Economics Department

Programs

Honors Program

The Honors Program is available to outstanding students in Economics, Economics/Mathematics, and Economics/History. Students with a cumulative average of 3.50 (for all courses taken at Emory) at the end of their third year may be invited to participate. The number of students admitted to the Honors Program is determined by the Economics Department's capacity for advising honors theses, so a 3.5+ GPA does not automatically lead to admission into the program. (Note that in recent years, typical GPA of invitees has exceeded 3.75.) 

Administered by the Emory College Honors Committee, this program enables students to do intensive work in a chosen area and, therefore, involves work that extends beyond ordinary course requirements and standards of performance. Students must complete Economics 201, 212, and 220 previous to entering the Honors program (i.e., previous to the Fall Semester of their senior year). Students enrolled in the Honors program must complete either Economics 420 or Economics 422 by the end of the Fall semester of their senior year. Preference will be given to students who have completed Economics 420 or 422 by the end of their third year. Students enrolled in the Honors program must complete Economics 495A during the Fall Semester of their senior year and may enroll in Economics 495B during the Spring Semester of their senior year.

An examination covering the honors work, including the thesis and allied fields, is given upon completion of the program. One examiner must be chosen from outside the department. Examiners recommend the degree of honors (honors, high honors, highest honors) to the Honors Committee. Honors (cum laude) represents satisfactory completion of the program, together with an overall average of 3.50. High Honors (magna cum laude) represents completion of the program with outstanding performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of quality sufficient for oral presentation to scholars in the candidate's field. Highest Honors (summa cum laude) represents completion of the program with exceptional performance, including an overall average of 3.50 and a thesis of a quality suitable for submission for publication.

A student may complete Honors in the joint Mathematics/Economics major by completing the requirements for Honors either in the Mathematics Department or in the Economics Department. Participation in the Honors Program in both departments is by invitation only. The student's Honors committee must include at least one faculty member from the Economics Department, one faculty member from the Mathematics Department, and one faculty department from a department other than either the Economics or the Mathematics Departments. 

Study Abroad

  Department of Economics Rules for Studying Abroad

- Since the economics department is responsible for students who are economics majors, it is recommended that you declare your major before you start the studying abroad process.

- No class will be approved to be the equivalent to the Principles of Economics (Econ 101 and 112), Intermediate Micro (Econ 201), Intermediate Macro (Econ 212), Introduction to Statistics (Econ 220), and any of the empirical courses (Econ 221, 420, or 422).  Most course equivalences received are for 200 or 300 level courses that complete the elective requirements for the major.  Exceptions are made for yearlong programs at the London School of Economics.- Given the rules for the department on core classes, it is recommended that you take Economics 101, 112, 20, 212 and 220 before going abroad.  If you have not taken those classes and you are going abroad for one semester, plan on taking an extra semester to graduate.

- It is strongly recommended that you have more classes approved than you intend to take, before leaving Emory.  Once abroad, you may find the class you wanted is not being offered, is full or you don't have the necessary prerequisites.  You may need these extra approved classes as replacements.  Email communication may be difficult or delayed.

- Use the time abroad to fulfill your GERS and learn about the country you are visiting. 

- A maximum of two classes will be approved toward the major although it is strongly recommended that you do not take more than one economics class while abroad. 

 - Allow plenty of time for the application process.  Approval for courses on TABLE B of the  "Study Abroad Academic Course Plan" application may take a few days.

 Procedures for Study Abroad

- Review the information on the Center for International Programs Abroad (CIPA)website  

 - If you are applying during Fall and/or Spring semester, choose "Semester Programs" and then "Getting Started."  For Summer semester, choose "Summer Programs."  Much of the information you will need is included on this site.  For further information about particular programs, please see the CIPA advisors located in the Center for International Programs Abroad (CIPA) in Trimble Hall, 637 Asbury Circle.

 - Most but not all programs require two applications.  After meeting with your CIPA advisor you should know which application process to use. 

- The first application is a print application "Study Abroad Academic Course Plan" available here. This form requires your academic advisor's signature.  You must complete TABLE A before having the advisor sign the form.  Courses for TABLE A can be found in the "blanket approval list" here.  

- If any courses are listed in TABLE B, they must be approved by:

Dr. Elena Pesavento, Study Abroad Advisor for the Economics Department
Office: 326 Rich Building
Email:  epesave @ emory.edu
Telephone:  404-712-9297

- In TABLE B, list the courses you anticipate taking overseas that do NOT appear in the Blanket-Approved Database. You then take a copy of the course description or syllabus to Dr. Elena Pesavento.  Dr. Pesavento will review your choices and determine the Emory course equivalent and the type of credit to be earned (major, minor, GER, or elective). Dr. Pesavento can also email your CIPA advisor directly with course approvals rather than sign the Academic Course Plan sheet.

