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Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Examples of honors theses written by economics undergraduate students.

Posted with permission of the author. © 2019-2022 by the individual author. All rights reserved.

• "The Causal Effect of ACA Subsidies on Insurance Coverage Status Among California Adults"  - William Vereyken
• "Economic Impacts of Immigration Detention Centers Built Between 1990-2016 on U.S. Commuting Zones"  - Ekaterina Yudina

Spring/Summer 2022

• "The Impact of Indiv. Mandate on High-Income, Non-elderly Indiv. Health Insurance Coverage Rates and Racial/Ethnic Disparities"  - YeJin Ahn
• "An Economic Analysis of the 1997 Amhara Land Redistribution in Ethiopia"  - Ezana Anley
• "Affirmative Action's Effect on Educational and Wage Outcomes for Underrepresented Minorities"  - Vishnu G. Arul
• "Are the Effects of Racism Really That Black and White? A Study on the Effect Racism Has on the Productivity of Black   Footballers in the Premier League"  - Advik Banerjee
• "An Empirical Analysis of Industrial Concentration and Prices: Can We Blame Inflation on Corporate Greed?"  - Anton Bobrov
• "Tax Revenue Cyclicality and Income Inequality: Evidence from U.S. Counties From 1989 to 2019"  - Yiyang Chen
• "The Impact of Economic Opportunities on African American Migration Patterns in Oakland"  - Fernando Cheung
• "Impact of Tech Companies on Wages in the Local Economy"  - Niki Collette
• "Warm Welcome: Evidence for Weather-based Projection Bias in College Choice"  - Maria Cullen
• "Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Bilateral Trade with China"  - Pedro de Marcos
• "Renaissance of the Black Homeowner: Impact Evaluation of Michigan's Renaissance Zones"  - Rupsha Debnath
• "Lockdown Blues: The Effect of Social Norms on the Psychological Cost of Unemployment During the COVID-19 Pandemic"  - Dylan Hallahan
• "How Education Affects Health Outcomes Across Genders"  - Jessica Li
• "Is Increasing Diversity Inclusion Effective in Improving Companies' Performance in the Financial Services Industry?"  - Miranda Li
• "The Future Financial Status of the Social Security Program"  - Chloe Manouchehri
• "Does Recreational Marijuana Legalization Affect Hard-Drug Use? - Evidence from Cocaine Prevalence and Treatment Admissions"  - Arthur Weiss
• "Relationship Between Economic Status and Money Spent on Private Education Leading to Economic Inequality in South Korea"  - Jiho Lee
• "The Impact of Migrant Remittances on Rural Labor Supply: Evidence from Nepal"  - Amanda Wong
• "Confirmation Bias: The Role of Messages and Messengers"  - Hongyu (Randol) Yao

Spring 2021

• "Gender Equality and Economic Growth: Solving the Asian Puzzle"  - Zoya Ali
• "Women in STEM: Moving Up or Falling Off the Academic Career Ladder?"  - Sophia J. Bai
• "Time Dependence in Okun's Law at the State Level" - Sarah Baig
• "Labor Regulation and the Impact on Firm Behavior in India" - Vatsal Bajaj
• "Gender Representation in Academia: Evidence from the Italian Education System Reform" - Oyundari Batbayar
• "Money & Marriage on the Elementary Mind: A High-Level Analysis of Inequitable Child Development in LA County" - Matthew J. Chang
• "Unanticipated Unemployment Rate News on the Stock Market" - David Chi
• "Should Physicians Be More Collaborative? Determining the Relationship Between Patient Participation and Treatment Plan Confidence Across a Spectrum of Illness Severity in the State of California" - Saif Chowdhury
• "Modeling Optimal Investment and Greenhouse Gas Abatement in the Presence of Technology Spillovers" - Sabrina Chui
• "Understanding the Influence of Marginal Income Tax Rates on Retirement Investment Habits"  - Daniel Cohen
• "Infrastructure in India's Internal War: A District-Level Analysis of the Naxalite-Maoist Conflict" - Krunal Desai
• "Do Eucalyptus Trees Increase Wildfires?"  - Lila Englander
• "Understanding the Labor Outcomes of Hurricane Sandy" - Kevin Fang
• "Does TikTok Show Viewers the Content Relevant to them?" - Ekaterina Fedorova
• "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Care Provision on Long-term Young Adult Labor Market Choices" - Anne Fogarty
• "Orchestra Sex Disparity: Experimental Evidence from Audience Members" - Richard Gong
• "The Big Three Medical Price Indexes: A Comparative Review and Analysis"  - Robert Hovakimyan
• "Effect of Value-Added-Services on Customer Reviews in a Platform Marketplace" - Shankar Krishnan
• "COVID19 Recession: Gender Layoff Gap Explodes" - Ember Lin-Sperry
• "The Gender Wage Gap in China: Learning from Recent Longitudinal Data" - Donghe Lyu
• "Local Graduation Policies as a Tool for Increasing College Eligibility: Evidence from Los Angeles" - Dan L. Ma
• "Trust in Government and Lockdown Compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa" - Charles McMurry
• "I Do (or Don't): The Impact of Same-Sex Marriage Laws on International Tourism" - Oliver McNeil
• "International Shipping Consequences of a Navigable Arctic" - Jack Melin
• "Investigating Dollar Invoicing Trends Using United Kingdom Export Data" - Aneesh Nathani
• "Micro-Level Impact of Initial Public Offerings on Bay Area Housing Inflation" - Mina Nezam-Mafi
• "Explaining EU's Oil Dependency Through the Response of the Portuguese Sector Indexes to Brent Oil Prices Fluctuations" - Pedro S. Nunes
• "Dynamic Incentives and Effort Provision in Professional Tennis Tournaments" - Ruiwen Pan
• "Examining the Effects of Minimum Wage Laws on Part-Time Employment" - Odysseus Pyrinis
• "The Great Indian Identity Crisis? Exclusions & Intersectionality in the Indian Aadhaar System" - Aditi Ramakrishnan
• "The 'Clutch Gene' Myth: An Analysis of Late-Game Shooting Performance in the NBA"  - Can Sarioz
• "Estimating the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs Within the Healthcare Industry" - Sidharth Satya
• "Factors Influencing Telehealth Utilization: Evidence from California" - Emily Schultz
• "Cash and Conflict: Evidence from the Indian Banknote Demonetization" - Nachiket Shah
• "Determinants of the Number of Anti-Government Demonstrations: Evidence from OECD Countries" - Nina Singiri
• "Hygiene Heroes: A Process Evaluation of Promoting Hygiene Practices in Tamil Nadu Schools" - Malika Sugathapala
• "Exploring the Labour Patterns of Women and Mothers Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of School Closures and a New Kind of Recession"  - Renee Isabel Utter
• "How Have Socioeconomic Achievement Determinants Changed in the Past Decade for First-Generation Chinese Immigrants in the U.S." - Haolin Wang
• "The Impact of Quarantining on School Enrollment: Evidence from the Ebola Epidemic in Sierra Leone" - David Willigrod
• "Weeding out Needy Households and Welcoming the Better Off? Impacts of Transactional Barriers on SNAP Participation Rates" - Kevin Woo
• "Are Soccer Teams Being Inefficient? An Analysis of Sunk Cost Fallacy and Recency Bias Using Transfer Fee" - Junru Lyu
• "The Effects of Access to Family Planning Facilities on Female Labor Market Outcomes"  - Marcus Sander
• "Macroeconomic Volatility at the Zero Lower Bound: Evidence from the OECD" - Anthony Swaminathan
• "How are Society's Conditions and Demographics Related to the Popularity of Chief Executive Carrie Lam  and the Hong Kong Government"  - Peter To

Spring/Summer 2020

• "Parental Involvement: The Differential Impacts of Consent and Notice Requirements for Minors' Abortions" - Angela Ames
• "Examining Local Price Levels and Income Distribution Over Time" - Josh Archer
• "Estimating the Effect of Grandparent Death on Fertility" - Jason Chen
• "Democracy in the Face of COVID-19: Have Less Democratic Countries Been More Effective at Preventing the Spread of This Pandemic ?" - Yi Chen
• "Understanding the Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers on Indigenous People in Mexico" - Arushi Desai
• "Microfinance and Payday Lending: Are they Solving a Problem or Creating One?" - Sophia Faulkner
• "The Risk-Taking Channel of Monetary Policy and Foreign Banks" - Noah Forougi
• "Ride of Die? Metropolitan Bikeshare Systems and Pollution" - Sean Furuta
• "Internet's Important Involvement in Information Industry Integration in Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana (and others): How the emerging internet affected the economic geography of the information industry" - Keming (Alex) Gao
• "The Relationship between Economic Crises and Long-Run Wealth Inequality" - Renuka Garg
• "Voter Bias in the Associated Press College Football Poll : Reconducting a 2009 study with new data in a $1 Billion-dollar industry that has seen significant changes in the past decade"  - Brent Hensley
• "Monopsony Exploitation in Major League Baseball: Using Wins Above Replacement to Estimate Marginal Revenue Product" - Jacob C. Hyman
• "The Relationship Between Currency Substitution and Exchange Rate Volatility" - Jewon Ju
• "Efficiency, Bias, and Decisions: Observations from a Sports Betting Exchange" - Alexander Kan
• "The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Substance Use Disorder Treatment Utilization: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act" - Christy Kang
• "Analyzing the Relationship between Personal Income Tax Progressivity and Income Inequality" - Gevorg Khandamiryan
• "The Effects of Occupancy Taxes on the Short-Term Rental Market: Evidence from Boston" - Alan Liang
• "Corporate Types and Bank Lending in Contractionary Era: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies" - Zishen Liu
• "Financial Constraints on Student Learning: An Analysis of How Financial Stress Influences Cognitive Function in Children" - Simone Matecna
• "The Effect of Workplace Inspections on Employment and Sales - A Regression Discontinuity Analysis" - Jeseo Park
• "Lending Sociodynamics, Economic Instability, and the U.S. Farm Credit Crisis" - Erfan Samaei
• "The Effect of Intangible Assets on Value Added: Evidence from microdata across small and large firms in Europe" - Tamara Sequeira
• "Price Efficiency Differences Between Public and Private Utilities: An Empirical Analysis of US Electric Utilities" - Yechan Shin
• "Effect of Campus Shootings on Academic Achievement: Examination of 2014 Isla Vista Killings" - Min Joo (Julie) Song
• "First-Degree Price Discrimination: Evidence from Informal Markets in India" - Rishab Srivastava
• "Who Benefits From Gentrification? A Case Study of Oregon Public High Schools" - Namrata Subramanian
• "Estimating the Economic Impacts of Wealth Taxation in France" - Jeffrey Suzuki
• "Transit-Oriented Development or Transit-Oriented Displacement? Evaluating the Sorting Effect of Public Transportation in Los Angeles County" - Yeeling Tse
• "How State Abortion Policy Restrictiveness is Associated with Unintended Pregnancy Outcomes in the United States from 2014-2018" - Ruhee Wadhwania
• "Global Food Security and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation"  - Aidan Wang
• "The Relationship Between Pharmaceutical R&D Spending and NME Development" - Taylor Wang
• "The Role of Individual Risk Attitude in Occupational Inheritance" - Yi Wang
• "Labor Market Segmentation: Evidence from U.S. Janitorial Jobs Advertised in English and Spanish" - Zijun Xu
• "Bias on the Brain: How Patient Gender Influences Use of Emergency Room Diagnostic Imaging" - Abigail Zhong
• "Age Effects, Irrationality and Excessive Risk-Taking in Supposedly Expert Agents" - William Aldred
• "Pricing Disparities for Minority Communities in Chicago: Rideshares and Taxis" - Matthew Cleveland
• "Where My Negros At? Evaluating the Effects of Banning Affirmative Action on Black College Enrollment" - Ellie Koepplinger
• "Race and Recession: How Minorities May Affect Downturns" - Alexander Szarka
• "Understanding the Effects of Canadian International Food Aid on Production and Trade" - Patrick D. Tagari
• "Urban Property Rights and Labor Supply in Peru: Heterogeneity Analysis by Gender and Educational Attainment" - Juan Sebastián Rozo Vásquez
• "Effect of High-Speed Rail on City Tourism Revenue in China: A Perspective on Spatial Connectivity" - Lingyun Xiao

Archives (2009-2019)

Research, Thesis & Directed Studies

Below are brief explanations for undergraduate students regarding research, directed/independent studies, and writing a thesis within the Department of Economics. Scrolling to the bottom you’ll see a short list of FAQ’s that undergraduate students ask. 

