Interdisciplinary Major
The Economics Department participates in one organized, “standing” interdisciplinary program at Reed. The Environmental Science—Economics major is for students who want to combine focused study in economics with interdisciplinary work on environmental themes across the natural sciences, history, and social sciences. The department also offers an economics minor for students who wish to pursue their interest in economics alongside a major in another department. The department does not support ad-hoc interdisciplinary majors.
Environmental Studies-Economics Major (ES-Econ)
The Environmental Studies-Economics major is for students who wish to combine focused coursework in economics with interdisciplinary work on environmental themes across the natural sciences, history, and social sciences. ES-Economics majors take seven units of nonthesis economics coursework, including the microeconomics and macroeconomics core courses required of economics majors. ES students are required to pass the junior qualifying exam in their home department. In addition, they must prepare a research proposal for the ES committee. The research proposal must be signed by an advisor in the home department and by a potential first reader from a different department. The research proposal must be signed by a member of the ES committee. These signatures indicate approval that the proposed research contains sufficient environmental content. Approval of the proposal by the ES committee constitutes passing the ES portion of the junior qualifying exam. Students must complete a thesis with an environmental focus. The thesis orals board must include the thesis advisor from the home department and a first reader from outside the home department.