Department of Economics and Professional Leadership Development
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The Economics program provides students with a strong foundation in economic theory, quantitative analysis, and market dynamics while cultivating leadership skills, ethical reasoning, and a global perspective. By studying microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistical methods, and economic policy; alongside coursework in organizational behavior, professional leadership, and decision-making; students gain the ability to understand and interpret economic trends, assess fiscal and regulatory environments, and forecast socioeconomic outcomes.
The Professional Leadership Development (PLD) program offers a structured series of modules that emphasize behavioral competency development. Students engage in activities that build confidence, oral and written communication skills, goal-setting, results orientation, and time management. Learning takes place in dynamic “company” settings, where participants collaborate on challenging projects and leadership functions that simulate real-world business environments.
Faculty Research Spotlight: Dr. Dennis Ridley
In The Mystery of Wealth by Dennis Ridley, PhD (and Andrea Nelson, JD), the author presents a macroeconomic framework (the “CDR” model: Capitalism, Democracy, Rule of Law) to explain why some nations grow rich while others remain poor. Ridley argues that — more than natural resources or geography — it’s the presence (or lack) of these three institutional pillars that largely determines a country’s economic success, making wealth and poverty the outcomes of policy choices and political-economic structure rather than random luck. The book thus demystifies wealth at a nation-state level, showing that stable institutions and good governance are the true drivers of prosperity. Read More >>
Faculty Research Spotlight: Dr. Dennis Ridley
The “Rule of Law Paradox” lies in the fact that although rule of law is often thought of as a structural/institutional attribute of society, its very foundation rests on a deeper, more intangible and often fragile human phenomenon: collaboration. Read More >>