simulations, and interactive learning.
10. Principles of Macroeconomics with Data Applications
This online program is for individuals without prior experience in data usage. Students will learn about economic activity growth, fluctuation, and how to achieve greater economic stability. The class will also cover an introduction to data analysis where students will learn to use theoretic models to examine the veracity of predictions.
Top 5 Free Online College Economics Courses
- Economics of Money and Banking | Columbia University via Coursera. This free online college economics course from the prestigious Columbia University comprises 12 weeks of lessons on topics including banking as a clearing system, money in the real world, banking as market-making, and international money.
- Financial Markets | Yale University via Coursera. This Yale University course on Coursera offers a flexible curriculum of seven modules that cover the various aspects of the financial markets. It focuses on psychological theory, traditional finance, and human behavior to determine what makes people choose certain financial choices.
- Introduction to Economic Theories | Erasmus University Rotterdam via Coursera. This course introduces students to economic theories such as post-Keynesian economics, social economics, neoclassical economics, and institutional economics. It has eight weekly sessions and can be completed at the user’s preferred pace.
- Economics: Consumer Demand | Babson College via edX. This course from Babson College covers the negative relationship between quantity and price. It also focuses on the relationship between changing market conditions and the price elasticity of demand.
- AP Microeconomics | MIT via edX. This MIT course on the edX platform gives students a full understanding of the vital principles of microeconomics as well as practical applications in the real world.
Are Online Economics College Courses Worth It?
Online economics college courses are worth it for most people because the classes help to develop analytical, communication, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills. Also, the lessons learned can be applied to one’s personal life and finances or to further a business economics degree.
Earning a degree in economics offers graduates a wide range of lucrative career options. For example, the average annual salary for a financial analyst in the US was $83,660 in 2020, while a statistician’s average salary was $92,270 during the same time.
Online College Economics Courses FAQ
Yes, you can study economics online. There are lots of resources for this purpose. You can learn the basics of economics, monetary policy, aggregate demand, labor market, marginal costs, federal reserve, and antitrust policy. There are free online courses as well as paid college courses. The latter also offers credit that can be used to pursue an online economics degree.
While both are important topics for economics students to cover, prospective students should study microeconomics first as taking this approach provides excellent preparation for understanding the principles of economics better and on an individual level. When they are done, they can apply it to wider society.
Macroeconomics is the performance, structure, decision-making, and behavior of the economy. This field of economics includes shorter-term business cycles and long-term economic growth and covers topics such as economic development, public policy, market economy, environmental economics, international economics, fiscal policy, and behavioral economics.
To learn economics for free online, you can enroll in self-paced courses that do not carry any credit. These courses are often cheaper or free. They give you the basics of economics to help you get started. However, university or college courses can provide in-depth information and allow you to earn transfer credits towards economics bachelor’s degree programs.
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