San Diego State University, with an enrollment of approximately 24,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students is the largest in the California State University system. Located in an ideal Mediterranean climate, the campus is situated on a marine terrace at the eastern boundary of the city of San Diego. Freeways bring the campus to within a few minutes drive of the center of the city. Twelve miles to the west are the resort beaches of the Pacific Ocean. An hour's drive to the east are the Laguna Mountains and to the south, Mexico can be reached in a half hour.

The Department of Economics offers a Master of Arts degree, a Minor and a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts and sciences. Students may elect to take either the general economics program, or one of three specializations: emphasis in international economics, emphasis in pre-professional studies, and specialization in quantitative analysis. The department currently has over 200 undergraduate students and over 50 graduate students.