Please review this online information before meeting with Economics Academic Advisors. Please meet with an Economics Academic Advisor before talking to your Professor or TA about research, directed studies, or thesis in Economics.  

Find Academic Advising

• Explore Research Beginnings
• Directed Studies & Thesis
• Honors in the Major

Opportunities to research with accomplished professors, fellow classmates, and established research centers drive students to perform academically at a high level. Research at UW with the Economics Department can be pursued in various ways. One way is a student working on their own research inquiry with professor oversight. Another more elite track would be working with a professor on their research. A third way is through the Honors in the Major route within Economics. More information about Honors can be found below. Regardless of the path chosen, achieving top marks in advanced classes will help to obtain on-campus, competitive research opportunities. 

Bear in mind that, while research opportunities are incredible experiences that students successfully pursue, research is considered a supplementary benefit to an undergraduate education from UW-Madison. Research is not required, nor is it expected of any undergraduate graduating with an economics major.

This worksheet is designed to be a guideline for students to gauge their interest in research. Complete this worksheet and bring it to an advising appointment to discuss research with an advisor.

Is Economics Research for Me?

Directed Study, sometimes called Independent Study, as described in the undergraduate catalog, “offers the student an opportunity to work with a faculty member on an individual study program. A student who is stimulated by a particular concept or problem encountered in a course can pursue and develop that interest in depth through a directed study project. Such individualized study can make a valuable contribution to a student’s educational experience. Directed study courses are made available by departments on the basis of a student’s preparation and motivation and a faculty member’s willingness to accept the student in such an endeavor.”

Directed Study allows advanced students to explore in-depth topics that are not covered in the regular economics course offerings. Your course may be structured to award one to three credits and, in most cases, will require writing a paper on your research and findings. These parameters will be established together with a supervising faculty member. 

Directed Study enrollment class options are: 

• Economics 698 : credit/no credit grading (no GPA associated) 
• Economics 699 : graded basis using A-F scale (included in GPA)

If you wish to pursue Directed Study or Thesis  in Economics, you must:

• Be a junior or senior student majoring in Economics.
• Complete the intermediate courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics.
• Prepare a research proposal and/or reading list, to use in discussion with an Economics Faculty member 
• Obtain approval from a member of the Economics faculty to supervise your project. Ideally, this will be a faculty member with whom you are familiar and who has expertise related to your desired area of study.
• Have a GPA of 3.0 in Economics coursework completed to date.
• Complete the department’s Directed Study form . Once the form is completed and signed by the instructor, return it to the Economics Undergraduate Office. The staff will create the course for you, allowing you then to enroll via standard university procedures.

Senior thesis or senior honors thesis students must follow these same enrollment instructions. However, your class enrollment options are: 

• Econ 691-692 : full year thesis for non-Econ-honors students 
• Econ 581 : one semester senior honors thesis. For EconME Honors students only 
• Econ 681-682 : full year senior honors thesis. For EconME Honors students only

If you want to write a one semester thesis as a non-Econ-honors student, you will enroll in a Directed Study, 698 or 699. 

By participating in a directed study or senior thesis course, students consent to having their finished paper or project archived by the Economics Department and made available on request. Upon completion of the course, students must email a copy of their finished paper or project to [email protected] for this purpose.

Please note that these class options are intended to allow advanced academic exploration by independently motivated students. Directed Studies or Theses are not intended as a means to bolster deficiencies in credits or GPA, and it does not count toward fulfilling the department’s Core Econ Electives requirement.

All questions and inquiries should go to [email protected] or set up an appointment via Starfish with an Economics Academic Advisor. 

Directed Study or Senior Thesis

Part of the Honors in the Economics Major curriculum will be a requirement for you to complete a senior honors thesis, prepared by a research tutorial economics class, your senior year. If you are interested in pursuing Economics with the Math Emphasis, have potential PhD in Economics ambitions, are interested in delving into research- Honors in the Major could be right for you! Please see our Curriculum, Courses, and Requirements page for class details. 

Curriculum, Courses & Requirements

Students can earn the Honors designation for the major in Economics. This is called Honors in the Major (HoM).  To do so, all of the follow criteria must be met:

• Take the honors versions of the intermediate economic theory courses: Economics 311, Intermediate Microeconomic Theory-Advanced Treatment and Economics 312, Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory-Advanced Treatment. If you are a transfer student with credit already for Econ 301 and 302, or were otherwise prevented from taking Econ 311/312, please see an Economics Academic Advisor promptly. 
• Select and fulfill the requirements of the Economics with Mathematical Emphasis option. 
• Attain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 in all courses in the major and an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in all courses taken at UW-Madison at the time of graduation.
• Complete Economics 580: Tutorial in Research Project Design. This is offered only in the spring semester.
• Execute a capstone experience. Complete either (a) or (b):

Capstone Option A : Find an economics professor mentor and enroll in either Economics 581, Honors Thesis (one semester), or Economics 681 and Economics 682, Honors Thesis (two semesters). Note: Economics 580 must be taken prior to writing the Senior Honors Thesis.

Capstone Option B : Alternative thesis work, to be discussed with an economics academic advisor. If you would like to talk to an academic advisor about pursuing honors in the major, you can learn more about how to talk to one of our academic advisors here !

An outstanding opportunity for independent research, creativity, and achievement

Honors program, honors thesis research guidelines and syllabus.

It is designed to encourage a more intensive study of economics than is required for the normal major, with course and research work of exceptional quality.

• Honors students participate in an Honors Research Symposium during spring quarter.
• Those nominated for prizes making oral presentations.
• Students graduate with a BA in Economics with Honors which is noted on their diplomas and transcripts.

Requirements

For the full list of requirements, please read the Honors Thesis Research Syllabus.  

What to Submit

By the third Wednesday of autumn quarter of the senior year , prospective candidates for the honors program must submit to the Undergraduate Student Services Officer, at econ-undergrad [at] stanford.edu (econ-undergrad[at]stanford[dot]edu) :

• an  application  signed by the thesis advisor and Honors Program Director and
• a one-page description of the proposed thesis topic plus a one-page proposed timeline (uploaded to the electronic application)
• declare Econ BAH in Axess.

Some funds are available on a competitive basis for  financing research expenses  for Honors theses and must be applied for in advance of the academic year in which the research is undertaken.

How to Apply

Juniors interested in the honors program are urged to talk to the department's Honors Program Director,  marcelo [at] stanford.edu (subject: Interested%20in%20Econ%20Honors%20Program) (Marcelo Clerici-Arias) , at the beginning of the autumn quarter.

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Senior Thesis

• Resources and Form Library
• Funding, Research Assistant, and Career Opportunities

Through their Senior Thesis, majors learn to identify interesting economics questions, survey the existing academic literature and demonstrate command of theoretical, empirical, and/or experimental methods needed to critically analyze their chosen topic.

All seniors are encouraged to browse the Senior Thesis Database for examples of past work.

To see examples of papers that won Senior Thesis Prizes, see this article about the Class of ’22 student winners.

Senior Thesis Coordinator Professor Alessandro Lizzeri [email protected]

Key Resources for Seniors

Senior Thesis Handbook Senior Thesis At-a-Glance Senior Thesis Advisors and Their Advising Interests Senior Thesis Proposal/Advisor Request Form Senior Thesis Advisor Assignments Senior Thesis Grading Rubric Exit form: Senior Thesis Research Integrity Form Exit form: Senior Thesis Advisor Evaluation Exit form: Departmental Survey

Senior Prizes

At the end of senior year, the department awards several prizes to acknowledge the best Senior Thesis projects from each class. Available awards are listed below.

• John Glover Wilson Memorial Award: Awarded to the best thesis on international economics or politics.
• Walter C. Sauer ’28 Prize (joint eligibility with Politics, SPIA): Awarded to the student whose thesis or research project on any aspect of United States foreign trade is judged to be the most creative.
• The Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies Prize: Awarded annually to the best five policy-relevant theses.
• Burton G. Malkiel ’64 Senior Thesis Prize in Finance: Awarded for the most outstanding thesis in the field of finance.
• Elizabeth Bogan Prize in Economics: Awarded for the best thesis in health, education, or welfare.
• Daniel L. Rubinfeld ’67 Prize in Empirical Economics: Awarded for the best thesis in empirical economics.
• Hugo Sonnenschein Prize in Economic Theory: Awarded for the best thesis on economic theory.
• Wolf Balleisen Memorial Prize: Awarded for the best thesis on an economics subject, written by an economics major.
• Halbert White ’72 Prize in Economics: Awarded to the most outstanding senior economics major, as evidenced by excellence in departmental coursework and creativity in the Junior Paper and Senior Thesis.

College of Arts & Sciences

Writing in the Major

The field of Economics explores complex economic systems through a combination of deductive and inductive reasoning. Early economists attempted to communicate this reasoning and results of their analyses using words alone. This resulted in long, often convoluted books that were prone to error. Over the years, economists developed mathematical models and statistical tools, which facilitated analysis, reduced error and enabled far greater transparency and brevity in the expression of results. These techniques can be difficult for undergraduates to grasp at first, which is why they are the focus of most of our teaching effort. Yet, as we teach students to build, solve, test and present economic models, we are in effect teaching them to “write” economics.

Of course, models have not entirely displaced words. Students still must learn to explain the motivation, logic and conclusions of their work verbally. This skill is especially vital for communicating with non-economists. To that end, the economics programs (ECON and IECO) integrate writing in three principal ways:

• Explaining rationale : Tests and homework assignments require students to give short written explanations of the reasoning behind their answers, usually in one or two paragraphs. While not the norm in the first-year Principles sequence due to large class size, it is common in the 1000 and 2000-level core courses and universal in the 4000-level advanced courses.
• Writing short papers : Short papers require students to develop arguments, explain theories or present evidence based on research. Such essays help students learn to organize their thinking and writing.  Example assignments include writing short essays that discuss the causes and possible solutions to poverty, drafting policy memos in response to case studies, and writing summaries of academic literature. Most 4000-level courses require short papers in addition to exams.
• Producing a senior thesis : ECON-4961 (Tutorial: Economics) is a senior thesis course that provides students with the opportunity to develop the skills and techniques needed for carrying out a substantive original research project in economics. To achieve this purpose, the course focuses on the writing and presentation of a thesis. Students may choose from a wide variety of topics. Along the way, students learn how to evaluate scholarly literature, formulate and model a hypothesis, locate data and test the hypothesis, write an elegant paper and give a convincing presentation. This course marks the culmination of the economics and international economics majors and an introduction to the world of scholarly research. Each student is responsible for writing an article-length paper, approximately 20-25 pages in length. In the paper, students are expected to evaluate, critique, test, and build upon a current debate of their choosing in the field of economics. Students should develop competing hypotheses, model them formally, and test them using quantitative methods. The papers are written as if they were being presented at a professional conference or submitted to a scholarly journal. The thesis is written in a series of steps, each of which is marked by the completion of a short paper or class presentation. The senior thesis course is open to all ECON and IECO majors. It is a requirement for honors in IECO and is taken by many ECON majors.

Honors & Independent Study

The Undergraduate Honors Program in Economics (Econ 4990-4991) is an opportunity for students who have demonstrated academic excellence in the major to pursue an independent research project. The program runs for the entire senior year, and the research is conducted under the close supervision of a faculty advisor.

Admission to the Honors Program is selective, and it is based upon the following criteria:

• the content of and performance in coursework, both in economics and in general,
• a description of the proposed research question,
• a letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty, and
• prior research experience if any. Students typically develop empirical projects, but it is also possible to do experimental, theoretical, or historical work.

