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What is the Economics Department at UNC?
The Economics Department at UNC is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's academic unit for teaching and research in economics, covering undergraduate and graduate programs along with seminars, events and student support. Its site at Economics Department presents it as both a teaching department and an active research community.
What it offers
- Degree paths: Separate undergraduate and graduate sections, suggesting distinct advising and requirements for each level.
- Student support: An EconAid Center, plus faculty advising, independent study and office hours described as part of teaching support.
- Undergraduate research: Opportunities to work with real-world data and contribute to economic analysis, aimed at students considering graduate study or data-focused careers.
- Events and seminars: Microeconomic theory and macroeconomics seminar series, an internship panel hosted by the Carolina Economics Club, and an alumni career panel.
- Research visibility: Faculty news, such as a new "convolution-t distributions" method for risk modeling and a faculty member elected an IAAE Fellow.
- Career outcomes: Job market candidates and recent graduate placements, mainly relevant to prospective PhD students and employers.
Who it suits
Prospective majors who want a large public research university with structured help; current students seeking research experience or internship guidance; graduate applicants checking faculty research and placement records; and anyone interested in attending economics seminars.
A practical next step
Decide by role. If you are choosing a major, look at the undergraduate and EconAid Center pages for course and tutoring details. If you are applying to a PhD program, start with the faculty directory, seminar schedule and recent graduate placements, since those reveal research areas and outcomes better than general descriptions. Compare that fit against another program you are considering, such as Harvard Economics or Berkeley Economics, using the same criteria: faculty in your intended field, funding and placement record.
What undergraduate and graduate degree programs does the Economics Department offer?
The page confirms that the department serves both undergraduate and graduate students — its navigation lists "Undergraduate" and "Graduate" sections, and it highlights undergraduate research opportunities and graduate job-market candidates. It does not, however, name specific degree titles (such as a BA, BS, MA or PhD) or list concentrations, so exact program names aren't verifiable from this page alone.
What the page does show
- Separate undergraduate and graduate tracks, each with its own section of the site.
- Undergraduate research as a structured opportunity: analyzing real-world data and contributing to economic analysis.
- A graduate-facing job market candidates list and recent graduate placements.
- Student support through faculty advising, independent study and office hours, plus an EconAid Center.
How to decide where to look
- If you're choosing a major or minor, start with the Undergraduate section; if you're weighing a master's or doctorate, start with Graduate.
- If research experience matters to you, the undergraduate research page is the relevant entry point.
- If you care about outcomes, the graduate placements list is more informative than general program descriptions.
Next step: open the Undergraduate and Graduate pages directly from the department site to read the official degree names, requirements and application details, since those specifics aren't stated on the homepage. You can also compare against a peer department, such as Harvard Economics, to see how program structures differ.
How can students get involved in undergraduate research in economics?
Undergraduate research in economics usually starts with a professor, not a formal application. At a department like Economics Department, the visible pathways are undergraduate research opportunities, faculty advising and office hours, and independent study — so the practical first move is to identify a faculty member whose work interests you and ask about their projects.
A realistic sequence
- Build a small skill base first: a statistics or econometrics course, comfort with a spreadsheet, and ideally some R, Stata, or Python.
- Read one or two recent papers by a professor in your department. You do not need to understand everything; you need one specific question about the data, method, or result.
- Use office hours to ask that question, then ask whether they need help with data cleaning, literature searches, or coding.
- If no opening exists, ask about independent study for credit, or a semester-long project they would supervise.
- Ask about funded summer research, conference presentation, or a thesis track if you want a longer commitment.
Where the work actually happens
| Role | Typical task | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Research assistant | Data cleaning, coding, literature summaries | Students who want exposure before committing to a topic |
| Independent study | Self-designed project under a supervisor | Students with a clear question and some methods background |
| Honors thesis | Multi-semester original research | Students aiming at graduate school or a writing sample |
| Seminar attendance | Listening, asking questions, learning norms | Anyone starting out; low commitment, high information |
What to say in the first email
Keep it to four sentences: who you are, the course or paper that sparked your interest, one concrete skill you can offer, and a request for a short meeting. Attach nothing unless asked. If a professor does not reply, follow up once after a week, then approach someone else.
