On a survey we made of our past graduates, we asked the following question:

    In retrospect, how useful were your courses in economics for your career?
 

Their responses were as follows:
 

• Macroeconomics is, in my opinion, a "soft" science. Microeconomics, on the other hand, is a pure science with numerous applications in the business world. The courses taught in statistics and mathematical economics (econometrics) allowed me to design, in my part-time, a software system I sold for $2,000,000. (No lie!)

• Macroeconomics courses provided an understanding of the economy which has proved quite useful. Microeconomic courses taught me to approach business problems in terms of incentives and consumer behavior. I believe economics courses offer a strong background for any student intending to pursue a career in private industry or public policy.

• I work for an industrial gas company. Pricing is based on supply and demand for air products. This is one small example of how my economics background has helped me.

• Extremely helpful in preparing me to manage my own finances.

• My economics major gives me a good understanding of how business works and what motivates businessmen.

• They were very helpful in law school in classes like tax and business corporations. Those two classes scared all the students who had never taken finance, accounting or economics.

• Helps me formulate a good thought process in problem solving.

• I see it in action every day while buying/selling cotton! In a more general sense, however, it has taught me to think long-term before short-term. What I learned in statistics has been followed up and reinforced by thinkers such as Deminey. I take an economic vs. a simple finance viewpoint when making decision.

• These courses helped me to comprehend today's financial market and provided the basic knowledge I need to deal with today's stock market.

• Tremendously useful. I can see how businesses are driven by price, supply and demand.

• For theoretical thinking and quantitative analysis, invaluable.

• Very useful in teaching me to think in terms of equalibrium state, consequences of action and external effects.

• My economics courses have given me a broad knowledge of economic issues to help me with my focused research work in fraud detection.

• Useful as a skeleton on which to hang the MBA.

• As a math teacher, I often implement economic projects for the students, i.e. supply/demand charts-graphing, running a lemonade stand, costs of doing business-importance of correct pricing. In this theoretical framework, my economic background has proved to be quite valuable.

• The course load made me use my mind and make decisions.

• They were not that important for my career. However, it is difficult to say because the knowledge I utilize is not specific, but I think it has impacted my overall thought process.

• Moderately to very useful, especially industrial organization, international monetary relations and international trade. I spend a lot of time reviewing the credit of companies that have extensive foreign supply needs as well as foreign markets for their finished goods.

• My economics courses were very useful to help launch my career in banking. The courses and the majority of the professors who taught them provided a sound and secure basis for assisting me in realizing my career. The discipline inherent in all economics courses, which forces its students to master reason and pragmatic thinking (by applying its theories to the real world), will always remain a timeless constant and, therefore, always useful for any career.

• Very useful, not in the technical sense but in an overall "global thinking" context. Specific courses which were excellent were the intermediate micro and macro courses as well as the capital market course.

• My courses have been very useful to me. The education provided me with a framework to understand the various factors that affect my business. Whether it is predicting the impact of NAFTA upon our business or the possibility that our clients will be able to restructure real estate debt, the knowledge I have of micro and macro economics have had an impact.

• Extremely useful. An undergraduate degree in economics prepared me for my MBA and enables me to make investment decisions on both a macro and micro level.

• Very useful as a general perspective.

• Solid foundation.

• Not real helpful for my career, but very helpful for my personal understanding of the Federal Government and how it works.

Last Updated on: May 10, 2004