To complete the honors program, the student must successfully complete the sequence ECON 4990 followed by ECON 4991. The honors program candidate takes ECON 4990 "Honors Program Prep." in the fall semester of their senior year. In this course, the candidate articulates their research question by developing a thesis proposal, surveys the relevant literature, and assesses the relevant data. This is a 4-credit hour course and is taken as S/U only and thus cannot be counted as one of the 12 courses required to complete the economics major. If the thesis proposal is approved, the candidate is permitted to enroll in ECON 4991 "Honors Program" for the spring semester. This is a 4-credit hour course which must be taken for a Letter Grade. ECON 4991 can be used as one of the 12 courses required to complete the economics major (though it will not count as one of the 3 required 4000-level courses). Students who succesfully complete the two-course program are eligible for Latin Honors. The level of honors awarded-- cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude-- is based on thesis quality as well as performance in the major and other factors. 

Application:

Application forms can be found here  and are also available from Allison Barrett ([email protected]). Admissions are on a rolling basis. Please note that, while highly unlikely, it is possible for the program to fill before the final application deadline. Applications are due by Friday, April 2, 2021.

Funding Resources

Students participating in the honors program are eligible to apply to the College of Arts & Sciences  for funding to reimburse expenses related to their research:  https://as.cornell.edu/research/undergraduate-research#applying-to-einhorn-and-undergrad-research-fund

Honors Theses Samples:

Independent study.

This program is less selective and less formal than the Honors Program, but also offers Economics majors an opportunity to work closely with a faculty member and to conduct original research. Students participating in this program enroll in Econ 4999, Independent Study in Economics; this course carries variable credit, and is available both fall and spring semesters. Before enrolling in Econ 4999, the student must submit a proposal for independent study, approved by a member of the Economics Department. ECON 4999 will not count toward the 12 required courses for the Economics major.

To apply for A&S independent study, you will need to complete an online form which you can access via  data.arts . The form should be completed within the first two weeks of the semester.  

For further information, see any member of the  Economics Department , and visit the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Advising Center, G17 Klarman Hall.   

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Honors program.

Students who want to participate in the Honors Program are strongly encouraged to take the core economics courses (ECON 101, 201D, 205D, 204D, and 210D) as early as possible. Mathematics and statistics prerequisites should also be taken as early as possible. Early completion will allow for the greatest flexibility in pursuing serious research in the junior and senior years.

Students are also encouraged to investigate participation in faculty-led research projects within the  Duke Economic Analytics Laboratory (DEAL) .  Research within these projects can also be the foundation for an honors thesis.

Recording of a recent Honors info session coming soon. 

The Department of Economics offers two possible honors distinctions:

Distinction (or High Distinction) in Economics

• Student has a minimum 3.3 GPA both in economics and overall; has completed five electives, commensurate with an undergraduate A.B./B.A. or B.S. degree, with courses from  Path 1 and 2  counted toward electives; and, has completed an honors paper with a minimum grade of B+ and has been approved by the Honors Committee for qualification of graduation with distinction.
• Student will be awarded High Distinction upon graduation if s/he has satisfied all of the requirements for Distinction and her/his honors thesis is selected by the Honors Committee from among the nominated theses.

Distinction in Research

• Student has completed an honors thesis and has been approved by the Honors Committee for qualification of graduation with distinction. There is no minimum GPA requirement.

See Paths to Honors for course requirements

A fundamental feature of research, as opposed to classroom learning, is that it is independent and self-motivated. At the same time, researchers continually share thoughts and ideas with colleagues. At Duke Economics, as at most research-oriented economics departments, field workshops are one of the more consistent and structured venues through which research ideas are developed, disseminated, dissected, and refined. 

Part of our efforts to create a "meaningful, sustained research experience" for our undergraduates includes participation in a research community of peers and mentors. We introduce this tradition to undergraduates with our Honors Research Workshops (ECON 495S, 496S). The Honors Research Workshops encourage the interchange of research ideas, problems, and strategies among undergraduates and faculty that is similar to the sort of interchange that occurs between graduate students and faculty. Resultant research projects may be written up as honors theses.

For the Honors Research Workshops to be productive, there has to be a certain amount of shared or common knowledge among participants. The Department of Economics offers key field courses intended to deepen students' understanding of specialized topics that may have been only briefly mentioned in economics core courses. Field courses build upon the basic economic principles learned in the core sequence but emphasize studying existing work within a particular field, as well as learning the skills appropriate to particular types of research. Field courses are useful for students to gain deeper knowledge within topics that may have been only briefly mentioned in core courses. Field courses are also necessary preparation for anyone who wishes to undertake future research as a junior or senior. These field courses teach students how to approach a particular topic and properly frame the questions they wish to answer. For example, someone who might be interested in doing research on job discrimination should take a course in Labor and Public Finance.

Each semester the department will move toward providing the full spectrum of key field courses and research workshops. For a full listing of economics courses offered each term, see  DukeHub .

Honors candidates may be eligible to receive a  Davies Fellowship . These fellowships are intended to financially support promising undergraduates in the summer between their junior and senior years, so that they may be free to further their pursuit of independent research under the direction of a faculty mentor and through the Honors Program. A sponsoring faculty mentor must nominate candidates for the Davies Fellowship.

This grant is primarily intended to fund students who have been invited to present their original research at professional conferences.  Exceptions may be made for cases in which the student’s research supervisor believes that attendance at a particular conference is essential to the successful completion of the student’s original research paper or project.

This grant may be used to pay for lodging and domestic (U.S.) travel by air, train, or bus.  Please note that taxi, ridesharing or other private car or limousine services are not covered by this grant. 

This grant is intended to enable students to obtain access to data sets that they will analyze as part of their honors theses or other original research projects.  Priority will be given to the purchases of datasets that may be kept permanently and may be used by multiple students. 

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Department of Economics

The Honors program in Economics serves highly motivated students interested in doing independent research, culminating in a senior thesis.

Eligibility and How to Apply

Before applying, students must complete the following prerequisites.

Included in Economics Degree Requirements

• ECON 1500 or 1510
• ECON 3032 or 3035

Additional Prerequisites

• Complete core courses by end of junior year
• Earn grade of at least A- in all core courses required for the major
• Achieve minimum GPA of 3.3 overall and in Economics
• Complete ECON 3698 and write an honors thesis proposal under supervision of faculty advisor by end of spring semester junior year

Interested students should apply to the program during their junior year. Please send the following application materials to Michelle Marcus :

• A copy of your Vanderbilt University transcript
• Your honors thesis proposal

Your thesis proposal advisor must also send an email directly to Michelle Marcus approving your thesis proposal and agreeing to supervise completion of your research during your senior year.

Honors Curriculum

Honors students must complete the following requirements during their senior year:

• Complete ECON 4981 and 4982 Honors Seminar with the Honors Director (2 hours total, 1 each in the fall and spring semesters).
• Complete ECON 4998 and 4999 Senior Thesis with your thesis advisor (6 hours total, 1 each in the fall and spring semesters).
• Write a senior thesis, and defend it in an oral examination.  

Honors Awards

The T. Aldrich Finegan Prize is awarded to the student who writes the best undergraduate Honors thesis each year. The prize is named in honor of Professor Emeritus T. Aldrich Finegan, a labor economics specialist and dedicated member of the Vanderbilt Economics department, 1964-2020.

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Home > Academics > Master's Programmes > Master in Economics > The Best Master Thesis in Economics

The Best Master Thesis in Economics

Academic year 2022-2023, academic year 2021-2022, academic year 2020-2021, academic year 2019-2020, academic year 2018-2019, academic year 2017-2018.

• Academic Year 2016-2017

Academic Year 2015-2016

Academic year 2014-2015.

Impact of conflicts on the underground drug economy in Aghanistan (PDF, 764 Ko) Antoine POL under the direction of Golvine de Rochambeau , Assistant Professor  of Economics at Sciences Po.

The case of win-win bilateral slot swapping between ECAC area competing airlines (PDF, 951 Ko)  Hugo BARRAS under the direction of   Marleen Marra , Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Do Banks Help Build? Evidence from the 19th century US (PDF, 2,7 Mo) Martin BERNSTEIN under the direction of Moritz Schularick , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Clement de Chaisemartin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ERC Project REALLYCREDIBLE, NBER Faculty Research Fellow, J-PAL Affiliated Professor.

Heterogeneous firms and Sudden Stops: insights from Chile (PDF, 835 Ko) Natalia CARDENAS FRIAS under the direction of Xavier Ragot , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po et President of the OFCE.

Structural cost and network effects in a decentralized network: The case of Mastodon platform (PDF, 290 Ko) Mathias DACHERT under the direction of Michele Fioretti ,  Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Age-Earnings Profiles in China (PDF, 1,4 Mo) Fangqi DING under the direction of Moshe Buchinsky , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Natural and Financial Crises: Do Natural Disasters Increase The Risk Of Financial Crises? (PDF, 701 Ko) Daniel FICHMANN under the direction of Moritz Schularick , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po.

Intergenerational mobility in Mauritius (PDF, 889 Ko) Jeteesha FOOLLEE under the direction of Roberto Galbiati , Professor (CNRS), CEPR Research Fellow, ANR Project SOSELF.

The merits of boarding (PDF, 2,3 Mo) Alexandre GRELLET under the direction of Clement de Chaisemartin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ERC Project REALLYCREDIBLE, NBER Faculty Research Fellow , J-PAL Affiliated Professor.

Causal Effect of Studying Ancient Languages on Overall School Performance: Evidence from French Data (PDF, 2,1 Mo) Anthony KUYU under the direction of Clement de Chaisemartin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ERC Project REALLYCREDIBLE, NBER Faculty Research Fellow , J-PAL Affiliated Professor.

Holes in the ceiling! Dividend elasticities and tax avoidance in light of the ceiling mechanism of the French wealth tax (PDF, 1,9 Mo) Elvin LE POUHAËR under the direction of Lucas Chancel , Associate Professor at Sciences Po.

Consequences of Colonial Rule on Health Outcomes in India (PDF, 1,2 Mo) Kunal PANDA under the direction of Emeric Henry , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po, ANR Project SOSELF, CEPR Research Fellow.

A good year to bury bad loans? Uncovering liquidity in the market for non-performing loans (PDF, 1.12 Mo) Nathaniel Butler Blondel under the direction of Guillaume Plantin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po &  Maximilian Fandl of the Macroprudential Division at the European Central Bank

Mobility of French teachers in secondary education: modelisation and estimation of a dynamic centralised matching market (PDF, 1.37 Mo) Antoine Chapel under the direction of Jean-Marc Robin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Alfred Galichon , Professor of Economics at New York University

The Drivers of Social and Individual Environmental Behaviour (PDF, 1.82 Mo) Sidonie Commarmond under the direction of Emeric Henry , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Roberto Galbiati , CNRS Professor (DR) at Sciences Po

Weighted Dynamic Latent Block Model and its Applications in Sorting Estimation (PDF, 1.55 Mo) Xinyu Dai under the direction of Jean-Marc Robin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Junnan He, Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Does school choice increase social segregation? Evidence from private schools opening in France between 2005 and 2019 (PDF, 2.95 Mo) Constance Frohly under the direction of Pierre Cahuc , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS-CRIS

Cost and benefit of green R&D: evidence from French firms (PDF, 1.10 Mo) Axel Meunier under the direction of Jean-Marc Robin , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po & Agnès Benassy-Quéré , Professor of Economics at Paris School of Economics

Campaign Finance Quotas and Female Political Representation: Evidence from 2018 Brazilian Reform  (PDF, 2.42 Mo) Olympia Tsoutsoplidi under the direction of Julia Cagé , Associate Professor & Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

International inequality transmission in a two-country HANK model (PDF, 43 Mo) Naomi Cohen  under the direction of Xavier Ragot , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Job seeker's strategic attention allocation : Evidence from a Field Experiment (PDF, 315 ko) Mattis Gilbert  under the direction of Pierre Cahuc , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Women Empowerment through Public Employment Programmes: Evidence from Ethiopia (PDF, 2 Mo) Till Kadereit   under the direction of Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor  of Economics at Sciences Po

Price discrimination with endogenous participation in two-sided platforms (PDF, 536 ko) Aurélien Salas under the direction of Eduardo Perez-Richet , Assistant Professor  of Economics at Sciences Po

