The way you'll learn about economics! The economics program has a number of courses that don't generally show up in an undergraduate curriculum and traditional courses handled in untraditional ways.

History of Economic Thought is offered exclusively as a role play course. For the entire semester students immerse themselves in the character of a major economic thinker and engage in conversations with other student/economists about the great issues in economic thought - what determines value, what's the role of trade, what is the role of money, etc. Students come to know their own character, the intellectual alliances that exist among historical figures and where they and others stand on the controversial issues in economic thought. Classes are typically eight to 12 students.

Marine Resource Policy is an unusual course in an undergraduate program. The course supports both the economics and environmental studies pograms. Students enage in quantitative research where they actually value marine resources, by such activities as estimating demand for fishes, assessing the impact of harvesting on a marine habitat, and exploring the impact of changing technologies on sustainable habitats. Students come out of the course with both theoretical and empirical understanding of key issues in marine policy.

In Leadership, the Human Side of Economics students take a humanistic look at economic behavior and motivation. They also receive feedback on their own leadership styles, based on such instruments as the Kirton Adaption/Innovation Inventory, Meyers Briggs, Thomas Kilman Conflict Resolution Scale and Strong Interest Inventory. The class is characterized by many small group activites, helping students understand themselves as social and economic beings.

Natural Resource Economics offers students an intensive skill building experience with cost-benefit analysis. Students conceive a major project and execute it over the semester. They come away from the course with a powerful tool for evaluating environmental and social policy actins.

Ford Apprentice Scholar Program
Eckerd College is a remarkable per capita producer of students who go on to earn a Ph.D. We rank in the top 25 institutions in the country in this regard. The Ford Apprentice Program is aimed at encouraging students to consider careers in higher education. It involves a close working relation between a faculty and student in which the student produces a significant research project. Typical projects in recent years include:

• Professor Diana Fuguitt and Zachary Liggett,"A Two Level Analysis of US-Japan Automotive Sector Trade Negociations"
• Professor Diana Fuguitt and Sam Wilkins, "A Regression Analysis of the US Dollar, Japanese Yen and German Mark during the Modern Floating Exchange Rate Period, 1975-1993"
• Professor Tom Oberhofer and Loren Moody, "Stock Market Prediction and the Empirical Modeling Process"
• Professor Diana Fuguitt and Julia Welch, "Comparing Tampa Bay and Charleston's Permitting Criteria: The Policy Implications of Using a Demand or Needs Criterion for Coastal Development"
• Professor Linda Lucas and Jennifer Rudicil, "Common Property Rights and the New Feminist Paradigm"
• Professor Tom Oberhofer and Jason Palmateer, "Urban Influences on Major League Baseball Revenues"

Senior theses
While most seniors do a senior comprehensive research project, some seniors undertake a more extensive thesis, generally earning two course credits. Theses often grow out of the Ford projects (see above) but need not be limited in this regard. Typical theses in recent years include:

• Lars Olson, "The Economic Impact of Air Pollution in Tampa Bay: A Property Value Study"
• Michelle Smith, "The Economic Impact of Airport Noise Pollution on the Sarasota-Bradenton Area"
• Ed Berman, "Thorstein Veblen: Analysis and Appraisal"

International education
Eckerd offers international programs at our London Study Center and via exchanges (including International Student Exchange Programs) around the world. Eckerd also has collaborative programs in Madrid, Freiburg, Kansai Gaidai near Osaka and Nanzan University in Nagoya. Economics students have studied in England, Japan, Columbia, Costa Rica, and throughout Europe.