Economics is a social science that encompasses a broad range of human behaviour and has a strong influence on the structure, well-being and development of a society. Much of human activity is directed towards the satisfaction of material wants. In many areas of the world, the greater part of human effort must be directed towards meeting the most elemental demands for food, clothing, and shelter. Even in technologically advanced societies, where these basic requirements can be met with comparative ease, the desire for more goods and services never appears to be fully satisfied. In consequence, every society - whatever its political orientation - is both competitive and cooperative. It is competitive because its members contend with one another to satisfy their individual wants from a limited supply of productive resources. It is cooperative because the greatest supply of goods is available when the activity of producing them is coordinated and organized. Economics deals with any issue arising out of the conflict between the demand for goods and services, and a limited supply of resources to satisfy those demands.<br>Undergraduate training in economics is intended to familiarize students with the discipline of economic thinking, to equip them to better understand human behaviour, and for the intelligent appraisal of contemporary economic problems. Economics makes considerable use of mathematics in its enquiries. All economics programs require at least one course in mathematics.<br>An undergraduate degree is generally not sufficient to become a professional economist. For this or other reasons, graduate work may be necessary. Students who wish to do graduate work should seek advice from the Department concerning their choice of courses. The Economics Specialist and the Economics and Mathematics programs, with their greater emphasis on mathematics, are designed to prepare students for graduate study, and are excellent starting points. Appropriate coursework can certainly be achieved, however, through the Economics Major, often in combination with another program.