The landscapes of transition: Identifying economic geography in the emergence of capitalist markets in Central and Eastern Europe (PDF, 2 Mo) Karolina Wilczyńska under the direction of Thierry Mayer , Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Inequality and Current Account - Imbalances in a Monetary Union. Heterogeneous heterogeneities in the Eurozone (PDF, 11Mo) Danell Benguigui sous la direction de Xavier Ragot , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Paris Terrorist Attacks and Hotel Word‐of‐Mouth (PDF, 497 ko) Yulin Hao sous la direction de Michèle Fioretti , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Political Trust, Political Participation and Conflict. A case study of the Boko Haram conflict in Nigeria (PDF, 2.71 Mo) Simeon Lauterbach sous la direction de Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Public debt and safety trap in open economies (PDF, 440 ko) Valentin Marchal sous la direction de  Nicolas Coeurdacier , Associate Professor of Economics at  Sciences Po

Global Migration and the Skill Premium (PDF, 346 ko) Alberto Nasi sous la direction de Thierry Mayer , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Information design against petty corruption (PDF, 341ko) Grégory Dannay , sous la direction d' Eduardo Perez-Richet , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

What drives the French discontent? (PDF, 453 ko) Eva Davoine , sous la direction de Benjamin Marx , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Overtime Hours and Bonuses: A Story of Fiscal Optimization (PDF, 700ko) Nicolas Ghio , sous la direction de Pierre Cahuc , Professeur à Sciences Po &   Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Knocking on closed doors? Identifying the determinants of employer call-backs for unskilled youth (PDF, 1.20Mo) Lorenzo Kaaks, sous la direction de Pierre Cahuc , Professeur à Sciences Po

Cracks in the boards: the opportunity cost of homogeneous boards of directors (PDF, 5.37Mo) Hélène Maghin , sous la direction de Ghazala Azmat , Professeur à Sciences Po

Does Dark Trading Alter Liquidity? Evidence from European Regulation (PDF, 504ko) Victor Saint-Jean , sous la direction de Stéphane Guibaud , Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

The Relationship Between Housing Vouchers and Educational Attainment in Atlanta, GA (PDF, 396ko) Rebecca Smith , sous la direction de Ghazala Azmat , Professeur à Sciences Po

Reading about Flood Risk in the News - Evidence from the Housing Market (PDF, 19Mo) Jeanne Sorin , sous la direction de Julia Cagé ,  Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po &  Florian Oswald ,  Assistant Professor  au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po 

Gravity in paradise - How do tax havens shape multinational production (PDF) Samuel Delpeuch sous la direction de Zsofia Barany , Assistant Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po et Thomas Chaney , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Chasing the Flapper Vote Women Enfranchisement and Electoral Outcomes at the 1929 British General Election (PDF) Edgard Dewitte sous la direction de Julia Cagé , Assistant Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Savings in a 3 Period-Model with a Behavioral Agent - Rational inattention with a Sparse Dynamic Approach (PDF) Galo Egas G. sous la direction de Xavier Ragot , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Quality of life in French cities (PDF) Mylène Feuillade sous la direction de Pierre-Philippe Combes , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po et Laurent Gobillon , Professeur d'économie à Paris School of Economics

Non-Cognitive Skills Training and Educational Outcomes: New Evidence from French Middle Schools (PDF) Laura Green sous la direction de GREEN, Yann Algan , Doyen de l’École d’Affaires Publiques (EAP) et Professeur d’économie à Sciences Po & Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Dynamics of local employment in Europe: Is the impact of agglomeration economies time inconsistent?  (PDF) Magdalena Kizior sous la direction de Pierre-Henri Bono , Chef de projet au LIEPP & Département d'économie de Sciences Po, Jean Imbs , Directeur de recherche CNRS, Paris School of Economics

Learning under Coarse Thinking (PDF) Daniel M. de A. Barreto sous la direction de Eduardo Perez-Richet , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po et Jeanne Hagenbach, Associate Professor d'économie à Sciences Po

Estimating employment effects of the German minimum wage (PDF) Johannes Seebauer sous la direction de Florian Oswald , Assistant Professor à Sciences Po & Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Present-Bias and Salience in Discounting Acros Short Durations: a Proposed Experimental Approach (PDF) Zydney Wong sous la direction de Jeanne Hagenbach, Associate Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po & Emeric Henry, Associate Professor au Département d'Économie, Sciences Po

Academic year 2016-2017

Does training pay? Estimating the wage returns to vocational training in France (PDF)

Olivier Cassagneau-Francis sous la direction de Jean-Marc Robin , Professeur à Sciences Po et  Robert Gary-Bobo , Professeur à l'ENSAE

Competing Information Designers (PDF)

Théo Durandard  sous la direction d' Eduardo Perez-Richet , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

What's new in the new? Media coverage about the ECB and market participants'inflation expectations   (PDF)

Mikael Eskenazi  sous la direction de  Christine Graeff , directrice générale de la communication de la Banque centrale européenne et Benoit Coeuré , Membre du Directoire de la Banque centrale européenne

Impact of Trade on the Characteristics of the Digital Newspaper Market (PDF)

Anaïs Galdin  sous la direction de  Julia Cagé , Associate Professor of Economics à Sciences Po et Thomas Chaney , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Intergenerational Income Mobility in France : National and Territorial Estimates (PDF)

Gustave Kenedi sous la direction de Pierre-Philippe Combes , Professeur d'économie à Sciences Po

Intergenerational transfert without commitment: a macroeconomic framework (PDF)

Hugo Lhuillier  sous la direction de  Nicolas Coeurdacier , Associate Professor of Economics at Sciences Po

Evaluation of the impact computer-aided instruction on student performence  (PDF)

Clémence Lobut  sous la direction de  Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Colonial Administrators and Public Educational - Investments in French West Africa   (PDF)

Christine Cai sous la direction de Quoc Anh DO , Associate Professor of Economics 

  Incumbency Effect and Partisanship in development: Evidence from close elections in India  (PDF)

Ragini Chaurasia, sous la direction de  Sergei Guriev , Professor of Economics

Were Administrators the "Rulers of the Empire"? An Empirical Investigation of the Determinants of Colonial Public Investments in French West Africa (PDF)

Par Sacha Dray, sous la direction d' Elise Huillery , Assistant Professor of Economics et Quoc-Anh Do,  Associate Professor of Economics 

Aspirations, Family Background and Educational Outcomes: Evidence of a Poverty Trap in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam (PDF)

Ava Guez, sous la direction d' Elise Huillery , Assistant Professor of Economics

  Present and Future Costs of Education and International Students - Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Germany  (PDF)

Par Benoit Rauturier, sous la direction d' Etienne Wasmer , Full Professor of Economics

  The Consequences of Managerial Short-termism on the Firm : Theory and Empirics  (PDF)

Bilal Tabti, sous la direction de  Guillaume Plantin , Professor of Economics

Measuring the impact of the CICE on Firms' investments (PDF)

Camille Urvoy, sous la direction de Denis Fougère , Directeur de recherche CNRS - OSC-LIEPP

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail? Immigration, Local Public Spending and Voting: Evidence from a Natural Experiment (PDF)

Max Viskanic, sous la direction d' Emeric Henry , Directeur des études doctorales en Economie, Professeur associé au Département d'Economie, Sciences Po

Heterogeneous Preferences and General Equilibrium in Financial Markets  (PDF) Tyler ABBOT, sous la direction de Nicolas COEURDACIER , Associate Professor of Economics

Returns to College on the Marriage Market: a Simple Roy Model with Perfect Foresight  (PDF)

Edoardo CISCATO, sous la direction de Jean-Marc ROBIN , Professor of Economics 

Social-Democracy. Homophily and polarisation in politics, the Italian Twitter network   (PDF) Mario LUCA, sous la direction de  Ruben DURANTE ,  Associate Professor of Economics

Population's fear and hostility and the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa  (PDF) Norbert RUGAMBAGE, sous la direction d' Elise HUILERY , Associate Professor of Economics

Le Marché du Logement et l'Emploi des Jeunes  (PDF) Jean-Benoît Eymeoud, sous la direction d' Etienne WASMER , Full Professor of Economics

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• Senior Essay

The senior essay for economics majors is optional. However, the senior essay is required for consideration for Distinction in the Major. Most students who write a senior essay find it immensely rewarding and consider it one of their best experiences at Yale.

Senior essays are an opportunity for students to engage in independent, original economic research. Essays are not reviews of the literature, rather they are an examination of an hypothesis using the tools of economics. In particular, the essay must contain original research and/or analysis. They can be theoretical, empirical or computational. The senior essays that receive A’s and are awarded prizes are typically those that use economics tools (and, where appropriate, data) to offer fresh insights on questions. Topics are as diverse as recording and analyzing the behavior of black jack players, the effect of charter schools on student performance, the effect of China’s development on trade, the effect of the Fed on the stock market…. Examples of past essays are available on the department website .

See below for a guide written by thesis writers in the class of 2023.

There are no page requirements or formatting requirements for senior essays in economics. Advice regarding bibliographies, graphs, etc. should be given by your advisor. Generally, essays run about 30 pages.

Senior essay writers may receive a maximum of $500 for legitimate research expenses, provided the student has made a good-faith effort to obtain funding from Yale College. There are many funding opportunities available for research which can be found here: https://funding.yale.edu/find-funding/class-year#toc2 . Funding requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the DUS and Chair.

NOTE: Students must take two econometrics courses (or ECON 135 plus one econometrics course) in order to write a senior essay. The second econometrics course can be taken Cr/D/F for the purposes of the senior essay (but in this case it will not count toward the major requirements). The second econometrics course can be taken in the fall of senior year.

• Undergraduate Program
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• Women in Economics

Senior essays can be 1-term or 2-term essays. The difference between a 1-term and a 2-term essay is that the 2-term essay is broader in scope and/or goes in greater depth. Most economics majors do 2-term essays.

Senior essays can be done in one of several ways:

1-Term Essays

• Enroll in Econ 491a in the fall of your senior year.
• Expand a term paper from a fall-term seminar in your senior year ( depends on availability of seminar instructor )
• Please note that a 1-term essay cannot be done in the spring term of your senior year.

2-Term Essays

• Enroll in Econ 491a and Econ 492b
• Expand a term paper from a fall-term seminar in your senior year and enroll in Econ 492b ( depends on availability of seminar instructor for both semesters )

For the class of 2024

• Enroll in Econ 491a ( not necessary if you are doing a senior essay out of a fall seminar)
• Choose an advisor and a topic. You should refer to the Potential Advisors webpage for help finding an advisor who is available and is appropriate for your topic. If you have difficulty finding an advisor, see the ECON 491 instructor or the DUS for suggestions. There are many economics faculty members who may be ideal advisors for your topic.  Students may also choose a campus economist from outside of the department. (Permission of the DUS required to choose a non-economist adviser.) In order to do an essay out of a fall seminar, you need the seminar professor to agree to be your advisor (for both semesters in the case of a 2-term essay).
• Meet with your advisor regularly. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that these regular meetings occur.
• Submit a “Senior Essay Prospectus” on or before Monday, October 2, 2023 by 4:30 pm. The prospectus must be signed by your advisor. All students planning to write a senior essay must hand in a prospectus at this time. Failure to do so results in your not being permitted to write an essay. A late prospectus will not be accepted without a Dean’s note.
• Students enrolled in a 2-term essay must submit a written progress report to their advisor on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. For essays involving substantial data collection and statistical analysis, a description of the research question and the data that has been gathered for analysis may be appropriate. For others, a portion of the essay itself or a detailed outline describing the thesis question, existing literature, and planned method of analysis is suitable. Based on this report, your advisor will be asked to give you a temporary grade of satisfactory or not satisfactory for the fall term. This temporary grade will be replaced by the final grade on your senior essay in April.
• You are allowed to switch advisor, with DUS permission, but no later than the progress report due date . In this case you need to submit a new prospectus form signed by the new advisor by the progress report due date .
• A student who wishes to change a 1-term essay to a 2-term essay must get permission from the advisor and the DUS prior to the Thanksgiving break. To convert, a student must have made satisfactory progress on the essay by that time. No conversions will be allowed after Thanksgiving.
• 1-term senior essays are due to your advisor on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 by 4:30 pm. For students doing a 1-term essay by enrolling in Econ 491a, the advisor will evaluate and grade the paper, which will be your grade for the course. For students doing a 1-term essay out of a seminar, the advisor will evaluate and grade the paper, but the essay grade will not appear on your transcript. The grade and evaluation will be used for determination of distinction and departmental prizes. A final version of the 1-term senior essay must be submitted on or before Wednesday, April 3, 2024 by 4:30 pm via email to Dan Rehberg, Interim Undergraduate Registrar, at [email protected] for grading by the outside anonymous reader. Late essays will not be accepted without a Dean’s Extension. (Note: students doing the 1-term essay may continue to make additional revisions beyond the fall term before the April due date. Please bear in mind, however, that advisors of 1-term essays may have other commitments and are not obligated to advise you beyond the fall term.)