- If so advised by your CIPA advisor, complete the second application on-line.

Internship

The Economics Department offers an internship course, Economics 449, which is open only to economics majors and minors.  Students are enrolled by permission only and they must have already completed Economics 201, 212, and 220.  The course carries two credit hours taken on an S/U basis and it will not count toward the 10 courses you need to satisfy the majors requirements.  The Economics department internship can be taken during the fall, spring or summer semester.

To register for the course, which is by permission only, the students are required to download the registration form (click here to download the form) and talk to their faculty advisors about the internship opportunity when they schedule courses during pre-registration.  The advisor checks the prerequisites and approves the internship provided that it is compatible with the student's course of study.  In a similar fashion, minors secure permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  The completed internship form must be turned into the Undergraduate Program Coordinator to register.  Once registered the student reports to the faculty in charge of the internship course.

A report discussing how the internship experience related to your economic training and in what ways it helped your professional development is to be turned in to the course faculty or the Undergraduate Program Coordinator on the last day of classes for the semester enrolled.  See the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for further details.

Students who would like to get internship credit over the summer at reduced cost should see Emory College's Summer Internship Program at: http://college.emory.edu/current/achievement/internship/. Here the students earn college credit (rather than economics credit) but at a much lower tuition cost.

This area should be used to describe any internship information that students should be aware of, specific opportunities, requirements, etc.

Awards and Honors

ODE - Omicron Delta Epsilon - is the economics honor society. ODE is dedicated to promoting excellence in economics by recognizing outstanding achievements and by encouraging professional exchange among students, faculty, and professionals in our discipline. The requirements for membership are a minimum overall grade point average of 3.25 and an average of 3.60 or higher in at least 16 credit hours of economics courses. ODE organizes several events annually including the spring induction banquet, dinners with faculty, and career-related information sessions.

Three prizes are awarded by the Department annually: (1) the Jack and Lewis Greenhut Award for excellence in economics and promise for graduate studies; (2) the Tate Whitman Award in Economics for analytic clarity, personal integrity, and leadership; and (3) the George Benston and Richard F. Muth Award for intellectual curiosity, passion, and skill in economic analysis.

Washington Economic Policy Semester

The Program

The Washington Semester involves intensive examination of the policy making process in the national government, particularly as it relates to economic policy. Topics covered include international as well as domestic economic policy. The program, administered by American University in Washington, D.C., consists of a seminar, an internship in a private or governmental agency, and courses in the curriculum of American University. The program is designed for undergraduates beyond the sophomore year who are interested in policy issues. Program offerings in economics include:

• Economic Policy

This program gives an overview of the theoretical and practical aspects of the economic policy-making process in Washington. The seminar explores the macro- and micro-dimensions of domestic and international economic policy, such as stabilization policy and environmental economics.

• International Business & Trade

The first part of the program explores major issues, such as foreign investment and political risk analysis, while the second part analyzes specific business opportunities in the Middle East, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Pacific Rim.

• International Environment & Development

Focusing upon global environmental preservation and sustainable development, you first study the policy-making process in Washington and then travel to Costa Rica to investigate the implementation of these policies in the field.

 The Rules
Applicants must have completed four semesters of residence at Emory before beginning the semester. Upon satisfactory completion of the Washington Semester program, students will receive up to sixteen (16) semester hours of credit. A maximum of eight (8) semester hours of credit earned may be counted toward the major requirements in economics in the form of two 300-level electives. Economics 394, Washington Economic Policy Semester, is an exception to the major requirements rule that all classes must be taken for a letter grade; it must be taken S/U. It is the policy of the College Office that all approved classes taken at other institutions cannot receive a letter grade but will receive credit hours for such course work.

The Procedure
Brochures about the different programs are available in the Undergraduate Program Coordinator's Office, 312D Rich Building, or information can be accessed on-line at www.washingtonsemester.com. Applications (available on-line) should be completed early in the semester preceding the one in which the student intends to participate in the program.  Download the application form, complete it and take it the Director of Undergraduate Studies for signature. Applicants must request an official transcript from the registrar's office to include with the application.  Once accepted into the program, students must pre-register at Emory for Economics 394, Washington Economic Policy Semester.  Five student maximum per semester.

More detailed program information and an application can be found at American University's Washington Semester web address:

www.washingtonsemester.com