The Department of economics was established with the establishment of the Faculty of Economics and Rural Development in 1975. The department received the first batch in 1978, the time when the University of Gezira received its first batch. The Department has carried out several programmes: Bachelor's degree (general) in Economics, Bachelor degree (honour) in economics from which (32) batches were graduated and now work in different institutions in and outside Sudan. The Department also grants technical Diploma in economics and banking Studies, postgraduate diploma in Economics, Master of Science in Economy Development in both Arabic and English which is considered the first Master programme to be carried out in the Faculty of Economics and Rural Development and finally PhD in Economics. The Department has had a number of successive heads: Dr. Ali Abdul Qadir Ali, Dr. Altahir Mohammed Nour, Pro. Mohammad Hassan Ibrahim Birreima, Prof. Hatim Amir Mahran, Dr. Safiat Ali Sabur Ali, Dr. Hanaa Mahmoud Seed Ahmed, Dr. Kamal Addin Hassan Ibrahim, Dr. Omar Ahmed Sayed Dr. Ghada Mohamed Awad Yousif, and Dr. Youssef Al Bashir Mohamed Nuweiri who has been the head of the Department since September 2013.