Spring 2024

• For students doing 2-term essays, enroll in Econ 492b.
• 2-term senior essays must be submitted on or before Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 4:30 pm via email to Dan Rehberg, Interim Undergraduate Registrar, at [email protected] . Late essays will not be accepted without a Dean’s Extension.
• Advisor’s Reports with grades and comments and Reader’s Reports with grades and comments are usually available by the end of reading week in the Economics Undergraduate Registrar’s Office.

Hi Juniors, If you are reading this guide, this means (we hope) that you’re considering writing a senior essay in economics! Writing an economics thesis is an incredibly fulfilling experience, and we hope that if you feel prepared, you write one! To help clarify the process and give advice, the Economics Peer Mentors from the 2022-2023 academic year have made an updated version of this guide from the Class of 2021 that was created by Alya Ahmed and Lara Varela Gajewski, with responses from the Class of 2023.

Link to Class of 2023 Guide

Best of luck, Sarah Moon ‘23, Economics & Mathematics Ayumi Sudo ‘23, Economics

Some Takeaways: 

Most seniors, including all seniors that responded to our survey, wrote a two-term thesis. 

Seniors wrote essays on topics in:

• Labor economics
• Macroeconomics
• Econometrics
• Behavioral economics
• Public economics 
• Environmental economics
• ...and more 

Advisors were chosen from: 

• Herb Scarf RA and Tobin RA positions
• Classes taken in junior year or in the fall semester senior seminars
• Recommended by other professors/ECON 491 TA's
• Cold emailing

Econ thesis advisors are from:

• Yale Economics Department
• Yale School of Management 
• Yale School of Environment
• ...and more

Topics were inspired by: 

• Personal interests 
• Previously taken classes
• Summer research work
• Interesting data sets

Economics 491 counts as a 400 level, senior requirement course. Economics 492 counts as an elective.

Students writing a one-semester essay out of Economics 491 will receive a letter grade at the end of the fall semester based on the quality of their senior thesis. Students writing a one-semester essay out of a senior seminar will only receive a grade for the seminar on their transcript. They will not see their senior essay grade on their transcript, but it will be recorded by the department for distinction purposes. Students writing a two-semester essay by taking 491 and 492, will receive a temporary 491 grade (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) at the end of the fall semester. That grade will be replaced by a letter grade given for 491 and 492 based on the quality of the senior essay. Students who write a two-semester essay by taking a seminar and then 492 will receive a grade based on the requirements of the seminar in the fall. In the spring they will receive a grade for 492 based on the quality of the senior essay. Your senior essay will be graded by your advisor.

To qualify for distinction, a senior must receive a grade of A or A- from their advisor on the senior essay and have 3/4 of their economics grades be A’s or A-’s. For the purpose of distinction economics grades include related course credit, but do not include introductory microeconomics, introductory macroeconomics, the math requirement nor courses taken outside of Yale.

Senior Essay Course Lecturer:

Rebecca Toseland will be the Fall 2023 lecturer for The Senior Essay (Econ 491a) course.

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on office hours sign-up sheet below.

Senior Essay TF:

Ken Jung will be the Fall 2023 TF for The Senior Essay (Econ 491a) course.

Office Hours Sign-up Sheet

Lecturer and TF office hours are by appointment only. Schedule a time on this sign-up sheet (must be signed-in with Eli Apps to view and edit).

If you would like to request an appointment at a different time, please email the Lecturer or TF.

Senior Essay Prizes

Essays will also be read by an anonymous economics department faculty member. Only the advisor’s grade will appear on the transcript. However, both the advisor and the anonymous readers must nominate an essay for that essay to move on to the awards committee.

Three or more prizes for outstanding senior essays are awarded each year by the economics undergraduate prize committee. The  Charles Heber Dickerman Memorial Prize  is awarded for the best senior essay; the  Ronald Meltzer/Cornelia Awdziewicz Economic Award  is awarded for one or two more outstanding senior essays and the  Ellington Prize  is awarded for one or more outstanding essays in the field of finance.

Senior Essays Nominated for Prizes

Women in Economics 2021 Senior Thesis Spotlight

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Honors may be taken in either the policy or the theory concentration of the major in economics. Honors students are required to participate in a year-long honors program in their senior year and write a thesis under faculty supervision. Students interested in graduate or professional school are especially urged to pursue honors. Interested students must consult with the director of undergraduate studies for permission to enter the honors program. Ideally, students should speak to the economics department advisers early in their sophomore year to begin planning for honors.

A 3.65 overall GPA and a 3.65 average in economics courses are both required. Students who wish to obtain honors register for a three-course sequence beginning no later than the spring semester of their junior year: Introduction to Econometrics (ECON-UA 266), Honors Tutorial (ECON-UA 410), and Honors Thesis (ECON-UA 450). When seeking departmental approval to enroll in the Honors Tutorial (ECON-UA 410), each honors student must submit a plan of study indicating the electives he or she intends to enroll in. At least one advanced elective (ECON-UA 300-399) must be completed prior to, or concurrently with, the Honors Tutorial.

Honors students are required to take at least twelve courses (48 points), as outlined below.

Honors in Policy Concentration

Introduction to Macroeconomics (ECON-UA 1)

Introduction to Microeconomics (ECON-UA 2)

Statistics (ECON-UA 18)

Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON-UA 10) or Microeconomic Analysis (ECON-UA 11)

Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON-UA 12) or Microeconomic Analysis (ECON-UA 13)

Introduction to Econometrics (ECON-UA 266)

Four ECON-UA electives

 At least two of these four electives must be 300-level electives, and one of the four must be chosen from International Economics (ECON-UA 238), Urban Economics (ECON-UA 227), or Money and Banking (ECON-UA 231)

The two honors courses, Honors Tutorial (ECON-UA 410) and Honors Thesis (ECON-UA 450)

Note that honors students may not replace any of the four electives with either or both of the Honors Tutorial and Honors Thesis. Students pursuing honors are strongly encouraged, but not required, to take Advanced Econometrics (ECON-UA 402).

Honors in Theory Concentration

Analytical Statistics (ECON-UA 20)

Microeconomic Analysis (ECON-UA 11)

Macroeconomic Analysis (ECON-UA 13)

Four ECON-UA electives (at least two of which must be 300-level electives)

Joint Honors Program in Economics and Mathematics

Honors students are required to take twenty courses (80 points). A 3.65 overall GPA and a 3.65 average in economics and mathematics courses are required. Honors students must participate in a year-long honors program in their senior year and write a thesis under faculty supervision. Students interested in graduate or professional school are especially urged to pursue honors. Interested students must consult with the directors of undergraduate studies in both departments for advisement and for permission to enter the honors program. Ideally, students should speak to the Departments of Economics and Mathematics early in their sophomore year to begin planning for honors. Note that students may satisfy their research requirement with either the economics honors sequence (ECON-UA 410 and 450) or mathematics Independent Study (MATH-UA 997 and 998).

The economics requirements (eleven courses/44 points) are as follows:

Analytical Statistics (ECON-UA 20) if not taking Mathematical Statistics (MATH-UA 234)

Plus any three economics elective courses, at least two of which must be theory electives numbered ECON-UA 300-399. Note that students who take MATH-UA 234 instead of ECON-UA 20 for the statistics requirement must take a total of four ECON-UA electives.

The two honors courses, Honors Tutorial (ECON-UA 410) and Honors Thesis (ECON-UA 450); alternates: Independent Study (MATH-UA 997 and 998).

The mathematics requirements (nine courses/36 points) are as follows:

Mathematics for Economics I (MATH-UA 131) or Calculus I (MATH-UA 121)

Mathematics for Economics II (MATH-UA 132) or Calculus II (MATH-UA 122)

Mathematics for Economics III (MATH-UA 133) or Calculus III (MATH-UA 123) or Honors Calculus III (MATH-UA 129)

Linear Algebra (MATH-UA 140) or Honors Linear Algebra (MATH-UA 148)

Honors Analysis I (MATH-UA 238)

Two electives from the following:

Theory of Probability (MATH-UA 233), or Honors Theory of Probability (MATH-UA 238) if not taken in the honors elective category (below)*

Mathematical Statistics (MATH-UA 234)*

Probability and Statistics (MATH-UA 235)*

Combinatorics (MATH-UA 240)

Mathematics of Finance (MATH-UA 250)

Mathematical Modeling (MATH-UA 251)

Numerical Analysis (MATH-UA 252)

Ordinary Differential Equations (MATH-UA 262)

Partial Differential Equations (MATH-UA 263)

Chaos and Dynamical Systems (MATH-UA 264)

Functions of a Complex Variable (MATH-UA 282)

Two honors electives from the following:

Honors Theory of Probability (MATH-UA 238)

Honors Analysis II (MATH-UA 329)

Honors Algebra I, II (MATH-UA 348, 349)

Honors I, II, III, IV (MATH-UA 393, 394, 397, 398)

*Note that if MATH-UA 235 is taken, then MATH-UA 233 or MATH-UA 238 and/or MATH-UA 234 may not be counted toward the major requirements; also note that if MATH-UA 233 or MATH-UA 238 and/or 234 is taken, then MATH-UA 235 may not be counted toward the major requirements.

134 Economics Thesis Topics: Ideas for Outstanding Writing

Writing a thesis is not an easy task. For most of the students, it can be even intimidating, especially when you do not know where to start your research.

Here, we have provided an economics thesis topics list. After all, everyone knows that choosing the right idea is crucial when writing an academic paper. In economics, it can combine history, math, social studies, politics, and numerous other subjects. You should also have solid foundations and a sound factual basis for a thesis. Without these elements, you won’t be able to master your research paper.

The issue is:

It is not always clear what could be seen as an excellent economics thesis topic. Our experts can assist you with this challenge. This list contains some outstanding examples to get you started.

• ⭐ Thesis in Economics
• 🔥 Supreme Thesis Topics
• 👍 Bachelor’s Thesis
• 😲 Master’s Thesis

📊 Microeconomics

📈 macroeconomics.

• 🤔 Developmental
• 👨‍💼 Behavioral
• 💼 Financial
• 🌱 Agricultural
• 🤝‍ Sociology
• 📚 Ph.D. Topics
• 📝 How to Pick a Topic

⭐ What Does a Thesis in Economics Look Like?

A good thesis in economics is a blend between an empirical paper and a theoretical one. One of the essential steps in choosing a topic in economics is to decide which one you will write.

You may write, research, analyze statistical data and other information. Or build and study a specific economic model.

Or why not both!

Here are some questions you can ask when deciding what topic to choose:

• What has already been written on this topic?
• What economic variables will my paper study?
• Where should I look for the data?
• What econometrics techniques should I use?
• What type of model will I study?

The best way to understand what type of research you have to do is to write a thesis proposal. You will most probably be required to submit it anyway. Your thesis supervisor will examine your ideas, methods, list of secondary and primary sources. At some universities, the proposal will be graded.

After you get the initial feedback, you will have a clear idea of what to adjust before writing your thesis. Only then, you’ll be able to start.

🔥 Supreme Economics Thesis Topics List

• Fast fashion in India.
• The UK housing prices.
• Brexit and European trade.
• Behavioral economics.
• Healthcare macroeconomics.
• COVID-19’s economic impact.
• Global gender wage gap.
• Commodity dependence in Africa.
• International trade – developing countries.
• Climate change and business development.

👍 Economics Bachelor’s Thesis Topics

At the U.S. Universities, an undergraduate thesis is very uncommon. However, it depends on the Department Policy.

The biggest challenge with the Bachelor’s Thesis in economics concerns its originality. Even though you are not required to conduct entirely unique research, you have to lack redundant ideas.

You can easily avoid making this mistake by simply choosing one of these topics. Also, consider visiting IvyPanda essays database. It’s a perfect palce to conduct a brainstorming session and come up with fresh ideas for a paper, as well as get tons of inspiration.

