The Economics Program helps students think critically about the economic issues they confront in their daily lives and develop a commitment to be actively engaged with policy issues in local, national, and global communities. Private business firms, banks, and other financial institutions employ economists to undertake specialized economic analysis and to evaluate their market positions and profit possibilities, government domestic economic policies and the implications for their business, and international economic events affecting the operation of their institutions. The Economics Program provides students with preparation in economic concepts and techniques within a liberal arts environment, offering a major, minor and, jointly with the Business School, the Certificate in Applied Finance and Economics (CAFE). The Program has strong interdisciplinary links with other departments and programs, such as International Studies, Latin American Studies, Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Environmental Studies, the Honors Program, and the Business School. The Program’s broad range of perspectives provides benefits to those programs as well as to its own students.
The Economics Program is nationally recognized for the quality of faculty scholarship and for the heterodox character of its curriculum, which allows examination of issues from a variety of perspectives. Faculty are engaged in regional economics projects and students are involved in community-based learning endeavors through well-established placements.
International exchange is supported for faculty and students alike.