Apr 20, 2024  
2022-2023 Academic Catalog 
    
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2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Economics

Why do some countries prosper while others do not? Who benefits from increasing country wealth? How? These basic questions motivated the first economists some two centuries ago and continue to be at the core of what economists do. They have also gone far beyond the initial questions while seeking to explain a wide range of human behaviors. Modern economics has thereby become a practical, mature social science offering interesting career paths in business and government. The economic way of thinking about human behavior –as taught in our degree programs – also provides essential support to the College liberal arts mission and is a valued part of the educational experience offered at Saint Mary’s.

The major in economics leads to either a Bachelor of Science (BS) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. The BS major is a quantitatively oriented program that provides excellent preparation for graduate studies and careers in economics or business administration. The BA major is a social science-oriented program that is ideal for students planning professional studies and/or careers in law, teaching, business or the public or nonprofit sectors.

The regular BA and BS degrees offer a wide range of choice regarding which courses to take in the junior and senior years. Under each degree option, students may, however, choose an interdisciplinary concentration focusing on international and development issues or the sustainability challenges facing growing economies. Students choosing one of these concentrations should consult their advisor as early as possible, and normally no later than the beginning of their junior year, to discuss their academic and career plans.

All degree options are based on a rigorous core of economic theory and methods and the opportunity to use these to explore a wide range of applications, which may be combined with coursework in other disciplines. Throughout, the emphasis is on developing practical skills that can be used to address real world issues.

The economics minor is an excellent complement to many majors such as politics, history, mathematics, communication, accounting and business administration. The minor provides students with a core of economic theory and a sampling of the many fields of economics.

Faculty

William C. Lee, PhD, Professor, Chair

Roy E. Allen, PhD, Professor

Jackson A. Allison, PhD, Assistant Professor

Andras Margitay-Becht, PhD, Associate Professor

Anna Maximova, PhD, Assistant Professor

Asbjorn Moseidjord, PhD, Professor

Vilma Sielawa, PhD, Assistant Professor

Jerry J. Bodily, PhD, Professor Emeritus

Kristine L. Chase, PhD, Professor Emerita

Andrew Williams, PhD, Professor Emeritus

Program Learning Goals

  • Graduates will be effective economic analysts.
  • Graduates will be able to apply economic theories.
  • Graduates will have well developed critical thinking skills.
  • Graduates will be able to analyze and interpret economic data.

Internships

Students who want to combine study with practical experience in economics should contact the department chair and the SEBA Internship Coordinator in advance for information on a variety of opportunities available in both the private and public sectors. Course credit for internships may be available through enrollment in ECON 195 .

Honors

Majors and minors who maintain a GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.0 (3.25 for minors) in their economics courses will be considered for induction into and a lifetime membership in the Saint Mary’s chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the internationally recognized economics honors society.

Minor Requirements

The minor in economics requires successful completion of seven courses: Principles of Micro and Macro Economics (ECON 003  and ECON 004 ); Statistics (may be satisfied by DATA 040 , or MATH 004  or MATH 113 ); Micro and Macro-Economic Theory (ECON 105  and ECON 106 ); and two additional full-credit upper-division economics courses.

Minors desiring a research experience in economics may include in their upper-division economics electives ECON 120  or (with the appropriate math and statistics prerequisites) ECON 141 -ECON 142 .

Programs

    Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of ScienceMinor

    Courses

      Economics - Lower DivisionEconomics - Upper Division