The Department of Economics is an intellectually vibrant place for students and faculty. We are a research-intensive department committed to student learning. We offer a wide range of courses that provide critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and we complement this coursework by engaging students with faculty-led research opportunities.
Our faculty members are engaged in research that contributes to addressing local and global challenges related to environmental resources, economic development, trade, health, sports, and tourism. The Department of Economics is ranked among the leading U.S. economics departments for research productivity, and is particularly strong in environmental and experimental economics.
News
Publication co-authored by economics assistant professor, Dr. Shishir Shakya, named Journal of Rural Health's article of the year (College of Arts & Sciences)
Apr 6, 2026
BOONE, N.C. — A publication authored by a cross‑college research team at Appalachian State University has been recognized as the Journal of R...
Dr. Shishir Shakya named AIM-AHEAD fellow, economics and AI
Jan 19, 2026
Dr. Shishir Shakya was recently appointed as a Research Fellow in the NIH‑funded AIM‑AHEAD Bridge2AI program, developing agentic artificial i...
Students attend COP30 in Brazil, engage in global climate talks
Dec 9, 2025
Six Appalachian State University students and two faculty members recently traveled to Belém, Brazil, to participate in the 30th Annual Conferen...
CERPA report indicates strong holiday sales forecast in North Carolina
Dec 3, 2025
A recent news post by local business advocacy group WNC Business noted that 2025 holiday spending in North Carolina will signal growing...
Cook, business graduate students shine in 3MT competition
Nov 24, 2025
MBA student Karlee Cook earned second place in Appalachian State University's 2025 Three-Minute Thesis competition for graduate student...