Economics Survey Report (N=40)

Transcription

1 Economics Survey Report (N=40) Students who were currently Economics majors in the 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% (sophomore) 15 38% (junior) 15 38% 90 + (senior) 3 8% Returning to school for 2 nd 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)

2 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 % *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

3 Changed major more than once before selecting an Economics major N % *No, the Economics major is the only major I declared at USM % *Yes, I have declared other majors before selecting Economics % *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.

4 *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.

5 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.

6 *I dislike how the classes are offered every 3 rd 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.