Learning Opportunities & Extracurriculars

Departmental Opportunities

The Senior Honors Program

This 2-course sequence offers outstanding economics students the opportunity to work closely with an individual faculty member on a specialized research topic chosen by the student, during senior year. Completing a successful honors thesis is the only way to graduate with honors or highest honors in economics at UNC. Students writing an honors thesis are required to take ECON 691H in
Fall and ECON 692H in Spring.

ECON 293: Internship Credit in Economics

This course satisfies the College of Arts and Sciences requirement of one course in experiential learning. An internship must be pre-approved for credit.

ECON 292: Career Preparation for ECON majors

The Economics Department is offering a one-credit course to help prepare students for a career in economics. Alumnus and Economics major Michael Norwood draws on his 28 years of financial industry experience as well as lessons learned on the UNC basketball team.

DATA (Data-Acumen-Theory-Application) Science Credential in Economics

The Economics Department’s new credential in DATA science introduces in-demand data skills applied to economics. Please visit the DATA Science Credential page for more information.

Extracurricular Activities in Economics

The department offers a number of extracurricular clubs, honor societies and activities for undergraduate students to explore the discipline and to meet other economics majors. Many of opportunities are highlighted in the pages that follow.

• Economics Club
• Fed Challenge
• Omicron Delta Epsilon
• Phi Beta Kappa Society
• Women in Economics

Extra-departmental Opportunities

Pre-Graduate Fellows Program, Duke University

“The Duke Pre-Graduate Fellows Program is targeted toward advanced undergraduates or recent college graduates interested in applying to research-oriented Master’s or Ph.D. programs in economics or a related field (e.g., political science, statistics, computer science, public policy, sociology). The program is designed for students who — by their background, life experience and scholarship — can show they will bring greater diversity to the economics profession. We especially encourage applications from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.”

AEA Summer Training Program

“Since 1974, the AEA Summer Training Program and Scholarship Program have increased diversity in the field of economics by preparing talented undergraduates for doctoral programs in economics and related disciplines.”

UNC Journal of Undergraduate Research (JOURney)

“Our annual journal is dedicated to the publication of outstanding faculty-mentored research conducted by current undergraduate students. We publish research in the disciplines of natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Our goal is to celebrate and support the original research conducted early in students’ academic careers that reflects appropriate scope and complexity for excellent undergraduate work.”