• The impact of the oil industry on the economic development of Nigeria. The oil industry is vital for the economic development of Nigeria. In this thesis, students can discuss the notion of the resource curse. Analyze the reasons why general people are not benefiting from the oil industry. Why did it produce very little change in the social and economic growth of the country?
• Sports Marketing and Advertising: the impact it has on the consumers.
• Economic opportunities and challenges of investing in Kenya .
• Economic Development in the Tourism Industry in Africa. Since the early 1990s, tourism significantly contributed to the economic growth of African countries. In this thesis, students can talk about the characteristics of the tourist sector in Africa. Or elaborate on specific countries and how their national development plans look like.
• Globalization and its significance to business worldwide .
• Economic risks connected to investing in Turkey .
• The decline in employment rates as the biggest American economy challenge .
• The economics of alcohol abuse problems. In this thesis, students can develop several essential issues. First, they can examine how poverty is connected to alcohol abuse. Second, they can see the link between alcohol consumption and productivity. To sum up, students can elaborate on the economic costs of alcohol abuse.
• Causes and solutions for unemployment in Great Britain.
• Parallel perspective on Global Economic Order: China and America. This thesis can bring a comparative analysis of the economies to a new level. China and The US are the world’s two largest economies. These two countries have a significant impact on the global economic order. So, looking at the set of institutions, policies, rules can be constructive.
• The new international economic order after COVID-19
• Financial stability of the banking sector in China.
• New Electronic Payment Services in Russia.
• The influence of culture on different entrepreneurial behaviors.
• The impact of natural cultural practices on entrepreneurial activity.
• The relationships between national culture and individual behavior.
• The main reasons for salary inequalities in different parts of the U.S.

😲 Economics Master’s Thesis Topics

Student life can be fascinating, but it comes with its challenges. One of which is selecting your Master’s thesis topic.

Here is a list of topics for a Master’s thesis in economics. Are you pursuing MPhil in Economics and writing a thesis? Use the following ideas as an inspiration for that. They can also be helpful if you are working on a Master’s thesis in financial economics.

• The impact of visual aid in teaching home economics.
• The effect of income changes in consumer behaviors in America.
• Forces behind socio-economic inequalities in the United States. This thesis can explore three critical factors for socio-economic differences in the United States. In the past 30 years, social disparities increased in the United States. Some of the main reasons are technology, trade, and institutions.
• The relationships between economic growth and international development.
• Technological innovations and their influence on green and environmental products.
• The economics of non-solar renewable energy .

• The economic consequences of terrorism . Terrorism not only takes away lives and destroys property but also widely affects the economy. It creates uncertainty in the market, increases insurance claims, slows down investment projects, and tourism. This thesis can address all of the ways in which terrorism can affect economies.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation in the Oil and Gas Industry in Africa.
• Use of incentives in behavioral economics.
• Economic opportunities and challenges of sustainable communities .
• Economics of nuclear power plants.
• Aid and financial help for emerging markets. This topic is very versatile. Students can look at both the positive and the adverse effects that funding has on the development. There are plenty of excellent examples. Besides, some theories call international help a form of neocolonialism.
• Multinational firms impact on economic growth in America .
• The effect of natural disasters on economic development in Asia.
• The influence of globalization on emerging markets and economic development.

📑 More Economics Thesis Topics: Theme

For some students, it makes more sense to center their search around a certain subject. Sometimes you have an econ area that interests you. You may have an idea about what you want to write, but you did not decide what it will be.

If that’s the case with you, then these economics thesis topics ideas are for you.

• An analysis of the energy market in Russia.
• The impact of game theory on economic development.
• The connection between minimum wage and market equilibrium.
• Gender differences in the labor market in the United States. This topic can shed light on gender differences in the labor market in the United States. In the past years, the overall inequality in labor in the markets decreased. However, there is still a lot of work that can be done.
• Economic reasons that influence the prices of oil .
• Relationship between the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient.
• Challenges of small businesses in the market economy.
• The changes in oil prices: causes and solutions . Universal economic principles do not always apply to the sale and purchase of the oil. The same happens with its cost. In the thesis, talk about what affects the prices. What are the solutions that can be implemented?
• The economic analysis of the impact of immigration on the American economy.

• Economic inequality as a result of globalization . Economic inequality becomes even more apparent on the global level. There is a common belief that globalization is the cause of that. Discuss what can be the solutions to these problems. This topic is vital to minimize the gap between the rich and the poor.
• The economic explanation of political dishonesty .
• Effect of Increasing Interest rates costs in Africa .
• The connection between game theory and microeconomics.
• Marketing uses in microeconomics.
• Financial liability in human-made environmental disasters.
• Banks and their role in the economy. Banks are crucial elements of any economy, and this topic covers why. You can explain how banks allow the goods and services to be exchanged. Talk about why banks are so essential for economic growth and stability.
• Inflation in the US and ways to reduce its impact.
• The connection between politics and economics.
• Income Dynamics and demographic economics.
• US Market Liquidity and macroeconomics.
• Macroeconomics and self-correction of the economy .
• The American economy, monetary policy, and monopolies .
• The importance of control in macroeconomics. One of the central topics in macroeconomics is grouped around the issue of control. It is quite reasonable that control over money and resources should become a topic of discussion.
• Analysis of Africa’s macroeconomics and its performance.
• Economics of education in developing markets.
• Problems and possible solutions for Japan macroeconomics .
• Comparative analysis of British macroeconomics concerning the US .
• Public policies and socio-economic disparities.
• The world problems through macroeconomic analysis. Indeed, macroeconomics is very complicated. There are many influences, details, and intricacies in it. However, it allows economists to use this complex set of tools to examine the world’s leading problems today.

• The connection between employment interest and money.

🤔 Development Economics

• Economics of development . This topic is very rich in content. First, explain what it is. Then pay particular attention to domestic and international policies that affect development, income distribution, and economic growth.
• The relation between development and incentive for migration.
• The impact of natural disasters on the economy and political stability of emerging markets.
• The economic consequences of population growth in developing countries.
• The role of industrialization in developing countries . The industrialization has been connected with the development. It promotes capital formation and catalyzes economic growth in emerging markets. In this thesis, you can talk about this correlation.
• Latin American economic development.
• Gender inequality and socio-economic development .
• Problems of tax and taxation in connection with economic growth.
• The economic impact of terrorism on developing markets.
• Religious decline as a key to economic development. Not everyone knows, but a lot of research has been done in the past years on the topic. It argues that decreased religious activity is connected with increased economic growth. This topic is quite controversial. Students who decide to write about it should be extra careful and polite.

👨‍💼 Behavioral Economics

• Risk Preferences in Rural South Africa.
• Behavioral Economics and Finance .
• Applied behavioral economics in marketing strategies. If you want to focus your attention on marketing, this topic is for you. Behavioral economics provides a peculiar lens to look at marketing strategies. It allows marketers to identify common behaviors and adapt their marketing strategies.
• The impact of behavioral finance on investment decisions.
• Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs in North Texas.
• Guidelines for Behavioral Economics in Healthcare Sector.
• Cognitive and behavioral theories in economics .
• Cross-cultural consumer behavior and marketing communication. Consumers are not only affected by personal characteristics, but also by the culture they are living in. This topic focuses on the extent it should determine marketing strategy and communication.
• Behavior implications of wealth and inequality.

• Optimism and pessimism for future behavior.

💼 Financial Economics

• Financial Economics for Infrastructure and Fiscal Policy .
• The use of the economic concept of human capital. Students can focus on the dichotomy between human and nonhuman capital. Many economists believe that human capital is the most crucial of all. Some approach this issue differently. Therefore, students should do their research and find where they stand on this issue.
• The analysis of the global financial crisis of 2020s. Share your thoughts, predictions, ideas. Analyze the economic situation that affects almost everyone in the world. This thesis topic will be fresh and original. It can help to start a good and fruitful conversation.
• The big data economic challenges for Volvo car.
• The connection between finance, economics, and accounting.
• Financial economics: Banks competition in the UK .
• Risk-Taking by mutual funds as a response to incentives.
• Managerial economics and financial accounting as a basis for business decisions.
• Stock market overreaction.

🌱 Agricultural Economics

• Agricultural economics and agribusiness.
• The vulnerability of agricultural business in African countries.
• Agricultural economics and environmental considerations of biofuels .
• Farmer’s contribution to agricultural social capital.
• Agricultural and resource economics. Agricultural and resource economics plays a huge role in development. They are subdivided into four main characteristics which in this topic, students can talk about: – mineral and energy resources; – soil resources, water resources; – biological resources. One or even all of them can be a focus of the thesis.
• Water as an economic good in irrigated agriculture.
• Agriculture in the economic development of Iran.
• The US Agricultural Food Policy and Production .
• Pesticides usage on agricultural products in California.

• An analysis of economic efficiency in agriculture. A lot of research has been done on the question of economic efficiency in agriculture. However, it does not mean there is no place for your study. You have to read a lot of secondary sources to see where your arguments can fit.

🤝‍Economic Sociology

• Theory, approach, and method in economics sociology.
• Economic sociology of capitalism. While economists believe in the positive effect capitalism has on the economy, the social effect is quite different. The “economic” part of the issue has been studied a lot. However, the sociology of it has been not. This thesis can be very intriguing to read.
• Political Economy and Economic Sociology.
• Gender and economic sociology .
• Progress, sociology, and economics.
• Data analysis in economics, sociology, environment .
• Economic sociology as a way to understand the human mind.
• Economic sociology of money.
• Economics, sociology, and psychology of security.
• Major principles of economic sociology. In the past decade, economic sociology became an increasingly popular field. Mainly due to it giving a new view on economics, human mind, and behavior. Besides, it explores relationships between politics, law, culture, and gender.

📚 The List of Ph.D. Topics in Economics

If you decide to go to grad school to do your Masters, you will likely end up getting a Ph.D. as well. So, with this plan in mind, think about a field that interests you enough during your Masters. Working with the same topic for both graduate degrees is easier and more effective.

This list of Ph.D. Topics in Economics can help you identify the areas you can work on.

• Occupational injuries in Pakistan and its effect on the economy. Injuries are the leading cause of the global burden of disability. Globally, Pakistan was ranked 9th populated country with a large number of unskilled workers. In this dissertation, consider the link between occupational injuries and their effects on the economy.
• The study of the Philippines’ economic development.

• Financial derivatives and climate change .
• Econometric Analysis of Financial Markets.
• Islamic Banking and Financial Markets .
• Health economics and policy in the UK.
• Health insurance: rationale and economic justification. In this dissertation, students can find different ways to explain and justify health insurance. Starting to philosophical to purely economic grounds. In the past years, there was a lot of discussion regarding the healthcare system for all. What are some of the economic benefits of that?
• Colombian economy, economic growth, and inequality.
• Benefits of mergers and acquisitions in agribusiness.
• Methods to measure financial risks when investing in Africa.
• The significance of financial economics in understanding the relationship between a country’s GDP and NDP.
• Network effects in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are not new anymore. However, it is still an original subject for a dissertation. Students can decide to choose several crypto coins and evaluate the importance of the network effect. This effect is particularly significant for Bitcoin. Explain why.
• The comparison of the Chinese growth model with the American growth model.
• An economic justification versus political expediency.
• Pollution Externalities Role in Management Economics .

📝 How to Select an Economics Thesis Topic

As your academic journey is coming to an end, it’s time to pick the right topic for your thesis. The whole academic life you were preparing to undertake this challenge.

Here is the list of six points that will help you to select an economics thesis topic:

• Make sure it is something you are genuinely interested in. It is incredibly challenging to write something engaging if you are not interested in the topic. So, choose wisely and chose what excites you.
• Draw inspiration from the previous student’s projects. A great place to start is by looking at what the previous students wrote. You can find some fresh ideas and a general direction.
• Ask your thesis advisor for his feedback. Most probably, your thesis advisor supervised many students before. They can be a great help too because they know how to assess papers. Before meeting with your professor, do some basic research, and understand what topic is about.
• Be original, but not too much. You do not want to spend your time writing about a project that many people wrote about. Your readers will not be interested in reading it, but your professors as well. However, make sure you do not pick anything too obscure. It will leave you with no secondary sources.
• Choose a narrow and specific topic. Not only will it allow you to be more original, but also to master a topic. When the issue is too broad, there is just too much information to cover in one thesis.
• Go interdisciplinary. If you find yourself interested in history, philosophy, or any other related topic, it can help you write an exceptional thesis in economics. Most of your peers may work on pure economics. Then, the interdisciplinary approach can help you to stand out among them.

