Internships
- Equitable Advisors
- HSBC
- MAVS KC
- Multnomah County
- Optiver
- Peace Corps
- State of Oregon
- Straub Outdoors
- Talking Rain Beverage Company
- Tocura Healthcare Staffing
- Tremblay Financial
- UW Health
Program Snapshot
- Degree Type
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Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts
- Program Type
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Major, Minor
- Credit Hours
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124
- Time to complete
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4 Years
- Campus
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Salem
Student Success
For Chris Brown BA '23, an internship with Alaskan Senator Dan Sullivan opened doors and offered an inside look at the legislative process -- setting him on a path to his career.
Chris's Story
Senate internship leads student on ‘path to employment’
Over the course of his internship, Chris had the opportunity to sit in on weekly Senate meetings and observe discussions between Alaskan ambassadors and Native American leaders. He also contributed to developing a bill focused on returning Native cultural artifacts.
Opportunities Beyond the Classroom
Curious where this major can take you? These are the real internships, graduate opportunities, and careers our Economics students have gone on to.
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Graduate School Destinations
- Duke University
- Kedge Business School
- Oregon State University
- Stanford University
- UC Santa Cruz
- University of Arizona
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- University of Oregon
- University of Oxford
- USC Marshall School of Business
- Willamette University
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Employment Outcomes
- City of Portland
- Epiq
- Evergreen Economics
- Getty
- Merkle
- Metro
- Oregon Employment Department
- Oregon State Hospital
- Pacific Seafood
- Peacock
- SAP
- State of Colorado
- YMCA
Alumni Stories
Our strong alumni network includes leaders in business, law, politics, education, finance, and public administration. Our students have analyzed international economics issues, changed public policies, and worked for consulting firms.
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Emily Brixey ’15
Emily Brixey ’15 credits Willamette for opening doors to her fulfilling career.
Emily Brixey ’15 navigates education policy at KnowledgeWorks, advocating for personalized competency-based learning. Her career journey, from the Oregon State Senate to the Education Commission of the States, reflects her interdisciplinary approach.
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Jeremy Coste ’17
Jeremy Coste ’17 gives thanks to collaborative environments and close relationships with professors.
A double major in Mathematics and Economics, Jeremy Coste ’17 became one of Bank of America's youngest directors at just 24. His journey started at Willamette, where he represented the university at the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition.
Introducing Some of Our Faculty
Connect with trailblazers who have made a name for themselves in the industry. With backgrounds in finance, economics, and political science, our faculty members can help you broaden your education. Work with professors in small classes to foster a deeper grasp of the subject.
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Meet Professor Sivers Boyce
Dr. Nathan Sivers Boyce specializes in teaching microeconomics, environmental economics, economic statistics, and econometrics. His research focuses on economic curriculum and pedagogy, local policy issues, and the economics of international environmental agreements.
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Meet Professor Knight
Dr. Tabitha Knight is a feminist macroeconomist whose research examines gendered labor markets, economic development, and international trade and finance. Her students benefit from her approach, which spans economics, international studies, and gender studies.
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Meet Professor Mascarenhas
Dr. Raechelle Mascarenhas specializes in the political economy of development, with a focus on foreign aid, remittances, and economic policy in South Asia. Her students benefit from her expertise in microeconomics and the role of government in the economy, as well as her research on global economic challenges.
Curriculum
Gain a solid foundation in economic theory, quantitative analysis, and critical thinking skills. Through small class sizes, you'll receive one-on-one attention and ample opportunities for engaging in discussions and collaborative projects. Apply economic and social science concepts to real-world problems.
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ECON 115: Production, Distribution, and Power in Contemporary Economics
Discover the factors behind wage disparities, the cost of basic goods, and the economic implications of climate change. You'll explore modern issues through a pluralistic framework, gaining insights into market institutions, government policies, and societal structures.
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ECON 454 The Next System
Explore alternatives to capitalism, where you'll engage with critical arguments from the production/conflict/labor theory of value tradition. Delve into the critiques of capitalism, analyze historical attempts at socialism, and investigate innovative proposals for future economic systems.
Program Requirements
Economics requires 9 courses or 36 semester hours to complete the major, with a total of 124 credit hours required to complete the degree.
Students pursuing an Economics Minor will need to complete 20 semester hours.
Admissions Information
Our Economics program is open to first-year students, transfer students, and international students. Learn more about Willamette’s undergraduate admissions process to get started.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Willamette University proudly offers generous merit scholarships and financial aid to our students. There is no separate application required to be considered for these scholarships. All admitted undergraduate applicants are automatically evaluated for merit-based scholarships, which start at $28,000 per year. These scholarships are awarded in recognition of academic excellence, taking into account cumulative GPA and SAT or ACT scores, if taken.
