The joint degree in economics and law blends expertise in those fields. With this degree, lawyers are empowered to exert their influence and expertise in law, business and finance. An economics background is useful for lawyers who work in antitrust, taxes, bankruptcy, corporate law and securities law. Stanford University, for example, offers joint J.D./Ph.D. and J.D./M.A. degrees in law and economics. Those who go on to earn the doctoral level economics degree will be prepared to work in academia, the private sector or government.
Students can combine an economics degree with a graduate degree in public policy. Those completing such a program will be taught the tools of policy analysis while learning analytical economics. Students attending the joint degree program at Georgetown University, for example, will specialize in a particular area, such as social policy, health economics or regulatory policy. The program allows students with sufficient economics preparatory work to complete those programs during their first year of a public policy program and submit applications to the economics department after that year. To be admitted, students must have earned a B+ or better in intermediate micro-economic theory and intermediate macro-economic theory, along with course work equivalent to a minor in economics.
Joint economics and foreign service degrees are for those students who want to study international affairs and economics. The program at Georgetown, for example, is a five semester program requiring students to be admitted to both programs separately.To be admitted to the program, students must satisfy the entrance requirements for both programs, have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and successfully complete language and political geography exams. However, students are not required to take the economics qualifying exam. Additionally, students are not required to complete a dissertation.
A joint business and economics degree is intended for those students who wish to combine economic analysis and practical business skills. Harvard University's program, for example, prepares students for primary work in research and teaching in business administration and economics. The program is distinguished from a standard economics degree by emphasizing economic analysis and statistical methods in dealing with business management problems. It's distinguished from the standard economics degree because it focuses on economic theory and econometric analysis. Students can specialize in several areas, including corporate finance, organizations and markets, international business or corporate governance.