Economics Survey Report (N=40)

Economics Survey Report (N=40)

Students who were currently Economics majors in the 2011-12 academic year were asked to complete the following web-survey. The survey results were given to the Economics department for their review.

Student background questions N %

Entered USM as:

Freshmen (no previous college experience) 18 45%

Transfer (had some college experience) 22 55%

i. Transferred from an in-state (i.e. Maine) community college. (7) ii. Transferred from a public in-state (i.e. Maine) 4-yr college. (3) iii. Transferred from a public university- outside of Maine. (5) iv. Transferred from private four-year college- outside of Maine. (4) v. Transferred from private in-state (i.e. Maine) college (3)

Number of credits when declared Economics Major N %

0-29 (freshmen) 6 15%

30-59 (sophomore) 15 38%

60-89 (junior) 15 38%

90 + (senior) 3 8%

Returning to school for 2

degree 1 3%

Did you expect to major in Economics when you entered USM N %

*Yes, I planned to become an Economics major when I came to USM 15 38%

*I did not know what my major was going to be when I came to USM 12 30%

*I was expecting to major in another social science 4 10%

(i.e. political science, sociology, geography, criminology)

*I was expecting to major in the humanities or fine arts 1 3%

(i.e. music, art, theatre, English, history, philosophy, foreign language)

*I was expecting to major in a natural science 1 3%

(i.e. chemistry or biology)

*I was expecting to major in an applied field 7 18%

(i.e. business, nursing, engineering, social work)

Semesters at USM N %

*4 semesters or less 18 45%

*5 semesters or more 22 55%

Semesters have taken Economics courses N %

*4 semesters or less 26 65%

*5 semesters or more 14 35%

Reasons for selecting Economics major N %

*The subject was interesting to me 40 100%

*It is a good career choice 14 35%

*The Economics dept has a good reputation 11 28%

*I did not like my previous major 10 25%

*I wanted to learn more about the economics field 23 58%

*Other comments 4 10%

*needed worthwhile classes to fulfill credit requirements

*liked the professors

*had good experience with the classes/teachers

*desire to work internationally

Motivation for becoming an Economics major N %

*I enjoyed my introductory economics course 28 70%

*I was encouraged by a USM faculty member 11 28%

*I was encouraged by another economics student 5 13%

*I was supported by someone in my family 6 15%

*I was motivated by a someone else in the econ field 4 10%

*Other comments 4 10%

*potential job opportunities

*personal interest

*connection between academic life and personal life

*future options

Changed major more than once before selecting an Economics major N %

*No, the Economics major is the only major I declared at USM. 15 38%

*Yes, I have declared other majors before selecting Economics. 16 40%

*Previously was Psychology major

*Looked at Business major

*Combining Econ with Engineering

*Double-major Econ with Math

*Previous was Nursing major

*Declared Economics and Accounting

*Double-major with Computer Science

*Accounting and Business

*Previous major was Political Science

*Double-major with Finance

*Several previous majors; English, German, Social Work..then Economics

Student Comments: Why Selected Economics as Major

*I worked in a business climate and wanted credentials that were sought after in business.

*My first interesting course at USM was taught by a wonderful professor and I was hooked.

*I took an EYE course on consumerism. The class showed me that economics was the best path to enter into the world of international development.

*I chose economics as my major not only because it interests me, but also it was an alternative to the non-existent business major at my first university.

*I wanted a better understanding of the national and global economy and factors that influence it.

*With recent situation in the world, learning about economics seemed more important than ever before.

*I was previously a math major and wanted some variety besides only math classes.

*The only classes I found engaging and interesting were economics classes, fantastic staff.

*It comes easy to me and is relevant today, good major choice for being a better business man.

*I became really interested after taking introductory micro, I previously knew nothing about economics, so I would be learning a lot with this as my major.

*Economics is a nice balance between the arts and sciences. I have found on my resume, that

economics stands out as more respected than business majors.

*I selected economics because I like my professor in my macro class.

*I liked the economic class I took in high school, plus this field can lead to good job offers.

*I became interested in economics during the recession in 2008, and decided to major in it rather than another subject.

*Family influence played a part, and my interest was created by my economics professor.

*I enjoyed my intro class, and I talked to instructor about being an economics major.

* I thoroughly enjoyed learning about what makes the world go around.

*The classes seem to fit into my business minor, so I declared economics as my major.

*I love the options that an economics major offers.

*I selected Econ because of the current time period and wanted to know how economics is an essential role in politics and our world today.

*Originally I was just a finance major, but added economics because it was interesting and relevant to me.

*The good teachers in this field has kept me interested in the field.

*It makes sense to major in economics today.

*I wanted to extend my knowledge of economics and how it could be applied to Capitalism.

*I had read a few books on economics and felt that it was a good major for me.

*It seems to fit well with my life values and professional goals.

*I would like to go to a University in Hong Kong to study finance and economics. Economics concepts and theories support my financial and political analysis about the world.

*I selected economics because I want to work for the United Nations.

*I took and Intro to Macro course as a requirement for my previous major and found the material very interesting, so decide to change major from Social Work to Economics.

*I have a broad interest in economics and its applications.

*I have been working in a different field, but thought economics would help me in my field.

Student Comments: Motivation to Become Economics Major

*I developed a love of economics after taking a few electives in the Economics dept.

*I liked the professors.

*Economics is a very applicable field of study.

*Money and business was the driving factor.

*Enjoyed the classes I had.

*My professor got me into it after I took micro.

*I am motivated to study economics because I have a desire to learn how the economy works, and why it works poorly or well.

*I enjoyed my high school economics class, so I picked economics for my college degree.

*I felt economics would help train me for a well-rounded career in an international field.

*I had friends who were taking economics classes and they encouraged me.

*I wanted to understand economics and was curious to learn more about the subject.

*Economics seems to come easy to me, so I think it is the field for me.

*I was motivated by my urge to learn more about economics, plus I liked my Intro to Micro class.

Additional Comments: Economics Dept or Curriculum

*Make the BS Economics degree geared toward technology also, and add computer science courses.

*Love my economics courses, but wish some classes didn’t interfere with some business courses that I wanted to take.

*The curriculum taught in my classes have without a doubt changed my life, I have full confidence in all my professors.

*I have found it to be very rewarding, and the professors, as a department, have been superior to other departments.

*Excellent group of teachers; compared to other majors. They are supportive.

*I dislike how the classes are offered every 3

semester and how often some of the classes are offered at 4:00 or 6:00.

*My only complaint is the quality of Econ 101 course; my suggestion would be to standardize Intro to Micro and Macro in some way (% of graph familiarity, a baseline of formulas, etc).

*Really enjoyed all the classes and professors I have had so far, economics seems to be a dept that very few people have any complaints about.

*Intro course must be more consistent among professors; and hire more professors with a degree from somewhere else than UMASS. I would like to hear a variety of economic ideals.

*I have enjoyed the wide availability of courses.

*The intro class was really good, and then I took Micro and Macro. I would like a deeper level of these courses and to learn about quantitative analysis in economics.

*I have not yet found an economics professor whom I did not enjoy. Professors seem to care about student learning.

*The department is very liberal, more focus is needed on the political side of economics.

*Love the classes….I would really like if internships were available in this field.

*I hope majoring in economics will get me a good job.

*Lack of an Economics Club is depressing; but I hope to get some economics majors together to start a

club soon.