5 Business Schools with an Excellent Economics Faculty
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Students with a penchant for finance, business, structural modeling, social theory, pricing, and incentive study should consider pursuing a degree in economics. Typical coursework includes instruction in macroeconomics, microeconomics, statistics, intermediate theory, calculus, econometrics, and more. Most economists have at least a master’s degree and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2019) projects that the number of jobs for economists will swell 8 percent nationally between 2018 and 2028—faster than the average growth of all U.S. occupations during the same period.
Economics is the study of the complex processes involved in the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and resources. These professionals work in a variety of capacities studying the concepts of scarcity, resource management and use, and how economies work and interact with one another. Students of economics are highly-trained and can specialize in a complex subfield. They also tend to work very closely with business professionals in the worlds of finance and investment, sometimes finding employment as consultants.
Whether pursuing a BS, MS, or PhD, a degree in economics from one of the following five universities can get your foot in the door for an exciting and ever-evolving career. Read on to learn about 15 excellent economics faculty members and the institutions with which they are affiliated.
Carnegie Mellon University – Heinz College and the Tepper School of Business
Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business hosts top-rated programs for undergraduates, graduates, and PhD candidates.
The Tepper online MBA program is hybridized and features an intense curriculum that includes in-person sessions, live broadcasted lectures and classes, and conference-like “access weekends” six times a year. Critical courses include marketing, emerging markets, time series models, financial regulation, business forecasting, finance, operations, and accounting. The economics concentration gives students an understanding of macroeconomics, monetary policy, microeconomics, risk management, and global economics.
Notably, CMU’s MBA economics program integrates practical experience and theory, involving students in conducting and drafting their own policies and theorems. MBA specializations in engineering and healthcare policy are also available.
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KAREN CLAY, PhD
Dr. Karen Clay is a professor of economics and public policy in the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Professor Clay researches economics, econometrics, business, land claims, civil law, the economic impacts of climate change, the economics of energy, natural resources, and economic outcomes.
Dr. Clay holds a BA from the University of Virginia and a PhD in economics from Stanford University. By courtesy, Professor Clay is also a faculty member in the Tepper School of Business.
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MARTIN GAYNOR, PhD
Dr. Martin Gaynor is the E.J. Barone Professor of Economics and Health Policy at Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University. He researches healthcare markets, healthcare organizations, the economics of health, vertical restraints in healthcare, and antitrust policies and policymaking, among other topics.
Dr. Gaynor holds a BA from the University of California, San Diego and a PhD in economics from Northwestern University. By courtesy, Professor Gaynor is also a faculty member in the Tepper School of Business.
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MARVIN GOODFRIEND, PhD
Dr. Marvin Goodfriend is the Friends of Allan H. Meltzer Professor of Economics and a leading researcher and lecturer at CMU’s Tepper School of Business. His teaching and research interests focus on money and banking, monetary theory, international finance, macroeconomic fluctuations, economics, and economic development.
Dr. Goodfriend is co-editor of the Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking, as well as the Journal of Monetary Economics. Dr. Goodfriend holds a PhD in economics from Brown University and a BS in mathematics from Union College.
Fort Hays State University – Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting
Fort Hays is one of the top public universities in the Midwest and is known for its innovative pedagogical branches of entrepreneurship and innovative discovery. The Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting offers a BBA in international business and economics. Students learn about marketing, management, resource markets, finance, product markets, economics, and accounting. Examples of courses include those on the subjects of managerial economics, financial markets and institutions, current issues, international business, international economics, and financial market theory.
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CHARLES GNIZAK, PhD, MBA
Dr. Charles Gnizak is a professor of accounting and economics in the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting at Fort Hays University. He researches and teaches courses on the principles of accounting, ethics for accountants, tax economics, income tax procedures, governmental accounting, institutional accounting, and more.
Dr. Gnizak holds a PhD and a BBA in accounting from Kent State University and an MBA in management from the University of Montana.
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SAM SCHREYER, PhD
Dr. Sam Schreyer is an associate professor of economics in the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting at Fort Hays University. He researches and teaches courses on the principles of microeconomics, the principles of macroeconomics, current economic issues, money, banking, and quantitative economic methods. His work focuses on applied macroeconomics, financial crises, inflation, and international capital flows.
Dr. Schreyer holds a PhD in economics from Claremont Graduate University and an MA in economics from Wichita State University.
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DOSSE TOULABOE, PhD
Dr. Dosse Toulaboe is a professor of economics and chair of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting at Fort Hays University. He teaches the principles of microeconomics, the principles of macroeconomics, international economics, international finance, and the theories and applications of managerial economics on the MBA level. His research foci include currency valuation, international financial crises, international competitiveness, and developing countries’ economic development. He is also the director of the international business and economics program and a member of both the Southern Economic Association and the Missouri Valley Economic Association.
Dr. Toulaboe holds a PhD and an MS in economics from Oklahoma State University, in addition to a BS in management from the University of Benin, Lome, Togo.
Oregon State University – College of Business and School of Public Policy
This well-renowned public research university in Corvallis, Oregon was founded in 1868 as the regional answer to Eugene’s University of Oregon. It’s recognized as both a “best value” university and as one of the “most innovative” schools by U.S. News and World Report.