Trade-offs to weigh
Research assistant work can mean months of unglamorous data work before you touch an analysis, but it builds the references and skills that make an independent project possible. A self-designed project gives you ownership but requires more initiative and a supervisor willing to meet regularly. Seminars are the cheapest way to test whether a field genuinely holds your interest.
Next step: check your department's undergraduate research page and faculty directory, pick two professors whose recent work you can describe in one sentence each, and go to their office hours this week with a question rather than a request for a position.
What job market candidates and recent graduate placements are available from the department?
The page confirms that the department publishes both a Job Market Candidates section and a Recent Graduate Placements section, so the intended path is to check those two areas for current names and destinations. The homepage itself only names the sections, so it does not list individual candidates or placements.
How to use these sections
- Job market candidates: Look here if you are hiring, recruiting for a research or analyst role, or a PhD student preparing your own market materials and wanting a model of how candidates present themselves.
- Recent graduate placements: Look here if you are a prospective student weighing the PhD program, an advisor comparing outcomes, or an employer checking where graduates typically land.
A practical decision rule
Treat the candidate list as time-sensitive and the placement list as trend evidence. Candidates turn over each hiring cycle, so verify names and fields directly with the department before reaching out. Placements accumulate, so read them across several years rather than a single line — one strong placement tells you less than a consistent pattern.
Concrete next step
If you are a prospective PhD applicant, start with Recent Graduate Placements to see whether graduates move into the kinds of institutions or sectors you are targeting, then cross-check Our Faculty to confirm the department has people working in your intended field. If you are recruiting, go straight to Job Market Candidates and contact the department about current CVs and interview availability.
For broader context on the university, see University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
How can I attend economics seminars and events hosted by the department?
You can attend department seminars and events by using the public events listings as your calendar, then showing up at the posted time and location. The page lists upcoming examples such as a Microeconomic Theory Seminar Series, a Macroeconomics Seminar Series, and a Carolina Economics Club internship panel in Gardner 308, with a "View Calendar" link for the full schedule. See Economics Department.
H3 Practical way to plan attendance
- Check the events section for the next seminar date, time and room.
- Open the full calendar to confirm whether a session is in person, online, or hosted with another department.
- Arrive a few minutes early; seminars often start promptly and seating can be limited.
- If you are a student, ask a faculty member or the department office whether the seminar is open to undergraduates or only to graduate students and faculty.
H3 Who these events suit
- Prospective graduate students who want to see research culture before applying.
- Undergraduates considering research, especially if you want to combine coursework with hands-on data work.
- Alumni and local economists interested in current research and networking.
- Anyone exploring a topic before committing to a course or thesis.
H3 A concrete scenario
Suppose you are an undergraduate interested in macro policy. You spot the Macroeconomics Seminar Series in the calendar, attend once to see the format, then introduce yourself to the speaker or a faculty member afterward. That single visit can lead to an independent study conversation, a reading list, or a research assistant role. The department also highlights undergraduate research opportunities, so seminar attendance is a low-risk first step toward that.
H3 Decision criteria
If your goal is research experience, prioritize seminars with a discussant format and follow up with the faculty host. If your goal is career exposure, choose alumni and internship panels. If your goal is graduate study, attend the job market candidate talks and graduate placements events to understand outcomes.
What support services and resources does the EconAid Center provide for students?
The EconAid Center appears on the department's site as a student-facing support entry point alongside Undergraduate and Graduate sections. The page itself does not spell out the center's specific services, so the most reliable next step is to open that section directly and check its hours, location and current offerings.
Economics Department
What the department page does confirm
- The EconAid Center is listed as a main navigation item for students.
- Faculty support student learning through advising, independent study and office hours.
- Undergraduate research opportunities involve analyzing real-world data and contributing to economic work.
- Seminars and events, such as an internship panel, are open to students.
Practical next step
If you are deciding whether to visit, treat the EconAid Center as a first stop for course-related questions, then use faculty office hours for deeper academic or research guidance. Confirm walk-in versus appointment availability before you go, since the homepage does not state it.
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