The recent downturn in the economy has many people playing armchair quarterback over decisions made by the Federal Reserve during the last few years. These guys are supposed to be geniuses when it comes to economics, right? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that there may have been errors in judgment regarding interest rates and home financing. Think you could do better than Bernanke or Greenspan? Don't even think about being considered for such a high ranking position until you have an MBA Business Economics Degree.

An MBA Business Economics Degree goes beyond basic economics. The person in charge of making decisions regarding one of the strongest economies in the world will be required to have knowledge and expertise in the following areas: monetary policy, advanced economic theories like macro and micro economics, international markets and foreign trading, an understanding of leading economic indicators, - just to name a few. This person would need to be able to analyze economic issues quickly and accurately, as well as be able to assess and consider alternative economic policies to help achieve stability in a tumultuous economy.

Still want to pursue your dream of chairing the Federal Reserve? Then you definitely want to start looking at schools that have serious MBA Business Economics programs. There are several institutions of higher learning that offer such a degree program. Take the time to investigate several of them and the coursework they offer to ensure that their curriculum is in line with your career goals. In addition to accounting and finance coursework, they should offer courses that cover trade and finance theory, past and current trade issues, international economic organizations and their agreements and impacts on the world economy, econometrics and statistics.

The program should also offer hands-on experiences which will allow you to experience real world obstacles and challenges in the world of business and finance. It should provide opportunities for you to work with companies that will teach about corporate mergers and acquisitions, supply chain management and product development. By the time you are finished obtaining your degree, you will have knowledge and expertise in all of these areas, along with managerial skills and a firm knowledge and understanding of business ethics and economic practices and theory.

If you decide you want to focus on a particular area of economics, look for MBA programs that offer areas of specialized interest, such as the study of poverty economics, which deals with the effect that poverty has on overall economic stability or economic crime investigation and management, which prepares graduates to deal with economic fraud and corporate crime. These types of specialized programs make an MBA graduate highly marketable.

If the Federal Reserve is not high on your priority list once you have finished obtaining the MBA business economics degree, start looking in areas such as economics research in both the government and private sectors. Most advanced degree holders will find themselves in high demand for upper management positions in both the government and private sectors, as well as with non-profit organizations. A person may also decide to pursue an academic career by becoming an Economics Professor at a university.

MBA Business economics graduates are ahead of the curve in terms of earning potential too, with starting salaries around 75,000 per year, depending on the area of study.

When all is said and done, obtaining an advanced degree can definitely help your career, especially if you really do aspire to helping set economic policy on a federal or global level. An MBA Business Economics degree will set you on the right path by giving you knowledge and expertise regarding economic practices, theories and issues that can have a great impact on a corporation's bottom line. And who knows? Maybe your expertise will eventually put you in line for Bernanke's seat as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. After all, knowledge is power.