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"What can I do with a degree in Economics?"
Prospective students and majors often ask this question. The short answer is "anything."
Oxy graduates who majored in economics have gone on to all types of careers, becoming college professors, C.E.O.'s of major corporations, teachers, attorneys, physicians, theater managers, venture capitalists, high-level government officials, and officers in the air force—to name just a few.
Econ and ECBM majors have held positions such as Chief Financial Officer for the Federal Aviation Administration (Carl Schellenberg '62), research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board (Laura Kawano '02), teacher of students with developmental disabilities in L.A. County (Miki Moreno '73), investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs (Drenusha Kusari '04), professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin (Bruce Hansen '84), visiting fellow at the Self-Employed Women Association in India (Purvi Tank '02), and member of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers (Kathryn Shaw '76).
Our alums have also gone on to graduate school in a variety of fields, earning doctorates, master's degrees, and other advanced degrees in economics, human and organizational systems, medicine, business administration, organizational management, public policy, accounting, law, and many other fields.
More details about some of these careers and opportunities are given below.
Your first
step as you
start thinking about what you will do after Oxy should be to visit Oxy's
Career Development Center,
which offers a wealth of information and a variety of
programs regarding jobs and careers. Check out their website and
visit the office in person to learn more (start visiting early in your
college career and visit often throughout your four years).
If
you're interested in graduate school in economics, please read
carefully professor
Slavov's
Tips for Applying to PhD Programs in Economics.
This document also provides information about careers available to
people who earn advanced degrees in economics.
If
you're interested in graduate school in business administration,
please read professor Studenmund's
The MBA Myth. This
document contains important information about the MBA degree and the best
way to prepare for a career in business.
If
you're interested in applying to Law School,
a major in Economics will serve you well. Be sure to check out these
Tips for
Applying to Law School, written by Jon O'Steen '02 (an Economics and
Politics double-major at Oxy who now practices law in Arizona).
To help you
learn more about specific jobs that you may be offered right after
graduation or shortly thereafter, we've included below a few descriptions of
the jobs obtained by a sample of recent Oxy graduates. This is just a small
sample—many other positions not listed below will be available to you. Click on the links for more information.
Investment
Banking Analyst, Citigroup Global Markets, New York (Derek Lim '02)
Research Assistant,
Federal Reserve Board of Governors (Laura Kawano '02)
Center Director, SCORE!
Personal Academic Tutoring Center (Theresa Borcherts '02)
English Teacher
in Japan, JET
Program (Scott Arenstein '02)
Director
of Distribution, Myriad Pictures (Jennifer Sakurada '00)
Finance
Assistant, Community Partners (Josie Gallardo '03)
Associate,
PricewaterhouseCoopers, London (Niko Lindell '04)
You may also
gain a better understanding of the variety of career paths that Econ majors
have pursued by browsing the department's annual
newsletters. Go to the
"Alum
News" section of the newsletters to read about what our graduates have been doing.
As always, be sure
to contact your advisor or any faculty member in the department if you have questions or
concerns.
Econ alums: If you graduated in 2000 or later and would like to share your recent work experience with current and prospective students, please e-mail Giorgio Secondi at gsecondi@oxy.edu.