Striving to involve undergraduates in economic research at Wellesley College

• Published in: The Journal of economic education Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 295 - 300
• Main Authors: Butcher, Kristin F, Weerapana, Akila
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Routledge 01.01.2017; Taylor & Francis, Ltd; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Economics Education; Educational Practices; Educational Strategies; Forschung; Research Opportunities; Research Projects; Schüler; Senior thesis; Sommerkurs; Student Participation; Student Research; Students; summer programs; Symposium on Undergraduate Research; undergraduate research; Undergraduate Students; Massachusetts
• DOI: 10.1080/00220485.2017.1353462
• ISSN: 0022-0485

One of the key advantages of attending a small liberal arts college is the opportunity to engage in research; at research universities, these opportunities are often given to graduate students. Further, smaller class sizes make it possible to personalize instruction to showcase how the tools students learn in their courses are used to answer questions of practical and social relevance. At Wellesley, consuming and producing research is embedded in the curriculum for every student. Supplementary programs such as summer research opportunities, honors theses, and fellowships allow students who develop serious interest in research to hone their technical skills and to work with faculty on peer-reviewed publications. This experience helps students decide whether or not to pursue a PhD, and can help in the application process.