The QAMO Difference

Quantitative economics with a business bent

Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations (QAMO) is a business major focusing on quantitative applications of economics. But what makes it different from other business and economics majors?

A unique business major…

QAMO teaches students how markets work, how to think strategically, and how to analyze data. The QAMO curriculum differs from other business majors, with core courses in microeconomics, game theory, and econometrics instead of the BCOR used by other majors. QAMO also requires far fewer credits than other business majors, which allows space in your schedule for a double major, minor, or honors degree.

Student studying at the David Eccles School of Business
QAMO students studying at the David Eccles School of Business

…with a different spin on economics…

QAMO was developed in partnership with the U’s Department of Economics but narrows the insights of economics down to business applications. You’ll learn the supply and demand framework and then use it to analyze a firm’s strategic capacity investments. You’ll gain data and statistics skills and apply them to analyze customer demand. And you’ll apply the economics of information to analyze how firms can hire effectively.

…and the richest quantitative foundation…

QAMO is built to help students develop valuable quantitative and analytical skills. QAMO math pre-requisites include two semesters of calculus plus probability and statistics. Then we reinforce quantitative thinking in every lecture, case discussion, and project assignment.

QAMO student studying at the David Eccles School of Business
Students in the QAMO program at the David Eccles School of Business

…to launch your career in any direction.

QAMO graduates understand how markets work, know how to think strategically, and are skilled data analysts. And what employer doesn’t need that combination of skills? QAMO career trajectories are a true mosaic. Alumni follow their interests and pursue a variety of paths, from consulting to analytics, from finance to marketing, and from government to grad school.

QAMO Upcoming Events

QAMO Quick Facts

40-50

Required Credits

depending on quantitative course
background

13

Business
Minors/Emphases

  • • Eligible for Eccles School Scholarships
  • • Complete an Honors Thesis

Depending on your math preparation, QAMO will require between 40 – 50 credits, far fewer credits than other business majors. This opens up space in schedules for other pursuits, including business emphases, minors, and double majors. For a complete list of major requirements and emphasis elective courses, check out the QAMO curriculum.

Career Outlook for QAMO Graduates

Careers QAMO Majors Pursue

QAMO offers a set of foundational tools that can take you in any direction. Because of this, there isn’t just one QAMO career path; our alumni go in many different directions.

Some QAMO majors pursue careers in management consulting. Others use econometrics and coding skills to take analytics- based roles, using data to help companies make better strategic decisions. Still others do an emphasis in a business discipline (like finance or marketing) and apply their QAMO tools in a finance or marketing role. Some students take their careers in a non- business direction entirely, by using QAMO skills to answer public policy questions in government or non- profits. And some go straight to graduate school; QAMO alumni have earned MBAs, law degrees, public policy degrees, and some pursue a Ph.D. in Economics.

“Econometric analysis and intuitive microeconomic thinking have given me an edge in applying for jobs in consulting and the policy sphere that I would never have gained anywhere else on campus.”
Chase Parry
QAMO Major, Political Science and International Studies,
May 2025
Chase Parry

What our Students are Saying

“My interest in pursuing the QAMO major is actually what lured me to the University of Utah. I was excited to learn of a program that taught economics with an emphasis on business.”
Kade Bessert
QAMO Major, Minors in Accounting and Advanced Financial Analysis,
May 2025
Kade Bessert
“The beauty of QAMO is that it sets you up with skills and thinking frameworks that can be applied to almost any field in the workforce. The possibilities after graduating in QAMO are endless!”
Aarushi Verma
QAMO and Philosophy of Science Majors,
Minor in Spanish
Aarushi Verma

Gaining Momentum And Reputation

Unique Major

Are there majors like QAMO at other universities?
Yes, but mostly at highly ranked private universities. Students can major in business economics at the University of Chicago, Cornell, Penn (Wharton), Washington University in St. Louis, and Indiana University.

Silly Name, Serious Skills

Why does QAMO have a funny name?
Pronounced KWA-moe, the unique (not funny!) name helps to clearly differentiate from the Economics major offered by the University of Utah’s Economics Department.

“The QAMO skill set — markets, strategy, and data — is in demand across a broad range of industries. I love keeping up with our alumni to see the amazing variety of paths they chart!”
Scott Schaefer, QAMO Professor and Division Chair

Scott Schaefer

Common and Less-common QAMO Questions

QAMO is designed to combine, which means we’ve made it easy to earn a double major, a minor, or an emphasis. A QAMO degree requires only 40 to 50 credits (depending on your math preparation), so there’s plenty of room in your schedule to explore additional academic interests. To combine QAMO with business disciplines, you can earn an emphasis in Entrepreneurship, Operations & Supply Chain, Marketing, or Finance. Alternatively, you can earn a business minor in Information Systems, Management, Accounting, or Advanced Financial Analysis.

In terms of the curriculum,…. not much. A QAMO student earning a management minor will complete five management classes (in addition to fulfilling QAMO requirements). A student who earns an emphasis in Operations & Supply Chain will enroll in five operations classes (in addition to fulfilling QAMO requirements).

So why is one a “minor” and one an “emphasis”?
The Management Department at the Eccles School offers a minor open to all UofU students, regardless of major. The Eccles School’s Operations & Supply Chain Program does not offer a minor that is open to all students, but they allow QAMO students into their program. This arrangement is recognized on students’ transcripts as an emphasis.

What’s the difference to employers?
Not much! Both a minor and an emphasis demonstrate that you’ve mastered an additional subject area.

There is no right or wrong answer. For example, a student who majors in marketing will take the undergraduate business core (about 54 credits) and then take upper-division marketing classes (21 credits). A student who pursues QAMO with a marketing emphasis will take the QAMO major (40 to 50 credits, depending on your math preparation) and upper-division marketing classes (15 credits). Either way, a student learns a lot about marketing.

So what’s the difference?
A marketing major gains business breadth (through the undergraduate business core) and marketing depth. A student doing QAMO with the marketing emphasis gains quantitative depth (through the QAMO curriculum) along with marketing depth. What’s the tradeoff? Business breadth vs. quantitative depth, so make the choice that’s right for you!

QAMO is developed in partnership with the UofU’s Department of Economics, with some QAMO classes taught by Econ Department faculty. The key differences are these: (1) QAMO focuses on the applications of economics to business decision-making; (2) QAMO is more quantitative, requiring more math up front and building stronger quantitative skills throughout.

QAMO is built for honors! First, the QAMO major is designed to combine, which means we’ve made it easy to combine QAMO with a double major, a minor, an emphasis, or an honors degree. QAMO requires only 40 to 50 credits (depending on your math preparation), so there’s plenty of room in your schedule to explore everything the Honors College offers. Second, QAMO skills are thesis skills. An honors thesis is a self-directed “create new knowledge” project; the task is to ask and then answer a question that nobody knows the answer to! A typical QAMO honors thesis is student-driven and student-directed; we simply ask students what topics they’re interested in and then point students to data sources on that topic. Combine QAMO data skills with a student’s natural curiosity, and an honors thesis is the result.

Still have questions? Reach out to a QAMO representative.