Over the decades, the department has cultivated generations of leaders who have gone on to serve as policymakers, diplomats, central bankers, development practitioners, and entrepreneurs across Lebanon, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and beyond. This alumni network has shaped economic thinking and policy in the region, underscoring the department’s role in institution building and evidence-based reform. Since the early 1930s, the Department of Economics has produced roughly 4,000 graduates—3,979 documented degrees in Economics and Financial Economics, including 2,230 since 2000.
Today, the department offers a BA in Economics, an undergraduate Minor in Economics, an MA in Economics, and an MA in Financial Economics (MFE). The programs are carefully designed from theory to application—covering advanced micro and macroeconomics, econometrics, and behavioral and development economics, reflecting a curriculum that fuses economic theory, financial modeling, and applied policy training—so students can analyze contemporary problems with methodological depth.
Research and engagement are central to the department’s identity. The Department of Economics houses two research groups: the Labor and Equity Lab and the Beirut Corporate Lab. These labs are active in producing academic and policy research. The department also maintains a close affiliation with the Institute of Financial Economics (IFE).
Regular seminars and workshops convene departmental and international scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, giving students exposure to frontier ideas, professional networks, and policy-relevant debates that transcend the classroom.
Looking ahead, the department is positioned for growth through data-forward teaching and research, expanded interdisciplinary pathways, and deeper partnerships with policy and industry. By combining liberal arts practice, methodological rigor, and regional engagement, the AUB Department of Economics will continue to educate and generate research that support the advancement of institutions, good governance, and the public good in Lebanon and the region.