Economics (Minor)
Study human behavior through the lens of competition and cooperation.
Economics is about more than money and math. It’s the study of how we make decisions, including when to cooperate with and when to compete against each other. Economic theories are used to understand history and headlines alike. As a minor, Economics enhances analytical skills, market understanding, decision-making, and complements any career with economic insight.
- Format
- On Campus
- Degree(s)
- Minor
Next steps
Why Minor in Economics at Mary Baldwin?
Economics studies how humans both compete and cooperate to achieve success and prosperity. Many people think that “economist” is another word for “mathematician,” but instead, economists combine philosophy, psychology, sociology, and statistics to discover our essential patterns and question assumptions.
At Mary Baldwin, our Economics courses are policy-focused and practical, with a few games and experiments mixed in. Students learn how to use theories and data analysis techniques to choose among competing policy ideas. You will discover how the field of economics addresses society’s most important issues, such as climate change, race, healthcare, online markets, pre-K education, and poverty.
Features:
- Small class sizes
- Discussion-based learning
- Data analysis skill development
- Work with faculty on cutting-edge economics research
Next steps
“Moving forward, my goal is as it has always been, to help as many people as possible. This means representing underserved communities and those without agency as well as continuing to promote civic engagement, tolerance, and ultimately acceptance.”
Francesca Bergeret ’20, economics and political science double major at MBU, who went on to law school at Case Western Reserve University
Minor Requirements
Don’t expect a tired lecture at Mary Baldwin. Our courses are full of surprises:
Students play games to learn about incentives, strategy, and how markets work. They analyze data that they create and compare it to the predictions of classic economic models. Students can even use their class “winnings” to buy their way out of some assignments, so the games get competitive. Be prepared for a rowdy, noisy environment.
Students have a nice balance of discussions, talks, and activities. Students play out scenarios to learn about how economic opportunities and skills influence income distribution. Students work together to calculate different poverty thresholds. At the end of the course, all students participate in lively debates on policy solutions.