Thank you for reading the article to the end! We hope this list of economics thesis topics ideas could help you to gather your thoughts and get inspired. Share it with those who may find it useful. Let us know what you think about it in the comment section below.

🔗 References

• Economics Thesis Topics List: Seminars Only
• How To Pick A Topic For Your Economics Research Project Or Master’s Thesis: INOMICS, The Site for Economists
• What Do Theses and Dissertations Look Like: KU Writing Center, the University of Kansas
• Writing Economics: Robert Neugeboren with Mireille Jacobson, University of Harvard
• Economics Ph.D. Theses: Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School, IDEAS_RePEc
• World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018: United Nations
• Undergraduate Honors Theses: Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley
• Economics Department Dissertations Collection: Economics Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Topics for Master Theses: Department of Economics, NHH, Norwegian School of Economics
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A very well written, clear and easy-to-read article. It was highly helpful. Thank you!

Thanks for your kind words! We look forward to seeing you again!

For research

Excellent research

These are very helpful and concise research topics which I have spent days surfing the internet to get all this while. Thanks for making research life experience easier for me. Keep this good work up.

Glad to hear that! Thank you for your feedback, Idris!

Thank you, Idris!

I wants it for msc thesis

The dilemma I faced in getting Thesis proposal for my M Phil programme is taken away. Your article would be a useful guide to many more students.Thank you for your guidance.

Thanks for the feedback, John! Your opinion is very important for us!

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Economics Major

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Effective Winter 2024

Students interested in a major or minor in Economics should consult an economics department advisor. Appointments are scheduled online at: http://lsa.umich.edu/econ/undergraduates/departmental-advising.html

Students are urged to consult with a department advisor each term before selecting courses for the following term.

Economics Undergraduate Office. The undergraduate office is located at 238 Lorch Hall, (734) 763-9242. The Student Services Assistant for the economics undergraduate program is available to answer questions about requirements for the major, course offerings, wait-list procedures, career/job information, economics networking program, and other matters concerning the undergraduate program. Walk-in advising is available every Monday and Thursday between 2-3pm.

Prerequisites

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of C or better. MATH 120 may not be substituted for MATH 115. ECON 210, MATH 116, 121, 156, 176 ,  185, 186, 215, 216, 255, 256, 285, 286, 295, or 296 may be substituted for MATH 115.

To declare an Economics major, schedule an appointment with an Economics Department advisor. Students must complete the prerequisites to the major before declaring and must have a GPA of 2.0 or better in the major.

Students interested in advanced economics are strongly encouraged to continue the study of mathematics beyond MATH 115. Note that MATH 116 (Calculus II) is a prerequisite for ECON 451 and that MATH 215 (Calculus III) and MATH 217 (Linear Algebra) are prerequisites for ECON 453.

Requirements

• ECON 401, completed with a grade of C– or better.
• ECON 402, completed with a grade of C– or better. (ECON 401 should be elected before ECON 402.)
• STATS 206, STATS 250 or 280 (Basic), or STATS 426 or ECON 451 (Intermediate), or ECON 453 (Advanced), completed with a grade of C– or better.
• ECON 251(Basic), or ECON 452 (Intermediate), or ECON 454 (Advanced); completed with a grade of C– or better.  
• Electives: 15 additional credits in upper-level (300 and 400 level) ECON courses, including at least nine credits in 400 level courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite. ECON 401 and 402, and STATS 206, STATS 250, STATS 280, ECON 251, 451, 452, 453, 454 do not count toward this elective requirement for the major.

            No more than 3 credits of independent study courses (ECON 497, 498, and 499) may be counted toward the elective requirement. ECON 499 may be counted toward the elective requirement only with approval of an Economics Department advisor.

            Any 600-level course in Economics may be counted as an elective with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite, but undergraduate election of a 600-level course requires approval of the instructor.

            All students intending to major in Economics should endeavor to complete the core requirements in economic theory and in statistics and econometrics before the second term of the junior year.

Other Department Policies

The Department of Economics does not give AP credit for ECON 101 or ECON 102. Whenever the department lists ECON 101 or ECON 102 as a prerequisite, the department does not accept AP credit as a substitute.

Students achieving a 4 or 5 on the AP Microeconomics exam receive 2 credits for ECON 101X, and students achieving a 4 or 5 on the AP Macroeconomics exam receive 2 credits for ECON 102X. As prerequisites for other courses in Economics and as prerequisites for the Economics major and minor, ECON 101X does not substitute for ECON 101, and ECON 102X does not substitute for ECON 102. Students receiving 2 credits for ECON 101X may take ECON 101 and receive 4 credits for ECON 101. Students who receive 2 credits for ECON 102X may take ECON 102 and receive 4 credits for ECON 102. Thus, anyone who intends to major in economics, to minor in economics, or to take electives in economics at the 300 or 400 level should enroll in ECON 101 and/or ECON 102.

Students intending to apply to the BBA program should consult carefully the requirements of the Business School. As of this writing, the Business School does not accept ECON 101X as a substitute for ECON 101, and it does not accept ECON 102X as a substitute for ECON 102.

Advanced placement credits in MATH 121 may be substituted for MATH 115. Credits in MATH 120 alone do not satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for an economics major or minor. Students with credit for MATH 120 may satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for the Economics major by completing, with a grade of at least C, ECON 210, MATH 115, MATH 116, or one of the Honors alternatives to these courses.

Ann Arbor campus requirement

To count toward the major, any course not taken on the Ann Arbor campus of the University should be approved in advance by an Economics Department Advisor.

ECON 401 and 402 must be taken on the Ann Arbor campus of the University.

To count toward the major, at least four credits of 400-level electives with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite must be taken on the Ann Arbor campus of the University.

Distribution Policy

No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement . In addition, courses in the ECON subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.

Qualified students are encouraged to consider an Honors subplan in Economics. The standards for admission are a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4. Application is made and admission is granted to the Honors plan  in the fall term of either the junior or senior year.

Honors majors are required to complete the requirements for a regular major in Economics.

An Honors plan must include

• One of: ECON 451 or ECON 453 or STATS 426
• One of: ECON 452 or ECON 454.
• One credit of ECON 497.

Being a requirement, the first credit of ECON 497 does not count toward the elective requirement for the major. Honors students may complete a second credit of ECON 497; students who do may apply this second credit towards the elective requirement (subject to the limit on non-didactic credits) by requesting assistance from an Economics Department advisor.

In addition, Honors majors must complete a senior Honors thesis. The senior Honors thesis is an independent research project completed by the student under the direction of a faculty advisor and the Director of the Honors Program in Economics. Honors majors are given priority in election of one section of ECON 495 (Seminar in Economics).

Economics (Major) (Winter 2023 - Fall 2023)

Effective Winter 2023

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of C or better. MATH 120 may not be substituted for MATH 115. MATH 116, 121, 156, 176 ,  185, 186, 215, 216, 255, 256, 285, 286, 295, or 296 may be substituted for MATH 115.

Advanced placement credits in MATH 121 may be substituted for MATH 115. Credits in MATH 120 alone do not satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for an economics major or minor. Students with credit for MATH 120 may satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for the Economics major by completing, with a grade of at least C, MATH 115, MATH 116, or one of the Honors alternatives to these courses.

Economics (Major) (Fall 2022)

Effective Fall 2022

Any 600-level course in Economics may be counted as an elective with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite, but undergraduate election of a 600-level course requires approval of the instructor.

All students intending to major in Economics should endeavor to complete the core requirements in economic theory and in statistics and econometrics before the second term of the junior year.

Students achieving a 4 or 5 on the AP Microeconomics exam receive 2 credits for ECON 101X, and students achieving a 4 or 5 on the AP Macroeconomics exam receive 2 credits for ECON 102X. As prerequisites for other courses in Economics and as prerequisites for the Economics major and minor, ECON 101X does not substitute for ECON 101, and ECON 102X does not substitute for ECON 102. Students receiving 2 credits for ECON 101X may take ECON 101 and receive 4 credits for ECON 101. Students who receive 2 credits for ECON 102X may take ECON 102 and receive 4 credits for ECON 102. Thus, anyone who intends to concentrate in economics, to minor in economics, or to take electives in economics at the 300 or 400 level should enroll in ECON 101 and/or ECON 102.

• At least one semester of ECON 497.

Economics (Major) (Winter 2021 - Summer 2022)

Effective Winter 2021

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of C or better. MATH 120 may not be substituted for MATH 115. MATH 116, 121, 156, 176 (only topic Explorations in Topology and Analysis),  185, 186, 215, 216, 255, 256, 285, 286, 295, or 296 may be substituted for MATH 115.

Economics (Major) (Winter 2020 - Fall 2020)

Effective Winter 2020

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of C or better. MATH 120 may not be substituted for MATH 115. MATH 116, 121, 156, 176 (only topic Explorations in Topology and Analysis) , 185, 186, 215, 216, 255, 256, 285, 286, 295, or 296 may be substituted for MATH 115.

• STATS 250 or 280 (Basic), or STATS 426 or ECON 451 (Intermediate), or ECON 453 (Advanced), completed with a grade of C– or better.

Economics (Major) (Winter 2019 - Fall 2019)

Effective Winter 2019

Economics Undergraduate Office. The undergraduate office is located at 243 Lorch Hall, (734) 763-9242. The Student Services Assistant for the economics undergraduate program is available to answer questions about requirements for the major, course offerings, wait-list procedures, career/job information, economics networking program, and other matters concerning the undergraduate program.

Economics (Major) (Fall 2018)

Effective Fall 2018

• ECON 251(Basic), or ECON 452 (Intermediate), or ECON 454 (Advanced); completed with a grade of C– or better. Students interested in economic research and/or in applying to doctoral programs in economics or finance are encouraged to elect the advanced sequence, ECON 453 and 454. These courses develop a deep, foundational understanding of the empirical methods used in economic research. This sequence will be especially useful to students intending to apply to doctoral programs in economics or finance.
• Electives: 15 additional credits in upper-level (300 and 400 level) ECON courses, including at least nine credits in courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite. ECON 401 and 402, and ECON 250, 251, 451, 452, 453, 454, and as of WN22, ECON 497 do not count toward the elective requirement for the major.

Qualified students are encouraged to consider an Honors subplan in Economics. The standards for admission are a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4. Application is made and admission is granted to the Honors plan during the first term of the junior year.

Economics (Major) (Fall 2016 - Summer 2018)

Effective Fall 2016

• Electives: 15 additional credits in upper-level (300 and 400 level) ECON courses, including at least nine credits in courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite. ECON 401 and 402, and ECON 250, 251, 451, 452, 453, and 454 do not count toward the elective requirement for the major.

Qualified students are encouraged to consider an Honors plan in Economics. The standards for admission are a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 and evidence of outstanding ability in economics. Application is made and admission is granted to the Honors plan during the first term of the junior year.

In addition, Honors majors must complete a senior Honors thesis. The senior Honors thesis includes original work completed by the student under the direction of a faculty advisor and the Director of the Honors Program in Economics. Honors majors are given priority in election of one section of ECON 495 (Seminar in Economics).

Economics Major (Fall 2015-Summer 2016)

May be elected as a departmental major

Effective Date: Fall 2015-Summer 2016

Prerequisites to the Major

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of C or better.  MATH 120 may not be substituted for MATH 115.  MATH116, 121, 156, 185, 186, 215, 216, 255, 256, 285, 286, 295, or 296 may be substituted for MATH 115.

To declare an Economics major,schedule an appointment with an Economics Department advisor. Students must complete the prerequisites to the major before declaring and must have a GPA of 2.0 or better in the major.

Requirements for the Major

An Economics major must include a minimum of 29 credits, distributed as follows:

• ECON 402, completed with a grade of C– or better.
• STATS 250(Basic), or STATS 426 or ECON 451 (Intermediate), or ECON 453 (Advanced), completed with a grade of C– or better.
• ECON 251(Basic), or ECON 452 (Intermediate), or ECON 454 (Advanced); completed with a grade of C– or better.