OSU’s School of Public Policy offers an interdisciplinary BA in economics that combines social science, mathematics, and finance theory. OSU’s program focuses on verbal and written communication, quantitative analysis abilities, and problem-solving skills. Expect courses on microeconomic theory, economic principles, calculus, macroeconomic theory, statistics, econometrics, and a further 19 credits of approved economics courses. The school also offers an MBA program and interdisciplinary paths in economics.
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TODD PUGATCH, PhD
Dr. Todd Pugatch is an associate professor of economics and program coordinator in the school of public policy at Oregon State University. He researches and teaches developmental economics, the economics of education, and labor economics. He holds an MA and PhD in economics from the University of Michigan. He also obtained a BA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Currently, Dr. Pugatch’s outreach efforts in academia and beyond include education reform in the Gambia, youth unemployment in South Africa, and the effect of Mexican immigration on labor markets in the U.S.
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CAROL TREMBLAY, PhD
Dr. Carol Tremblay is a professor of economics in the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University. She researches and teaches economics, public policy analysis, econometrics, labor economics, behavioral economics, industrial organization, and related fields such as neuroeconomics.
Dr. Tremblay holds a BA in economics from the University of California, Irvine and MA and PhD degrees in economics from Washington State University.
The University of Maryland, College Park – Department of Economics
The University of Maryland, College Park hosts degree programs in economics for both graduates and undergraduates, many of which can be taken either in-person or online. Its Department of Economics is known nationwide for its contributions to the study of international markets, business economics, and environmental economics. It also hosts a master’s degree in applied economics that could be particularly useful for students looking to pursue economic concentrations in academia.
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JOHN CHAO, PhD
Dr. John Chao is a professor of economics at the University of Maryland. Notably, he has held visiting research and teaching positions at prestigious institutions such as Yale, the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and the Academia Sinica in Taiwan. His current research foci include Bayesian econometrics, IV regressions, and model selection methods in time series analysis.
Dr. Chao holds a PhD in economics from Yale and is an associate editor of The Econometrics Journal.
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MELISSA KEARNEY, PhD
Dr. Melissa Kearney is the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland. She is also the director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group. She researches and teaches domestic economic policy, United States poverty and inequality, economic conditions, and government programs, among other areas.
Dr. Kearney holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is also a senior editor for the Future of Children and an editorial board member for both the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy and the Journal of Economic Literature.
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ERKUT OZBAY, PhD
Dr. Erkut Ozbay is a professor of economics at the University of Maryland. He researches, studies, and teaches behavioral economics, policy, assets, the teaching and learning of economics, experimental economics, and econometrics. He is also the founder and director of the Experimental Economics Laboratory at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Ozbay holds a PhD from New York University.
Weber State University – Goddard School of Business & Economics
Based in Ogden, Utah, Weber State University is a public university founded in 1889. The university boasts excellent programs in economics, offering a BS in business economics and an MS in business economics with potential certifications in aerospace management, contract management, and information assurance. Students cultivate specialized knowledge in the principles, laws, and theories of economics in Weber State’s BS in business economics program. Coursework includes research methods, money, banking, business statistics, business management, labor economics, and international trade. The graduate course of study follows similar lines, but delves more deeply into the mathematics and modeling of economic infrastructure.
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DORIS GEIDE-STEVENSON, PhD
Dr. Doris Geide-Stevenson is a professor of economics at the Goddard School of Business at Weber State University. She researches and teaches pedagogy, macroeconomics, microeconomics, international trade, and social policies.
Dr. Geide-Stevenson holds a PhD in economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an MA in economics from the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Germany.
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BRANDON KOFORD, PhD
Dr. Brandon Koford is an associate professor of economics and department chair at the Goddard School of Business at Weber State University. He researches and teaches economics, business statistics, econometrics, the economics of recycling services, and health economics. He also studies the valuation of publicly and privately-held property.
Dr. Koford holds an MS and PhD in economics from the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, as well as a BA in quantitative economics from Weber State.
Methodology
Schools that meet our criteria for designation as one with a brilliant economics program must:
- Offer comprehensive economics programs that prioritize student learning and research
- Assign cutting-edge curriculum that integrates research from contemporary scholarship
- Boast a demonstrated history of student satisfaction in academics, facilities, and curricula
- Retain a staff of credentialed and peer-reviewed economists and business administrators
To decide who to include in our grouping of top-achieving professors and faculty in economics, we used the following criteria:
- University Affiliation: Economics faculty on this list must currently be employed in instruction or research at an accredited university or college.
- Professional Commitment: Together with whatever research, teaching, or leadership responsibilities these economics and business professors might have, some have risen to positions like faculty dean or program director or have taken advisory positions on the boards of public firms.
- Peer Recognition: In their dedication to economics, faculty who have set themselves apart may have received special recognition for their published work, grants or allotments for research or funding, or excellence in teaching awards.
- Publication: In addition to having been featured extensively in peer-reviewed journals, many of the professionals on our list show publication expertise in the areas of quarterly and mainstream media.