Campus Conversations

The Economics Major

November 18, 2011

Wowwww!! Just finished a really tough week here at Oxy, but now I have the entire weekend to relax and then Thanksgiving break!!  Occidental has a very rigorous and challenging academic course load, which is great for an undergraduate education.  I am an Economics major here with an emphasis in business management, and like any other major and at any other college, you definitely have your stressful weeks! The Econ department has some of the best professors and is definitely one of the most popular majors at Oxy.  The major consists of two 100 level courses that are at the introductory level of macro and microeconomics.  These two classes are the basis of most the other classes in the major.  After that you have two more intermediate macro and micro economic theory classes as well as econometrics.  These are known to be three of the most challenging courses in the major.  I am currently taking two of those classes right now. Though they are very challenging, the professors who teach those classes are not only suitable for the job, but do their best to help you succeed.  After or during the completion of all the theory classes, you get to take some fun electives which include Managerial Economics, Developmental Economics, Economics of Race and Gender, Human Resource Management, Public Finance, and more.  To complete the major, you only need to take three of these options. Though this is a challenging major, it is definitely applicable in many fields of study.  Professors in the department often offers insights on internships or assistance for applying to grad school.  Recently, we had a speaker come in to talk about the process of getting your MBA.  If you are thinking about going into a field such as marketing, finance, banking, management, or any field that is MBA bound, the Economics major at Oxy is definitely a suitable fit to help you out!  If you have any more questions about this department feel free to ask away! I'm off to get a head start on my Thanksgiving break!  Hope you have a good one, too! =)