Department
Students who take our courses learn about a wide range of forces that shape our economy and society. Our curriculum emphasizes economic theory, statistical analysis, and the role of public policy in addressing economic and social problems.
We are committed to teaching students how to construct and test rigorous 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 all economics majors as well as the intellectual purposes of the broader student body.
Majors adopt either a general or a mathematical approach to the study of economics. Students may specialize in financial, managerial, international, and industrial economics, or another area of focus. Some classes make extensive use of the computer instruction facilities in the Carnegie and Hahn buildings and at Information Technology Services. Also introductory courses are kept to a very small size to facilitate faculty-student interaction.
Opportunities
The Economics Club sponsors career discussions with visiting alumni, co-hosts an annual personal financial planning seminar for students, and plans social and sports activities with faculty, including Women in Economics luncheon meetings. The Senior Colloquium has hosted internationally known guest speakers such as renowned British banker Sir Andrew Crockett and economists Asim Khwaja from the Harvard Kennedy School, Kevin Lang from Boston University, and Preston McAfee from Cal Tech. The Investment Club and Sagehen Capital Management offer students the opportunity to manage real investment funds.
After Graduation
Our curriculum prepares our graduates for rewarding careers in academia, government, finance, law, journalism, consulting, business, and the non-profit sector. Graduates have engaged in activities such as organizing an agricultural extension service for drought-ridden areas of Africa, writing for The Wall Street Journal, trading yen on the foreign exchange market, and starting retail businesses. Karen Horn, a 1965 Pomona graduate, was the first woman to serve as president of a Federal Reserve Bank.