Economics

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Professor Pierangelo De Pace, department chair

Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. It provides tools useful in diverse personal and professional activities. Students who major in economics often go on to graduate schools of economics, business or law; others find jobs in finance, consulting, other business, the non-profit sector or government. Students who seek work immediately after graduation may find that education in economics broadens job opportunities. The department also offers a minor.

Students who take our courses learn about a wide range of forces that shape our society. Our curriculum emphasizes economic theory, optimization, statistical analysis of data applied to economic phenomena, and the role of public policy in addressing economic and social problems. We teach students how to construct and test logical and mathematical models of individual and aggregate behavior and how to interpret empirical results in the context of competing explanations. We offer a broad range of courses designed to serve the aspirations of a diverse group of economics majors, as well as the intellectual purposes of the broader student body.

Placement:  Students normally take ECON 051 PO  first, followed by ECON 052 PO . However, first-year students may skip one or both classes if they perform satisfactorily on the online placement tests. Those tests are available during the summer before first-year students arrive and before fall and spring pre-registration. Students majoring or minoring in economics may consider their course requirement for ECON 051 PO  or ECON 052 PO  waived if they pass the corresponding placement test, but a student who skips both ECON 051 PO  and ECON 052 PO  must take one additional economics elective to fulfill the major or minor requirement.

Recommended programs. It is strongly recommended that students take at least one economics course at the College before enrolling in ECON 101 PO  or ECON 102 PO . Potential economics majors and minors and others who plan to take economic statistics are encouraged to take ECON 057 PO  early in their education, as it can enhance their experience in our elective courses. Students majoring in economics are advised to complete their six core courses (ECON 051 PO , ECON 052 PO , ECON 057 PO , ECON 101 PO , ECON 102 PO , and ECON 107 PO /ECON 167 PO ) early in the major, and before studying abroad, to open up more elective courses to them. Students interested in pursuing graduate studies in economics are advised to consider completing at least a minor in mathematics: please consult with members of the economics department for recommendation on specific math electives that are especially valuable in economics graduate programs. Students with other economics-related plans for life after Pomona are invited to consult with members of the economics faculty to identify relevant coursework in economics and related fields.

• Economics Major
    
• Economics Minor
    
• Economics Courses
    

Read more about our learning objectives:
www.pomona.edu/administration/academic-dean/learning-objectives

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