Overview

The accomplishments of economics have established it as the most successful social science.  We have developed and pushed competitive policies leading to unprecedented levels of output and wealth.  In recognition of our scientific success, the Royal Swedish Academy of Science awards an annual Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, the only social science to be so honored.  The President of the United States maintains a Council of Economic Advisors; no such permanent agency exists for any other social or natural science.  Economic thought literally has transformed society.  As John Maynard Keynes wrote in 1936, "Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist."

Some Economics majors are dead-ends or lead to relatively few alternative futures.  Not economics.  Alternatives for economic majors are unusually varied.  They include business, finance, journalism, policy research, education, administration, politics, government service, labor relations and many types of graduate study.  In the eyes of many employers, economics majors are a preferred employment risk.  Employers know that economics is not a major for students seeking an easy ride.  They know that the analytical rigor and demands of economics attract better students seeking a challenge.  To be a graduate in economics is itself a valuable credential and explains why salaries of economists are higher than those earned by other social scientists.

More importantly, because economics stresses analysis rather than facts, economists are well placed to meet the changing needs of modern jobs.  What matters in today's world is not what you know.  Information becomes outdated quickly.  Facts change.  Issues change.  Jobs change.  What matters is your ability to think.  Employers need people who can think, who can analyze new issues and solve new problems. That's what economics is about.  Economics is not a body of facts; it is a way of thinking.  In the words of a vice president for a multi-billion dollar investment firm, "Economics teaches us to confront problems, to size them up, and wrestle with creative solutions.  That is what firms hire you to do."

Mission Statement

Winthrop University provides personalized and challenging undergraduate, graduate, and continuing professional education programs of national caliber within a context dedicated to public service to the nation and to the State of South Carolina. Winthrop's longtime commitment to be among the very best institutions of its kind in the nation continually guides the mission of the university.