A study referencing the Department of Education’s data has named Ripon College as the top school for Economics majors in Wisconsin. The Ripon College Department of Economics and Business Management prepares students to inform and lead organizations in making and carrying out effective decisions. We collaborate on defining goals and solving problems of resource use in business, nonprofit organizations and government. We integrate approaches from economics and across the liberal arts in study of fundamentals, diverse applications, research, internships and other organizational experiences. These open doors to advanced study, lifelong learning and productive and rewarding careers.

The department offers majors in economics, business management and finance. In the major and minor, students develop skills broadly applicable to many areas of work and life. They practice problem-solving by working through both quantitative and qualitative problems reflecting difficult choices among options. Critical thinking is essential as students consider competing explanations of the many cases of that problem and solutions to it in business and financial management and public policies. Students encounter an array of writing assignments ranging from essay exams to formal research papers, business plans and financial analyses.

Students engage in small group discussions, dialogs with guest speakers, and more formal group and individual presentations. In senior capstone courses, students integrate the skills they have developed throughout their course work in the completion of projects that require research, data analysis, critical thinking, and oral and written presentations of information and ideas.

Achieve More

Latest News

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Julie Streich ’92 appointed to board of directors for Schneider National Inc.

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Rick Kammen ’68 releases new book, is interviewed on NPR about prisoners at Guantanamo Bay

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Faculty

Mary Avery

Avery, Mary

Emerita Professor of Business Management, Adjunct Instructor

Richard Gerstein

Gerstein, Richard

Adjunct Instructor of Economics

Soren Hauge

Hauge, Soren

Patricia Parker Francis Professor of Economics, Chair of Economics and Business Management Department

Mirachle-Rose Toppar

Toppar, Miracle-Rose

Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Management

Zhang Fan

Zhang, Fan

Assistant Professor of Business Management

Advising

Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.

As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers.

Advising at Ripon

Requirements

Requirements for a Major in Economics
Total Credits 41 credits
Core Courses MTH 120 Elementary Statistics, ECO 211 Principles of Economics, 212 Principles of Economics, 241 Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics, 350 Price Theory, 311 Money and Banking or 352 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, 380 History of Economic Thought and 502 Economic Research
Elective Courses 11 more elective credits of economics courses numbered 300 or above, with at least four of those credits numbered 400 or above. Students may include either ECO 361 Developmental Economics I or 461 Development Economics II, but not both, and either ECO 391 Economics of Discrimination I or 491 Economics of Discrimination II, but not both.
Additional Criteria Economics students are encouraged to extend the breadth of their social science background by also taking courses in anthropology, global studies, Latin American and Caribbean studies, and religion. For interdisciplinary courses cross-listed in economics, the number of credits counting toward an economics major or minor may be less than the total number of credits for the course, as announced in the course description.
Requirements for a Minor in Economics
Total Credits 19 credits
Prerequisites ECO 241 Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics is a prerequisite for ECO 350 Price Theory or 352 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory.
Core Courses ECO 211 Principles of Economics and 212 Principles of Economics; 350 Price Theory or 352 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory.
Elective Courses Seven additional elective credits of economic courses numbered 300 or above.

Students interested in teaching economics in secondary schools need to complete the secondary education major and the social studies education licensure requirements which include: a history major or minor including 8 credits of World History, 8 credits of American History, and at least 8 credits at the 300 level or above and HIS 295 History an Historians.

Economics Courses
110 Topics in Economics, 211/212 Principles of Economics, 241 Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics, 300 Departmental Studies, 311 Money and Banking, 313 Corporation Finance, 317 Anthropology of Money, 319 Your Money or Your Life? Global Perspectives on Credit and Debt, 321 Economics of Professional Sports, 332 Resource and Environmental Economics, 340 Data Analysis for Business and Economics, 350 Price Theory, 352 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, 361 Development Economic I, 380 History Economic Thought, 391 Economics of Discrimination I, 412 investment Analysis, 446 Game Theory for Business and Economics, 452 International Economics, 461 Development Economics II, 472 Industrial Organization Economics, 491 Economics of Discrimination II, or 502 Economic Research
Combinations of Majors and Minors
In the following combinations of majors and minors, choices of elective courses must satisfy these additional conditions:

  • No economics major elective course may count toward the business management major.
  • No course numbered 300 or above may count toward both the economic minor and a major in business management, but another economics course numbered 300 or above may be substituted for ECO 350 or 352 in the minor.
  • No elective course may count toward both: a business management minor and an economics major; a social enterprise or entrepreneurship minor and a finance major; minors in economics and business management; or minors in social enterprise and entrepreneurship.
The following combinations of majors and minors are not permitted:

  • majors in both business management and finance;
  • a minor in business management and a major in finance; and
  • a major or minor in business management and a minor in either entrepreneurship or social enterprise.

 

 

 

Career Tracks

Economic majors often attend graduate schools in economics, business and closely related fields, and law schools. Many find employment in financial institutions, manufacturing corporations, and information technology-based services, as well as consulting firms, other service industries and government agencies. They are active in a wide range of positions from financial analysts to managers to consultants.

Unique Opportunities

  • Liberal Arts In Focus experiences have included a trip to Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, China, led by two Ripon economics professors, to witness China’s remarkable economic growth and study Chinese history, culture, arts and language, and trips to Costa Rica to study the conflicts and synergies between conservation of the country's extraordinary biodiversity and economic development.
  • Through the Department of Educational Studies, teaching certification in economics is available in Early Adolescence/Adolescence (grades 6-12).