Our faculty and staff are committed to your success. You will find small class sizes and faculty who are enthusiastic about the classes they are teaching and the related research they are doing. The department prides itself on the student mentoring environment it has established. Faculty members are available at office hours and regularly meet with students at other times (by appointment).
Graduate students have the opportunity to present their research at the University-sponsored Graduate Research Symposium (GRS). This Symposium offers the opportunity to present research as a poster. A number of graduate students have taken advantage of this opportunity in the past few years. Also, graduate students who have taken a course with a professor and want to study a course topic in further depth have the opportunity to do so (at the professor’s discretion) through Directed Readings Courses (Independent Study).
For students interested in PhD studies, the faculty provide advice on the PhD application process. A number of students have obtained MA Economics degrees at UMSL and gone on to top rated Economics PhD programs (e.g. Cornell, University of Wisconsin, Penn State, and Georgetown, to name just four).
Graduate students have the opportunity to present their research at regional economics association meetings including the Missouri Valley Economics Association (MVEA).
Faculty offer assistance with resumes (including providing samples and feedback) and offer guidance about internships, current job opportunities, and career paths. (This is in addition to the excellent assistance students receive through UMSL’s Career Services). The Department of Economics also sponsors an annual “Career Day” event which features a panel of three alumni. This is an important opportunity for current students to learn firsthand about career paths and ask questions about all aspects of the job process (e.g. what were the most valuable classes you took? If you had to do things over what would you do? ) For more about past Career Day participants, see the Alumni page and the Department Newsletters.