David A. Renelt Award
The David A. Renelt Award honors one outstanding rising senior economics major who best exemplifies the traits of growing intellectual curiosity, high ethical principles, enduring spiritual devotion and endearing congeniality.
Bachelor of Science in Economics - Public Policy Economics
Governments make society-changing policy decisions every year. The economics degree with a concentration in public policy economics at the University of St. Thomas develops your analytical and critical thinking abilities in preparation for positions with local, state, national and international governmental entities, as well as non-governmental organizations. You will also be prepared to pursue graduate study in public policy or economics.
Why Study Economics at St. Thomas?
Our program offers a breadth of courses focusing on topics ranging from econometrics to game theory. We teach you to develop not only the quantitative skills you need to understand the data and information you work with, but also the qualitative skills to interpret and communicate your analysis of various policy decisions effectively. Our graduates go on to pursue graduate school, as well as careers in government, research and business.
Decisions, Decisions
Course Requirements
You start by completing courses focusing on the foundations of economic theory and analysis while nurturing your quantitative skills with courses in mathematics and statistics. Additional economics courses examine the role of the government and policymaking. This major requires twelve credits in political science, and your electives are your choice too.
Four-Year Plan
You start out by focusing on macro and microeconomics, the foundational principles of economics. From there, you have the freedom to choose from courses based on your personal interests.
Other Economics Degrees Awarded
Internships
Local companies and organizations actively recruit economics majors at St. Thomas for internships, some of which have offered interns full-time employment after graduation. These include Medtronic, Target, General Mills, Allianz, Dorsey & Whitney, Merrill Lynch, and U.S. Bank as well government agencies like the U.S. Treasury and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The Department of Economics forwards opportunities sent by alumni at these companies to current economics students!
Tutoring
The Department of Economics offers student tutoring services to any student in a Principles of Economics course. These tutoring options are complementary and done on a drop-in basis.
Course Requirements
Course Requirements
You start by completing courses focusing on the foundations of economic theory and analysis while nurturing your quantitative skills with courses in mathematics and statistics. Additional economics courses examine the role of the government and policymaking. This major requires twelve credits in political science, and your electives are your choice too.
Four-Year Plan
Four-Year Plan
You start out by focusing on macro and microeconomics, the foundational principles of economics. From there, you have the freedom to choose from courses based on your personal interests.
Other Economics Degrees Awarded
Other Economics Degrees Awarded
Internships
Internships
Local companies and organizations actively recruit economics majors at St. Thomas for internships, some of which have offered interns full-time employment after graduation. These include Medtronic, Target, General Mills, Allianz, Dorsey & Whitney, Merrill Lynch, and U.S. Bank as well government agencies like the U.S. Treasury and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The Department of Economics forwards opportunities sent by alumni at these companies to current economics students!
Tutoring
Tutoring
The Department of Economics offers student tutoring services to any student in a Principles of Economics course. These tutoring options are complementary and done on a drop-in basis.
What Can Economics Do for You?
Economics affects every facet of our lives, from public policy all the way to business. Here is what our faculty, students and alumni have been up to lately as they apply their knowledge on a daily basis.
Lee Reiners
Lee earned his master’s degree in public policy from Duke University after graduating from St. Thomas. He worked as a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve, and now serves as the Executive Director of the Global Financial Markets Center at the Duke University School of Law. This center promotes interdisciplinary study and discussion of global financial markets and financial regulation.
Will Hancuch '19
Will is one of three students who spent the past three summers in Washington, D.C. participating in the Fund for American Studies program. He interned with the Institute for Sustainable Development, making important contributions to the Institute’s study of the effectiveness of disaster relief efforts. He also received a Young Scholars grant from St. Thomas to support a research project on Medicaid.
Dr. Matthew Kim
Dr. Kim studies the unintended effects of public policies, particularly those focused on poverty and inequality. He is currently examining how food insecurity affects employment, as well as education. He has mentored numerous student research projects on topics ranging from health insurance to college financial aid. He equips students with the tools to become critical consumers and producers of quantitative information in his statistical literacy course.
Career Paths
We give you the tools to analyze complex situations and make informed decisions, whether it is in the workplace or graduate school. Here are some paths our alumni pursued after graduating.
- Research Assistant – Federal Reserve Board
- Food Logistics Coordinator – ICA Food Shelf
- Research Assistant/Programmer – Mathematica Policy Research
- Energy Industry Analyst – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Master in Public Policy (e.g. Duke University, University of Minnesota, University of Maryland)
- National Bank Examiner – Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, U.S. Department of Treasury
Scholarships
Economics Young Scholars
We solicit proposals from students pursuing undergraduate economics research projects and provide generous financial support. In addition, we offer limited financial assistance to students applying for graduate study in economics to help cover some of the costs of GRE fees, application fees and campus visit expenses.
MinneAnalytics Scholarship
This annual scholarship sponsored by MinneAnalytics is awarded to an undergrad student who display a passion for pursuing a career in analytics and a commitment to engaging with the community.
Hear That? Opportunity Is Knocking.
15
We have 15 dedicated faculty with a wide variety of expertise and strong interest in working with students.
$109K
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median annual salary earned by economists in 2020 was $109,000.
Top 10
Economics is one of the best college majors according to Princeton Review.
Faculty With Real Dedication
Dr. Matthew Kim
Dr. Kim studies how food insecurity affects employment and educational attainment. His research seeks to improve policies and reduce poverty.
Dr. Deborah Rho
Dr. Rho researches immigrant employment outcomes in the United States, employer discrimination in hiring and racial disparities in policing.
Dr. Angela Mak
Dr. Mak studies health economics with a research focus on how exercise, parenting and school environment shape health in students.
Get Involved
Research, student-run clubs and conferences—the possibilities are endless for getting involved at the university and beyond.
Our faculty are active researchers focusing on a variety of fields. They win government grants, are featured in the New York Times, publish in leading journals and present at global conferences.
The Economics Club facilitates economic exploration outside of the classroom. Activities include professionals presenting on how they use economics in their careers, and faculty discussing current economic events like tax reform.
We support students as they pursue research. There is financial assistance for engaging in research and presenting results at conferences. Faculty include students in their projects as research assistants or collaborators.
How Will You Make a Difference?
The issues affecting us are becoming more complex every day. Whether you are interacting with alumni or collaborating with faculty on a research project, we are confident you will find a way to help address these issues.
Explore the World
Our study abroad offerings analyze economic issues in a number of countries, including Australia, Botswana, China and Northern Ireland. We offer J-term courses, as well as embedded international travel during the semester over spring break.
Put Your Skills to the Test
Our annual DataCom competition is one way you can work with data and engage in economic research. We provide a data set for you to use in the development and testing of various hypotheses. The top teams win prize money!
Making a Difference Locally
Students and faculty apply economic skills to advance the common good through a variety of courses, partnering with the city of Delano, Metro Transit and the PLACE organization to improve the services helping people’s lives.
Get Connected
Our LinkedIn and Facebook pages, annual alumni panels and other alumni-faculty communication keep us connected to our valued graduates. In return, our alumni engage with current students and help future generations of Tommies.
Engaging With Your Peers and Faculty
Our program emphasizes faculty-student interaction inside and outside of the classroom. Our annual Chili Fest sees the faculty become chefs, while students are judges. We also say goodbye to our seniors with a Senior Send-Off Bowling event each year as well.
Practical Experiences
Economics students at St. Thomas have access to a diverse array of opportunities inside and outside of the classroom through research, competitions, dedicated faculty and more. Students use their skills and knowledge to make an impact in their communities every day.
Take the Next Step
There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.