{"id":1773,"date":"2025-11-17T18:01:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T18:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/?page_id=1773"},"modified":"2026-01-27T17:27:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T17:27:41","slug":"160-economics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/","title":{"rendered":"Economics"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"introduction block-container\" >\n    <div class=\"introduction__content\">\n    \t        \t<p class=\"introduction__copy\">If you\u2019re curious about what drives inequality, prosperity, and power\u2014this is a place to ask bold questions and use economics to make sense of it all.\u00a0Once you start thinking like an economist, it\u2019s hard to stop.<\/p>\n    \t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section   class=\"callout-resource block-container callout-resource--inner\">\n    <div class=\"callout-resource__inner\">\n        <div class=\"callout-resource__lockup-column\">\n            <div class=\"callout-resource__lockup\">\n                <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">Make decisions in a world of scarcity<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">Why do some people go hungry while others waste food? How does climate change affect cities, jobs, and global trade? Who benefits from a tax cut\u2014and who doesn\u2019t? Why do recessions occur every now and then, and what can governments do about them? At Macalester, economics is your toolkit for understanding economic systems, weighing trade-offs, and making smarter, fairer decisions. It all adds up to something powerful. Economics gives you a set of tools to think systematically about the social problems you care about and drive real change.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-resource__content-column\">\n            <ul class=\"callout-resource__links-container\">\n                                    <li class=\"callout-resource__link\">\n                        <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/facultystaff\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    Meet Our Faculty and Staff\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"callout-resource__link\">\n                        <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/majorsminors\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    Economics Major and Minor Requirements\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"callout-resource__link\">\n                        <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/courses\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    Explore Economics Courses\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                    <\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"context-image block-container context-image--right\" >\n    <div class=\"context-image__inner\">\n        <div class=\"context-image__image-column\">\n            <div class=\"context-image__image-wrapper\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"context-image__texture\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/images\/texture-context-image.png\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Student holding an award received at an economics conference\" class=\"context-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/1000027334.jpg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"context-image__text-column\">\n            <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">Our students publish research<\/h2>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">Our department is buzzing with active research. Our faculty actively publish on topics such as financial markets, global poverty, international trade, urban redevelopment, the informal economy, health, and environmental policy. Many students co-author papers and present at conferences before they even graduate. They gain experience in thinking deeply and working closely with experts to tackle hard problems.<\/p>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"context-image block-container context-image--left\" >\n    <div class=\"context-image__inner\">\n        <div class=\"context-image__image-column\">\n            <div class=\"context-image__image-wrapper\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"context-image__texture\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/images\/texture-context-image.png\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Group of students walks toward an insurance agency in downtown Minneapolis\" class=\"context-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/10\/20221020_mac_0150_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400.jpg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"context-image__text-column\">\n            <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">The world is your classroom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">We encourage you to study away, and many of our majors do. Many also intern in the Twin Cities, a metro area packed with opportunities in finance, policy, consulting, and community development, and in major cities throughout the country. These experiences often turn into full-time jobs\u2014thanks in no small part to our robust alumni network, which opens doors in New York, D.C., and beyond. <\/p>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"context-image block-container context-image--right\" >\n    <div class=\"context-image__inner\">\n        <div class=\"context-image__image-column\">\n            <div class=\"context-image__image-wrapper\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"context-image__texture\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/images\/texture-context-image.png\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Student wearing a suit standing in the lobby of Thrivent Financial, their internship site\" class=\"context-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/10\/muath_ibaid-1080x0-c-default-1.jpg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"context-image__text-column\">\n            <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">Choose your adventure<\/h2>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">You\u2019ll find alumni everywhere, from Wall Street to the World Bank to local start-ups. Our students go into business, finance, or consulting. Others take what they\u2019ve learned to graduate school. Some head into government or international organizations to work on big challenges like climate change, trade, or development, while others join non-profits or advocacy groups to make a difference in their communities. Our majors also start their own businesses, work in tech, or go into fields like urban planning.