NABE and CBE Professional Opportunities
National Association for Business Economics Membership
The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) is the premier professional association for business economists and others who use economics in the workplace. Since 1959, NABE has attracted prominent figures in economics, business and academia to its membership through conferences, educational and career development tools and networking opportunities.
Students are invited to join at the student membership rate and take advantage of access to the EconJobs.org website, the Business Economics journal, the biennial Salary Survey data and the weekly NABE NewsDigest e-newsletter. NABE and GW have also partnered to offer a joint Certified Business Economist® certificate.
NABE hosts a career fair in Washington, D.C., every fall and a policy conference in the spring, both of which are open to students. Our students also gain free membership in the National Economists Club (NEC), which is the organization’s gathering place for professional economists in the nation’s capital. Both NABE and the NEC help graduates build up their professional networks in preparation for future career opportunities.
Certified Business Economist Professional Certification
The Applied Economics Program partners with NABE to offer students professional opportunities in the Washington, D.C., area. Through NABE, students can prepare for the Certified Business Economist® (CBE) professional certification in business economics and data analytics while completing the MS degree.
Requirements
- Passing the CBE exam
- Completing a Writing Skills for Business Economists class
- Completing a Communication and Presentation Skills class
- Previously completed a four-year degree
- Previously completed two years of work experience as an economist or in a related field
- Hold active membership with NABE
Exam Content Areas
The CBE exam covers content in six areas, which are all covered by Department of Economics courses:
- Econometrics (ECON 6375)
- Economic Measurement (ECON 6305)
- Macroeconomics (ECON 6305)
- Managerial Economics (ECON 6321)
- Microeconomics (ECON 6301)
- Statistics and Data Analytics (ECON 6374)
Completing the Exam
Students may take the CBE exam after completing all program requirements. Courses not offered at GW may be taken on a self-study basis or through courses offered by NABE. The NABE website has a schedule of dates for courses and for the CBE exam.
The Department of Economics also offers an “Oral and Written Communications” workshop at no charge to our students. A member of GW’s University Writing Program leads this 8-session workshop on Saturday mornings each semester. Upon completing this workshop, attendees will have met the CBE’s communications requirements. After completing the master’s degree and passing the CBE exam, students will have met the requirements for CBE certification and officially earn the title of Pre-Certified Business Economist.