The Economics Department currently offers 8 different options under the Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition to the BA in Economics, we offer combined degrees with a number of other disciplines including accounting, environmental studies, finance, mathematics, political science, philosophy, and social studies. For the 2024/25 we are launching a new Bachelor of Science in economics and we are reclassifying the combined economics/mathematics major as a B.S. as well. This year we are offering just under 100 sections of economics courses ranging from ECON 101 to a wide variety of 400-level electives. These courses serve undergraduate general education requirements, foundation requirements for students in the College of Business and Economics, and our own majors. We currently have 18 active faculty in the department.
A degree in economics can lead to a variety of career paths. Western graduates in economics have found success in business, as advisors and researchers, as well as in education. Other graduates have gone on to professional schools such as MBA programs or law school. Employment as a professional economist often requires further study and a number of Western economics graduates have gone on to pursue a Ph.D. in economics or a related field.
An undergraduate degree in economics is a fantastic way to develop a solid foundation of critical thinking and analytical problem solving regardless of what field a graduate may choose later in life. Economics undergraduates often rank near the top in lists of best starting salaries and strongest return on investment for their degree.
Impact:
We are identifying three specific areas of support for Give Day 2024.
Prof. Dave Nelson 2022After the retirement of long-time faculty member, Dr. David Nelson, he and his wife Lynne created the David and Lynne Nelson Scholarship endowment that supports economics students with scholarships. Additional donations towards this endowment will increase the amount of scholarship funds we can distribute to our majors for many years to come.
Our second area of focus is the Paul Storer Memorial Fund. This fund honors the memory of our friend and colleague, Paul Storer, and supports annual talks by a scholar in US-Canada Economic Relations, as well as sending students to economics conferences (conference fees, lodging, transportation). While these activities were largely suspended during the pandemic, 2023 saw the return of the Paul Storer Memorial Lecture as we welcomed Dr. Irene Bloemraad from the University of California - Berkeley (click here to view a recording of the lecture) and renewed support for student travel to the Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference. The annual lecture for this year will be happening in May when we welcome Dr. Rashid Sumaila from the University of British Columbia.
Finally, our third designated fund is the Economics Department Fund. Contributions to this fund provide support to faculty and students in the department by funding student events and research, hosting student club events and guest speakers, and providing our year-end awards for academic excellence.
