Undergrad News – Spring 2022

11/15/21 - BOSTON, MA. - A member of the Northeastern community walks through campus on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Welcome back, Department of Economics undergrads! 

In this newsletter, we catch up with two of our December grads. Congratulations to all who have recently completed their studies! We also share some recent academic updates, including a reminder of the elective classes offered this semester. Information about student organizations, undergraduate research, and other department happenings is also included. 

Have questions or looking for more detailed information? As a reminder, our undergraduate handbook can serve as a helpful guide on everything from Department contacts and resources to academic planning. We also encourage you to visit the Department website and refer to this CSSH Resource Chart.

Please note that the Department staff is aways available during business hours, Monday through Friday.

Have a safe and successful semester, Huskies!

Congratulations to all of our December ’21 graduates!

We were able to catch up with two of our newly minted alumni,  Joanna Vo and Rachel Silverman, to discuss their experiences and next steps. 

Joanna Vo graduated in December with a BS in Economics and Mathematics. Rachel Silverman graduated in December with a BS in Economics and a minor in Mathematics.

Spring Electives

Detailed descriptions of the elective courses offered during the spring 2022 semester available HERE.  

ECON 1240 – Economics of Crime (CRN 34140)
ECON 1260 – Contested Economic Issues (CRN 38137)
ECON 1291 – Development Economics (CRN 34141)
ECON 1711 – Economics of Sustainability (CRN 36040)
ECON 1916 – Intro Selected Topics: Micro _ Economics of Conflict (CRN 38138)
ECON 3290 – History of the Global Economy (CRN 38142)
ECON 3412 – Women’s Labor and the Economy (CRN 38143)
ECON 3413 – Health Econ & Health Policy (CRN 35966)
ECON 3423 – Environmental Economics (CRN 38144)
ECON 3440 – Public Finance (CRN 38145)
ECON 3442 – Money and Banking (CRN 32385)
ECON 3470 – American Economic History (CRN 38146)
ECON 3490 – Public Choice Economics (CRN 38264)
ECON 3915 – Intermediate Selected Topics: Applied Macro (CRN 38265)
ECON 3916 – Intermediate Selected Topics: Micro_ ST: Fintec (CRN: 33780)
ECON 4640 – Financial Economics (CRN 32773)
ECON 4681 – Information Econ & Game Theory (CRN 33666)
ECON 5200 – Topics in Applied Economics_Energy Economics (CRN 35379)

Academic Curriculum Highlights & Updates

  • Remember that undergraduates can take 5000-level Econ electives!
  • Please note that CS 1100, which is a software requirement for most of our undergraduate programs, has a 1-credit, non-billable lab as a co-requisite (CS 1101). 
  • ECON 1711 (Economics of Sustainability) and 3711 (Economics of Race) are now permanent courses.
  • ECON 1245, Economics of Inequality, is slated to become a permanent course (pending). 
  • The Economics Department has new combined majors with Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Human Services, Journalism (pending), and International Business (pending). 
  • The Minor is an option that various students can consider.  It’s not too many extra classes; please spread the word! 
  • Considering a Master’s in Economics? Learn about our PlusOne program. 
  • Stats (ECON 2350) and Econometrics (ECON 2560) now fulfill the Experiential Liberal Arts requirement. 
  • Calc 1 (MATH 1231) is being revamped to better meet the needs of Economics students. 
  • Women’s Labor and the Economy (ECON 3412) now fulfills the Analyzing and Using Data (AD) and Engaging Difference and Diversity (DD) NUPaths. 
  • Econ 2990 is part of our elective course ranges and will be indicated as such in the 2022 – 2023 course catalog.

Undergraduate Research

Do you have a research project idea that you would like to pursue? There are many avenues through which to conduct research as an undergraduate, with the support of the University, CSSH, and the Department of Economics. 

The Peak Awards (Project-Based Exploration for the Advancement of Knowledge  Awards) are just one example. Learn more at the dedicated PEAK webpage, through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. 

The Radivonyk Fund is intended to support undergraduate and PlusOne research in the Economics Department. The key goal is the initiation of research collaborations between students and faculty, which turn into applications to College Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) and University PEAK awards.

The Department of Economics is proud to recognize Owen Graham O’Regan for receiving a PEAK Experience Award and Alexander Beaudry and Taber Skiba for receiving the Undergraduate Research Initiative Awards for Fall 2021. Overviews of their projects can be found here.

Learn more about about undergraduate research at Northeastern by visiting the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships website. Information about opportunities specific to the Economics Department is included in this presentation.  Please feel free to reach out to the Department with any questions.

Get involved in our student organizations 

Students in the Economics department are part of a learning community that extends beyond the classroom. There are a number of existing student organizations to become involved in that offer an opportunity to connect with peers and mentors while exploring the field. These organizations include Economics Society, Women in Economics, EconPress, DiversEcon, and the peer mentor program.

Speaking of the peer mentor program, it is our pleasure to introduce this semester’s peer mentors for the Economics Department! Learn more about the peer mentor program here.

A detailed list of organizations, with updated information is available on the Department website. 

Interested in being part a discussion about revitalizing our Omicron Delta Epsilon honor society chapter? Email k.thorp@northeastern.edu

Looking for a job? 

 A jobs board is maintained on the Department of Economics website. Check back periodically to see if there’s a fit for your or to get ideas as you consider your next steps!

Students in Associate Teaching Professor Jill Dupree’s International Economics ECON 4635 class present their research at Fall 2021Poster Session.