Spotlight on popular majors: Economics

Interested in studying a multi-disciplinary major that intersects with business, entrepreneurship, development, social change, public policy, environment, history and philosophy? Consider majoring in economics.  

As an economics major at Mount Holyoke, you will wrestle with larger social issues like unemployment, poverty, inequality, discrimination, underdevelopment and the environment. You can sharpen your analytical and research skills through project-based, hands-on learning using theoretical models, historical context and empirical analysis in subjects ranging from corporate finance to history of economic thought and more.

“Economics has a wide range of applications in the world, as well as multiple opportunities for graduate studies and research,” says Rick Feldman, a lecturer and the entrepreneurship coordinator. Feldman’s courses focus on global and local challenges from which opportunities for solutions can emerge through innovation and entrepreneurial leadership.

Ever considered starting your own business? As an economics major you can learn various aspects of entrepreneurship as well as global business and managerial economics. Internships at companies such as Morgan Stanley, Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs, as well as Lynk-funded research opportunities and professional and networking opportunities help to elevate your capacity for data gathering, critical thinking and problem solving, which can also be useful for a variety of graduate programs.

Economics major Donna Williams ’84 used the skills she learned at Mount Holyoke, her MBA at Columbia and her experience in the corporate world to launch Field Foods, which delivers fresh food from local farmers and makers to an individual’s home or designated delivery site.  Founded in 2011, Field Goods operates out of an 18,000 square-foot warehouse in Athens, New York and has grown from two employees and 60 customers to 23 employees and 2,600 customers.

You can study economics abroad and develop critical technical skills and analytical skills, along with the language. Learn more about economics and law in Berlin, Germany; examine economic transformation and business challenges in Shanghai, China;, or study globalization, development and environment in Monteverde, Costa Rica. 

“Often students approach economics because they’re interested in starting or joining a business,” says Luke Wilson, department chair. “Once in the major, however, students are exposed to subfields that allow them to learn how people in different contexts contend with reproducing themselves over time.”