Economics
Seth Mininger '03, captain of the offshore sailing team, did his St. Mary's Project on the fallout from the nearby Chalk Point oil spill.
Economics is the study of the process through which individuals and societies solve particular human problems, for example, how can limited resources be put to their best use? Frequent topics include problems of unemployment, technological change, poverty, environmental quality, and international trade. For those students interested in pursuing a career in business, an option in business is available within the framework of the economics major.
"Economics is too often left in textbooks and classrooms. …[I studied] the economic impact of the 2000 Chalk Point oil spill, focusing
on the lost recreational services and revenues at Golden Beach.
I am also gaining valuable experience by working closely with NOAA,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."
-- Seth Mininger
Economics, '03
Majors study economics as a social science and to discover the interrelationships which economics has with other disciplines such as political science, public policy, and environmental studies.
St. Mary's Project (SMP)
Projects can study economic theory, develop business plans, or forge an understanding between economic issues and those in other fields such as environmental studies. Examples include:
- Patients vs. patents: The economics of essential medicine in poor countries
- Financial comparison and analysis of Coca-Cola and Pepsico
- An empirical analysis of horse farm pricing
- Grapes as an alternative crop for Maryland State tobacco buyout farmer
- Foreign direct investment and Sub-Saharan Africa: The role of contagion
- International trade and international property
- Baseball’s money gap
- Oil prices and the Venezuelan economy
- Pawnshops as alternative Sources of credit for the poor
Travel Abroad
Whether preparing for a career, graduate school, or an MBA, many economics students study abroad to learn first-hand about the modern world’s global economic system. With a double-major in economics and French, why not investigate the economic value of teaching French in a tiny Anglophone country that is completely surrounded by a prosperous Francophone nation, Sénégal?
"The data from my surveys reveal that …the Gambian school system needs to address the constraints teachers and students face and must not lose sight of the overall [economic] worth of fostering an environment where French is highly regarded. "
-- Jen Dickson
Economics,
’00
Life After St. Mary's
Many recent economics majors have gone on to earn an MBA at business schools like Wharton School of Business (U. Penn.) or the Haas School of Business (UC--Berkeley). Others pursue a Ph.D. in economics at places like:
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Ready to start your career after St. Mary’s. Here are some choices made by recent grads:
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Special Opportunities
Prepare for your career in one of the many internships available locally, in Baltimore, or in Washington., D.C. Alternately, set your sights on the William Donald Schaefer Internship Program for Government Services (Annapolis) or at the George Washington University Semester in Washington Program, a summer internship putting you right in the epicenter of the process. (St. Mary’s students have special access to this program because of the success of past St. Mary’s interns.)
For more information, visit the Economics Department Web site at
http://www.smcm.edu/econ/index.htm