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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Why major in Political Economy, rather than double-majoring in
Political Science and Economics or just majoring in one while taking a
lot of courses in the other?
The Political Economy major is both less and more than the other two
majors. In eleven or twelve courses, it obviously cannot match the
broad coverage of two majors totaling 18. And there are some areas in
which political science and economics routinely overlap—the study of
economic development in poorer countries, for example—that the
Political Economy sequence covers less completely than you could if you
majored in Economics or Political Science while taking several courses
in the other department. The upper-level electives required for the
Political Economy major (one, apart from econometrics, in Economics,
and two from Political Science) are meant to provide an understanding
the political context, international and domestic, for the making of public
policy in the United States. Political Economy is more than the other
two majors in its three core courses. The first two bring professors
together in the classroom and usually spark lively discussions, while
the third offers a rare opportunity for collective and original
analysis of student-selected policy issues.
2. What do Political Economy majors do after graduation?
A lot of things. The largest portion goes to Wall Street or consulting,
moving on to an MBA and a career in business. The next largest
contingent goes to law school. Some others go on to a Masters in Public
Policy or other graduate degrees. The remainder run the gamut (one was
a principal at eZiba.com in North Adams; a few are in teaching or
government). That is, the aggregate profile of graduates in the last
ten years is a little closer to that of Economics graduates than it is
to those from Political Science.
3. How many people major in Political Economy each year?
Since 1998, the number of majors has varied between 8 and 18.
4. Is it advisable to go abroad as a Political Economy major?
Sure. Of all the major requirements, it is easiest to find a course
that fills the international/ comparative political economy (PSCI) slot
abroad. While traditionally the students in POEC 301 are mostly
juniors, lots of majors take it as sophomores or seniors.
5. What does it take to graduate with honors in Political Economy?
The requirements are much like other departments. You need to have a
GPA of at least 3.5 in major courses at the end of your junior spring,
stay above that threshold until you graduate, write a high-quality
thesis during the fall and winter study period, and defend that thesis
at a public presentation. Poli Ec majors do not write year-long theses
because these would interfere with the group projects undertaken in the
senior spring. For more on honors in Poli Ec, click here.
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