News and Events
- Dr. Parker Ballinger, Professor of Economics, was invited to serve as an Economic Science Institute Affiliate at Chapman University during the month of October 2011. The Economic Science Institute (ESI), an academic center dedicated to using experimental (or laboratory) methods to understand socioeconomic behavior, was founded and is currently headed by Dr. Vernon Smith, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2002. Dr. Ballinger delivered a seminar entitled "Individual versus Social Learning: The Importance of Demonstrability" to Dr. Smith, the ESI faculty, and professors from across Chapman University and universities in the area.
- The Finance emphasis in personal financial planning was once again re-certified by the CFP Board as meeting all the requirements for students who wish to sit for the CFP exam upon graduation. We also added a new minor in financial planning last Fall.
- The number of Economics majors - both BA and BBA - reached an all-time high of 81 last Fall. This represents a huge improvement from a total of only 9 Economics majors in 1997, and is a reflection of significant improvements we have made in our Economics curriculum and marketing of our programs over the past 15 years.
- Dr. Ryan Phelps, Asst. Professor of Economics, received a grant from the Koch Foundation to initiate an undergraduate Economics reading group this year. This group has been well-received by our students and has already attracted several new Economics majors (more about it during the "Above and Beyond" session).
- Dr. Todd Brown, Asst. Prof. of Finance, Dr. Ryan Phelps, Asst. Prof. of Economics, and Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, Assoc. Professor of Economics, participated in various aspects of the University's new QEP initiative designed to enhance student learning through high-impact practices, such as undergraduate research, field-based learning and student internships.
Welcome from the Department Chair
Welcome to the Department of Economics and Finance. You will find details about our degree programs in economics and finance along with information about our faculty. We strive to recruit top students and prepare them for continuing education or successful careers in the business world.
An undergraduate economics degree is excellent preparation for pursuing a career in private, public or not-for-profit sectors of our economy. It is also a perfect way to prepare for graduate studies or professional programs like law school or an MBA program. In fact, economics majors achieve the highest scores on the LSAT exam that law schools use to screen applicants, and are among the top three majors who score the highest on the GMAT exam used by MBA programs.
Our finance degree has two excellent opportunities to help you prepare for the workforce. First is our Mast Student Investment Roundtable that allow students the opportunity to invest over $350,000 of actual money from the university and alumni endowments. Second, students may take courses that are certified by the Certified Financial Planning Board so that they are eligible to sit for the CFP exam upon graduation.
The economics and finance faculty at SFA are dedicated to creating an engaging student experience that prepares students for success on the job market or in graduate school. The faculty are directly involved with students through the finance club, business/economics honor societies, guided research projects, and one-on-one counseling regarding graduate school application or the job search process. Moreover, our faculty hold doctorates in economics from some of the finest universities in the country.
Please look through our website to learn more about our programs and call, email or stop by if we can be of assistance to you.
Thank you for your interest in us,
Todd A. Brown
Department Chair