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"callout-quote block-container\" >\n    <div class=\"callout-quote__inner\">\n        <div class=\"callout-quote__container\">\n            <div class=\"callout-quote__image-column\">\n                <div class=\"callout-quote__image-wrapper callout-quote__image-wrapper--landscape\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"\n                        src=\"\"\n                        alt=\"\"\n                        class=\"callout-quote__image\"\n                    >\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"callout-quote__image-wrapper callout-quote__image-wrapper--portrait\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"\n                        src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/Sondhi_Achal_CC_cropped-scaled-1080x0-c-default.jpg\"\n                        alt=\"Achal Sondhi\"\n                        class=\"callout-quote__image\"\n                    >\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"callout-quote__text-column\">\n                <blockquote class=\"callout-quote__quote\">Always be open. Have a long-term view, but follow the opportunities that come your way.<\/blockquote>\n                <cite class=\"callout-quote__name\">Achal Sondhi &#8217;07<\/cite>\n                                \t<cite class=\"callout-quote__title\">Chief investment officer at Aquila Capital, economics major<\/cite>\n                                \t                <div class=\"callout-quote__cta\">\n\t                    <a class=\"base-cta-secondary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/news\/2024\/08\/work-wisdom-achal-sondhi-07\/\" target=\"_self\">Read Achal&#8217;s story<\/a>\n\t                <\/div>\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-quote__ornament\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/texture-quote.svg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"statistic-group block-container\" >\n\t<div class=\"statistic-group__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__header-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">A launch pad for economics careers <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stats\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"statistic-group__stat-heading\">17<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__stat-copy\">Number of Fortune 500 companies near campus, including Target, UnitedHealth Group, Best Buy, 3M, and General Mills<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"statistic-group__stat-heading\">73<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__stat-copy\">Percentage of Macalester students who do an internship or research project<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Airplane icon\" class=\"statistic-group__stat-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/10\/airplane.png\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__stat-copy\">Annual trips to New York City connect students with alumni working in investment banking<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"context-image block-container context-image--right\" >\n    <div class=\"context-image__inner\">\n        <div class=\"context-image__image-column\">\n            <div class=\"context-image__image-wrapper\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"context-image__texture\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/images\/texture-context-image.png\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Leaders of Women in Economics and Macalester Investment Group sit behind table at organization fair\" class=\"context-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/10\/1000026931.jpg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"context-image__text-column\">\n            <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">We show up for each other <\/h2>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">Faculty know your name, students lead the conversation, and you can drop by office hours to talk about a problem set or a policy debate you heard on NPR. You\u2019ll find community in all kinds of places: research seminars, student-led groups like Women in Econ, the Consulting Group, and the Investment Group, which manages a sizable portfolio. Further, our students are actively engaged in generating innovative policy solutions for the future through the Mayo Innovative Scholars Program and MacGPT. <\/p>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"callout-featured-media block-container\"\n >\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--cyan\"><\/div>\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--red\"><\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-row\">\n        <div class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-column\">\n                    <div class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup\">\n                                                    <h2 class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-heading\">Are you a future economics major at Macalester?<\/h2>\n                                                    <p class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-copy\">If you\u2019re considering Mac, let us know. We\u2019ll keep you up to date on application deadlines and visit opportunities.<\/p>\n                                                    <ul class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-cta\">\n                                                    <li class=\"callout-featured-media__cta-item\">\n                                <a class=\"base-cta-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/admissions\/request-information\/\" target=\"_self\">Introduce Yourself<\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n                                                                    <\/ul>\n                            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Students working in a group in a college classroom.\" class=\"base-background-media base-background-media--image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/20251009_campus-life_0786_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400-960x0-c-default.jpg\" srcset=\"        https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/20251009_campus-life_0786_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400-720x0-c-default.jpg     480w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/20251009_campus-life_0786_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400-960x0-c-default.jpg     720w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/20251009_campus-life_0786_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400-1280x0-c-default.jpg    960w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/20251009_campus-life_0786_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400-1440x0-c-default.jpg    1280w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/587\/2025\/11\/20251009_campus-life_0786_WordPress_Inline_Image_600x400-1920x0-c-default.jpg    1440w            \">\n    \n    \n        <span class=\"base-background-media__overlay\"><\/span>\n    \n        <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--yellow-long\"><\/div>\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--yellow-short\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":875,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_2020_level_2.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1773","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/875"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1773"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1935,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1773\/revisions\/1935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/economics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}