Students interested in economic research and/or in applying to doctoral programs in economics or finance are encouraged to elect the advanced sequence, ECON 453 and 454. These courses develop a deep, foundational understanding of the empirical methods used in economic research. This sequence will be especially useful to students intending to apply to doctoral programs in economics or finance.

• Electives:  15 additional credits in upper-level (300 and 400 level) ECON courses, including at least nine credits in courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite. ECON 401 and 402, and ECON 250, 251, 451, 452, 453, and 454 do not count toward the elective requirement for the major.

Any courses for the major to be taken elsewhere than the Ann Arbor campus of the University should be approved in advance by an economics department advisor.

At least 12 credits in the major, including ECON 401, ECON 402, and at least three of the credits in upper-level economics electives in courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite, must be taken at the Ann Arbor campus.

Honors Plan

Honors majors are required to complete the requirements for a regular major in Economics. An Honors plan must include ECON 451 and 452, or ECON 453 and 454. In addition, Honors majors must complete a senior Honors thesis. The senior Honors thesis includes original work completed by the student under the direction of a faculty advisor and the Director of the Honors Program in Economics. Honors majors are given priority in election of one section of ECON 495 (Seminar in Economics).

Economics Major (Fall 2014-Summer 2015)

Effective Date: Fall 2014

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of C or better. One of the Honors alternatives to MATH 115 may be substituted for MATH 115. MATH 120 may not be substituted for MATH 115. MATH 116, 121, 156, 185, 186, 215, 216, 255, 256, 285, 286, 295, or 296 may be substituted for MATH 115.

Students with a serious interest in the study of economics are strongly encouraged to continue the study of calculus beyond MATH 115. MATH 116, 215, and 217, or their Honors alternatives, are recommended for students with an interest in quantitative economics. Note that MATH 116 (Calculus II) is a prerequisite for ECON 451 and that MATH 215 (Calculus III) and MATH 217 (Linear Algebra) are prerequisites for ECON 453.

An economics major must include a minimum of 29 credits, distributed as follows:

• ECON 401, completed with a minimum grade of C– or better
• ECON 402, completed with a minimum grade of C– or better

ECON 401 should be elected before ECON 402.

• STATS 250 or 426, or ECON 451, or ECON 453; completed with a minimum grade of C– or better
• ECON 251, or ECON 452, or ECON 454; completed with a minimum grade of C– or better

Students with a serious interest in economic research should elect the advanced sequence, ECON 453 and 454. These courses aim to develop deep, foundational understanding of the empirical methods used in economics. This sequence will be especially useful to students intending to apply to doctoral programs in economics or finance.

All students intending to major or minor in economics are urged to complete the core requirements in economic theory and in statistics and econometrics before the second term of the junior year. Honors Plan

Economics Major (Fall 2011-Summer 2014)

Effective Date: Fall 2011-Summer 2014

Honors revisions effective Fall 2012

ECON 101 and 102 and MATH 115, each completed with a grade of at least C. One of the Honors alternatives to MATH 115 may be substituted for MATH 115. Advanced placement credits in MATH 121 may be substituted for MATH 115. Credits in MATH 120 alone do not satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for an economics major or minor. Students with credit for MATH 120 may satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for the Economics major by completing, with a grade of at least C, MATH 115, MATH 116, or one of the Honors alternatives to these courses.

Students with a serious interest in the study of economics are strongly encouraged to continue the study of calculus beyond MATH 115. MATH 116, 215, and 217, or their Honors equivalents, are recommended for students with an interest in quantitative economics. Students with a serious interest in economic research should elect ECON 405 (or STATS 426) and ECON 406.

Schedule an appointment with an economics department advisor to declare an economics major. Students must complete the prerequisites to the major before declaring and must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in the major.

An economics plan for the major must include:

• ECON 401 (Intermediate Microeconomics) and ECON 402 (Intermediate Macroeconomics), each completed with a grade of at least C-;
• Statistics. One of the following: ECON 404 (Statistics for Economists), ECON 405 (Introduction to Statistics), or STATS 426 (Introduction to Mathematical Statistics); and
• Electives: 15 additional credits in upper-level (300 and 400 level) ECON courses, including at least nine credits taken from courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite. ECON 406 also counts toward these nine credits.

Ann Arbor campus requirement:  Any courses for the major to be taken outside the Ann Arbor campus of the University should be approved in advance by an economics department advisor. At least 12 credits in the plan for the major, including ECON 401, ECON 402, and at least 3 of the credits in upper-level economics electives in courses with ECON 401 or ECON 402 as a prerequisite, must be taken at the Ann Arbor campus.

Students who have completed ECON 405  or STATS 426 are strongly encouraged to include ECON 406 (Introduction to Econometrics) as one of the electives in their plan for the major. Note that MATH 116 (Calculus II) is a prerequisite for ECON 405 and that MATH 215 (Calculus III) and MATH 425 / STATS 425 (Introduction to Probability) are prerequisites for STATS 426.

ECON 401, 402, and statistics are prerequisites to many upper-level economics courses and should be elected during the sophomore or junior year. ECON 401 should be elected before ECON 402.

Qualified students are encouraged to consider an Honors major in Economics. The standards for admission are a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 and evidence of outstanding ability in economics. Application is made and admission is granted to the Honors major during the first term of the junior year.

Honors majors are required to complete the requirements for a regular major in Economics. An Honors plan for the major must include ECON 405 (or STATS 426) and ECON 406. In addition, Honors majors must complete a senior Honors thesis. The senior Honors thesis includes original work completed by the student under the direction of a faculty advisor and the Director of the Honors Program in Economics. Honors majors are given priority in election of one section of ECON 495 (Seminar in Economics).

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University Honors Program

• Honors Requirements
• Major and Thesis Requirements
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Major Requirements for Students Pursuing Latin Honors

MATH 1571H - Honors Calculus I (Fall) MATH 1572H - Honors Calculus II (Fall and Spring) MATH 2573H - Honors Calculus III (Fall) MATH 2574H - Honors Calculus IV (Spring)  

HCOL 3101H or HCOL 3102H

B.S. students do not currently have a capstone requirement. For B.A. students, the Honors Thesis is completed in lieu of ECON 3951.

All Economics majors must complete a prerequisite before completing the Honors Thesis — BA and BA-Q ("quant") students must take ECON 4211, and BS students must take ECON 4261. Students need the foundations laid in these courses to effectively complete their theses. For all students, ECON 4993 is recommended as a directed-studies course while students work on thesis research with their faculty advisor.

Summa students must initiate an original research project. Magna and cum laude students may supplement and/or update existing work in the field as their thesis project.

Honors Faculty Representative Info

• Summer Research Opportunities
• Global Seminars and LAC Seminars
• Honors Research in London - Summer 2024

2024 Economics Major Curriculum

2024 economics major tracks, 2024 economics major w/ thesis curriculum, 2024 economics major w/ thesis tracks, 2024 economics major w/ thesis (honors) curriculum, 2024 economics major w/ thesis (honors) tracks.

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MIT economics to launch new predoctoral fellowship program

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The MIT Department of Economics is launching a new program this year that will pair faculty with predoctoral fellows.

“MIT economics right now is historically strong,” says Jon Gruber, the Ford Professor of Economics and department head of MIT economics. “To remain in that position involves having the resources to stay on the cutting edge of the research frontier, and that requires the use of predocs.”

The nature of economic research has changed enormously, adds Gruber, due to factors like the use of large datasets, innovations in experiment design, and comprehensive data analysis, all of which require the support of predocs. This new research model empowers economists to address national and global challenges in profound and much more effective ways.

The new predoc program is made possible by an ongoing major fundraising initiative in the department. 

Gruber gave credit to Glenn Ellison, the Gregory K. Palm (1970) Professor of Economics and former department chair, for working closely with Roger Altman, MIT Corporation member and the former head and current member of the visiting committee, to craft a vision for the future of the department that will ultimately include up to 24 predocs that would work for economics faculty at MIT. 

“It’s a great vision. They put a lot of work into it,” Gruber says.

With significant support from the Altman Family Fund, Gruber explains, the predoc program will be able to ramp up, providing predocs to the department’s junior faculty. He expects six predocs to start in the department this fall.

“We’ll have a wide range of junior faculty who will be using these predocs for a bunch of really interesting and important questions that are very data- and research-intensive,” Gruber says.

Tobias Salz, the Castle Krob Career Development Associate Professor of Economics, is one of the faculty members already benefiting from a pilot of the new program. He’s working on a large project on the search engine market.

“I am working with a predoctoral research fellow who has been instrumental in many parts of the project, including the design of an experiment and data analysis,” says Salz. “Initially, I was only able to hire him for one year, but with the new funding I am able to extend his contract. The predoctoral program has therefore helped ensure continuity on this project, which has made a big difference.”

Nina Roussille, assistant professor of economics, says her work will greatly benefit from collaborating with a predoc. Several of her projects either require the analysis of large, administrative datasets or the implementation of large-scale experiments.

“This kind of work will be greatly enhanced and streamlined with the help of a predoc to construct, clean, and analyze the data, as well as to set up the experiments and study their effects. This will free up some of my time to participate in more projects and allow me to focus my efforts on high-yield tasks, such as data analysis and paper writing,” says Roussille.

Roussille adds that she’s excited about the opportunity to mentor a young economist on the path to a PhD.

“They’ll greatly benefit from the vibrant research environment of the MIT economics department,” she said.

Gruber sees the program as mutually beneficial for both the predocs and the faculty.

“The advantage for the predoc is they get research experience and they get to know a faculty member,” adds Gruber. “The advantage for the faculty is they get to work with someone who wants to excel and make an impression with the person they research for.”

Beyond establishing the predoc program, this current fundraising initiative prioritizes building resources for faculty research in the Department of Economics. In addition to the gift from the Altman Family Fund to establish the predoctoral fellowship program, this fundraising initiative has secured several other significant contributions, including:  

• the creation of the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professorship Fund, through the support of Dan Rubinfeld, PhD ’72;
• the Thapanee Sirivadhanabhakdi Techajareonvikul (1999) Professorship Fund, established by economics undergraduate alumna and her husband, Aswin Techajareonvkul MBA ’02;
• another endowed professorship in the department, through the support of an anonymous donor;
• the creation of the Locher Economics Fund, which will provide discretionary resources to support faculty research for the department, through the support of Kurt ’88, SM ’89, and Anne Stark Locher; and
• a gift to create the Dr. James A. Berkovec (1977) Memorial Faculty Research Fund in Economics, established by Ben Golub, ’78, SM ’82, PhD ’84.

To date, almost $30 million has been secured for these purposes, and efforts are ongoing.

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Business Economics at Minnesota: A New Econ Major Coming Fall 2024

The Department of Economics is delighted to announce a new undergraduate major—the BA in Economics - Business Economics Emphasis— starting fall 2024. A partnership with the Carlson School of Management, the new major will offer a foundation in economics with an emphasis in business, and it will include accounting and a required number of business credits taught through the Carlson School as part of the major.  

Department of Economics chair Professor Thomas Holmes said, "Many of our students are already pursuing a business economics track, taking business-oriented economics courses such as money and banking within their major and taking Carlson classes outside of their major. What's great about the new business economics major is that by bringing Carlson classes inside their major, students have more options and flexibility for getting business content in their curriculum."  

In another change starting fall 2024, financial accounting will count as an economics elective in the BS, BA, and BA-Q versions of our major.  Holmes said, "I am really pleased to work with Carlson to offer accounting as an option for all of our students. It really complements the study of economics. I encourage all students interested in a business orientation in their studies to take advantage of this new option."

Getting Down to Business with Business Economics

On Friday, April 5 at noon, in Hanson Hall 1-106 , the department will be starting a new lecture series called Business Economics at Minnesota . Matthew Mazzucchi, an alumnus of the undergraduate program and managing director and co-head of Houlihan Lokey’s Power & Utilities Group, will deliver the inaugural lecture titled, "Getting Down to Business with Business Economics."  Matt will discuss how he has put the tools of business economics to work in his own career, which has included advising on numerous large energy M&As and restructuring. Pizza and rootbeer are included! More information about the event (PDF)

Register to attend  

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December 2023 Newsletter

December 2023 News & Highlights from the Department of Economics

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