Economics majors are inspired to learn about a broad range of social and global issues.
Learn about the Oxy experience for some of our current majors.
To see more Meet Our Majors profiles, visit the main page.
Hometown: Portland, OR
Major: economics
What was your motivation to major in economics?
When I entered Occidental, I did not have a clear idea of my career goals or what I wanted to major in. I cast the net wide, taking a variety of courses across many departments. Economics stood out as a perfect blend of my interests in problem-solving and strategy, and a field of study relevant to a wide array of career paths. I’ve found studying economics intellectually stimulating and engaging. I’ve developed my qualitative and quantitative skills through learning theory, using math, and working with data. No matter your academic interests, I’d recommend an introductory economics course to learn how and why businesses and economies operate the way they do.
Economics stood out as a perfect blend of my interests in problem-solving and strategy, and a field of study relevant to a wide array of career paths.
Can you describe your working relationships with econ professors? Are there any standout classes you’ve taken?
The economics department is full of enthusiastic and engaging professors who are eager to see their students grow and succeed. Office hours are a fantastic opportunity to get career advice, learn about potential research opportunities, and simply get help on assignments or studying. Of the courses currently offered, my favorites have been Industrial Organization, Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets, Game Theory and Econometrics, in no particular order. While these are challenging courses, they are exciting (no joke) and relevant to the real world.
What are your plans or ambitions post-Oxy? How has the liberal arts approach helped to shape those future ambitions?
I’m eager to pursue work in a strategy or finance-related position, where I can directly apply my education and background while continuing to learn, grow and develop my skill set. My coursework has given me a solid foundation in economic theory, quantitative and analytical skills, and strategy formulation. A liberal arts education provides exposure to a wide range of subjects; it has developed my capacity to think critically, communicate and collaborate across disciplines, and approach complex tasks with creativity.
A liberal arts education provides exposure to a wide range of subjects; it has developed my capacity to think critically, communicate and collaborate across disciplines, and approach complex tasks with creativity.
Do you have any advice for a student considering a major in economics?
For those considering majoring in economics, here are a few pieces of advice:
- Explore different areas: economics is a broad field with a variety of specializations, including macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics and international economics. Take courses in all these specializations. Take courses in other departments, as well; the liberal arts education brings with it the opportunity to gain a broad perspective of the world through various disciplines.
- Stay informed: The Occidental education is about applying the skills and knowledge you gain in the classroom to the real world. Economics is deeply connected to current events. Staying up to date on economic news, policies and trends is a practical application of economic theory, and instills the subjects learned in class.
- Networking matters: Occidental is a small school with a tight-knit community. It doesn’t take much effort to connect with professors, alumni and fellow students. The economics department (among others) has many successful graduates who have interesting perspectives on career, education and life. Networking can build relationships with a great group of people, lead to research and career opportunities, and be an enriching part of the Oxy experience.
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
Major: economics; minor: politics
What was your motivation to major in economics?
I wanted to major in economics because it offers a variety of tools for answering questions I’m interested in. I’m really interested in politics and policy, and economics offers a great theoretical framework to understand these policies and a wide variety of empirical methods to evaluate them. I took my first economics class in the fall of 2020 and the professor often highlighted how the models we were learning could be used to understand the economic shocks caused by Covid-19. Seeing the direct applicability of the material immediately drew me to the major.
I’m really interested in politics and policy, and economics offers a great theoretical framework to understand these policies and a wide variety of empirical methods to evaluate them.
Can you describe your working relationships with econ professors? Are there any standout classes you’ve taken?
All of my professors have been incredibly open and excited to work with students both during and outside of class. Not only are they happy to answer any questions related to class material, but are also always willing to engage in conversations about current events or answer career and internship questions. I always have a hard time deciding what my favorite classes in the department are because they seem to change every time I take a new class. I have really enjoyed both senior seminar classes because of the opportunity they offer to apply so much of what I’ve learned in the major to specific topic areas.
What are your plans or ambitions post-Oxy? How has the liberal arts approach helped to shape those future ambitions?
I plan to work as a research assistant for a couple years to develop my technical skills and get experience outside of the classroom. Afterwards, I want to pursue a Ph.D. in economics. The liberal arts approach has allowed me to have a really diverse educational experience ranging from an Asian American literature course to a biology lab. These experiences taught me how to look at problems multiple ways and have a variety of strategies for coming up with solutions. This is really helpful for thinking about and working on research projects. Beyond that, having so much control over what classes I took really allowed me to love learning.
Having so much control over what classes I took really allowed me to love learning.
Do you have any advice for a student considering a major in economics?
Do it! Economics is a really useful major and the skills you learn are applicable across a wide variety of careers. Also, make use of office hours! Some of my best conversations and most productive learning have taken place during office hours and all of the faculty are very open and helpful. Not only will they help you do well in their classes, but you will also learn a lot beyond the material.
Hometown: Evanston, IL
Majors: economics, computer science
What it was like taking business classes through the Oxy-Caltech Exchange Program?
I thoroughly enjoyed the finance course (BEM 103) I was able to take through the Oxy-Caltech Exchange Program. I love Oxy’s focus on liberal arts and think this exchange program offers additional subject areas not taught at Oxy which enhances the Oxy experience. The course is lecture-based and relatively similar to most Oxy economics course formats, but there were close to 100 students in the class.
Do you have any advice for students who are interested in taking business and finance courses through the Oxy-Caltech Exchange Program?
My advice to students who are considering taking business, economics, and management courses through the Oxy-Caltech Exchange program is to reach out to your Oxy advisor along with the Caltech professor teaching the course you are interested in. The Caltech professor will be able to walk you through course prerequisites and required prior knowledge. One thing to keep in mind is that all Caltech students are expected to have completed math courses through Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. There is also a strong focus on programming skills in the Investments course (BEM 104).
What was your motivation to major in economics?
Growing up I always loved real-world applications of math and statistics. When I came to Oxy, I wasn’t completely sure what I was going to major in but I thought economics might offer the real-world applications of math I was looking for. After loving Professor Jalil’s Econ 101 class and Professor Djerdjian's Econ 102 class, I decided to become an economics major. Since then I have continued to genuinely enjoy every economics course and professor I have had and wish I had time to take more courses!
Do you have any advice for a student considering a major in Economics?
My advice is to build a strong foundation in mathematics. Understanding core algebra and calculus topics will make your economics experience much more fulfilling. If possible, I would front-load math classes during your first year and then focus on economics once you have built a thorough understanding of key math topics.
What are your plans or ambitions post-Oxy? How has the liberal arts approach helped to shape those future ambitions?
I fell in love with management consulting after joining the Occidental Consulting Group in the fall of my first year and plan on pursuing a career in management consulting. I am interested in the opportunity to explore multiple sectors and continue working on my problem-solving skills. While Oxy isn’t primarily focused on finance/economics jobs out of undergrad, I think the liberal arts approach builds skills that give us an advantage over students from other educational backgrounds. My advice to Oxy students looking to pursue pre-professional careers is to take initiative; there are multiple clubs on campus focused on pre-professional development and there are many professors that can help. It’s important to remember that it is very difficult to grow into a fulfilling career but as Oxy students we are young and have plenty of time to pursue our dreams so it is imperative to not get discouraged or give up after a few setbacks.
