Whether through exploring market dynamics, inequality, or environmental sustainability, students within the Department of Economics learn to examine how individuals, firms, and governments make decisions.
Our program is designed to foster “intelligent citizenship” and rigorous scholarship, equipping students with the tools to analyze complex human behavior and social issues. Policy makers in business, government, and the nonprofit sector frequently evaluate complex economic issues. The economics major culminates in a senior thesis, where students apply their cumulative knowledge to an original research question, ensuring every graduate leaves our program with deep, practical expertise in the discipline.
Matt Von Vogt, Academic Administrative Assistant
4 Andrews Rd
Pettengill Hall
Phone: 207-786-8296
mvonvogt@bates.edu
Our graduates consistently secure placements at top organizations and graduate schools. More than two-thirds of economics majors eventually pursue further study, with acceptances to top MBA and Ph.D. programs. Alumni have embarked on their careers at top firms, research institutes, and governmental departments.
of 2020-2024 social sciences graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school
Daniel Riera-Crichton, Betty Doran Stangle Professor of Applied Economics, instructs students during their first day of International Finance seminar on September 4, 2024. (Theophil Syslo | Bates College)
=Economics class sends team to Fed Challenge at Federal Reserve Bank in Boston The course is “Central Banking and the College Fed Challenge” taught by visiting professor Michael Osei Course meets Tue-Thur, 11-12:20, Pettigrew 300, The final team will be chosen on 10/31. 11:05: Five-person team has moot presentation on Tues, Nov. 5. The team goes to the 2019 Boston Regional Fed Challenge competition at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on Friday, Nov. 8. Other students will go to Boston and support the team. The team presents their views on the ideal course of U.S. monetary policy and field questions from outside economists. Here is a report containing the class’s views on the current state of the U.S. economy and the outlook as of Oct. 14. If they win, the team will then advance to the National Competition at the Board of Governors in Washington D.C. Heads-up: so a total of 26 teams (23 University/College teams and 3 community colleges) have registered for the competition. Here are the lists: Presenters (5) Jackson Davis Ryan Rigione Thomas Dodge Jonathan Nichols James MacDonald Sophie Matt (alternate) Espen Wheeler (run slides) Jeff Yang (participant) Ethan Johnson (participant) Chris Bierwirth (driver)
1. Yes, that is the course name. It is ECON/DCS 368 2. I’m working with Jacqueline Crucet in the Economic & Community Development Department. The relationship was set up by the Harward Center — it is our second semester working together. Morgan Kinney introduced us and has been a point person to help this CEL project work two semesters in a row now. 3. The Harward Center is constantly working to set up these relationships. Jacqueline likes to work with students on these opportunities. Last semester she and I collaborated on a hackathon concerning the relationship between streetlights and crime — I think she wanted to do another semester project after that one. 4. & 5. The data are administrative city records and census data. (Technically the census is a survey, but it is aggregated to the “block” level, which is a Census unit that roughly corresponds to a city block.) The admin data was collected by the city. It is information on each household’s participation.
1. Yes, that is the course name. It is ECON/DCS 368 2. I’m working with Jacqueline Crucet in the Economic & Community Development Department. The relationship was set up by the Harward Center — it is our second semester working together. Morgan Kinney introduced us and has been a point person to help this CEL project work two semesters in a row now. 3. The Harward Center is constantly working to set up these relationships. Jacqueline likes to work with students on these opportunities. Last semester she and I collaborated on a hackathon concerning the relationship between streetlights and crime — I think she wanted to do another semester project after that one. 4. & 5. The data are administrative city records and census data. (Technically the census is a survey, but it is aggregated to the “block” level, which is a Census unit that roughly corresponds to a city block.) The admin data was collected by the city. It is information on each household’s participation.
Cecilia Rouse, who serves as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and is a professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, meets with Bates students at a welcome reception hosted by the Bates student club WE@Bates (Women in Economics) at the Fireplace Lounge on April 7, 2022. Later in the evening, Elmer W. Campbell Professor of Economics Lynne Lewis and Assistant Professor of Economics Nivedhitha Subramanian engaged Rouse in a lively Q&A session in Pettengill Hall’s Keck Classroom, followed by audience questions from students, faculty, and staff. Women in Economics provides a welcoming space for Bates students to explore the historically male-dominated fields of economics, finance, and consulting through mentorship groups; talks with leading researchers and Bates alumni; and support for students in discovering post-college opportunities. Rouse holds the Lawrence and Shirley Katzman and Lewis and Anna Ernst Professorship in the Economics of Education at Princeton.
Daniel Riera-Crichton, Betty Doran Stangle Professor of Applied Economics, instructs students during their first day of International Finance seminar on September 4, 2024. (Theophil Syslo | Bates College)
1. Yes, that is the course name. It is ECON/DCS 368 2. I’m working with Jacqueline Crucet in the Economic & Community Development Department. The relationship was set up by the Harward Center — it is our second semester working together. Morgan Kinney introduced us and has been a point person to help this CEL project work two semesters in a row now. 3. The Harward Center is constantly working to set up these relationships. Jacqueline likes to work with students on these opportunities. Last semester she and I collaborated on a hackathon concerning the relationship between streetlights and crime — I think she wanted to do another semester project after that one. 4. & 5. The data are administrative city records and census data. (Technically the census is a survey, but it is aggregated to the “block” level, which is a Census unit that roughly corresponds to a city block.) The admin data was collected by the city. It is information on each household’s participation.
Students choose economics to gain a powerful lens for understanding the world, supported by a curriculum that emphasizes both quantitative rigor and critical thinking. Through partnerships with the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, certain courses allow students to work directly with Lewiston-Auburn community partners on local economic development projects. In addition, students frequently work alongside faculty as research assistants, gaining direct experience in academic inquiry, and regularly present their findings at summits and conferences. The program is committed to intellectual discovery and “informed civic action,” preparing graduates for diverse careers in business, policy, and academia.
Our faculty is composed of active scholars who bridge the gap between policy and theory. We hold Ph.D.s from leading institutions and are engaged in high-level research, with recent achievements including National Science Foundation grants and fellowships at the Institute of Labor Economics. We regularly publish in top-tier journals and bring experience from organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Federal Reserve, which ensures that our curriculum remains relevant to global economic policy.
In the Student Center for Belonging and Community, first-generation Bates students mentor their younger peers, providing guidance on everything from academics to internships to social life.
Bates is embarking on a $45 million project to update two key athletic facilities and construct a new fitness and well-being center. A gift of $10 million from Jon W. Brayshaw ’90, P’25 and Jocelyn Stoddard Brayshaw ’88, P’25 has brought the college a vital step closer to construction. The new facility will be named the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center.
February on campus saw sports successes, several large snowfalls, and our annual Winter Carnival — a week of events celebrating the joys of the chilly season.
