Department of Economics

Economics at Brown

Prepares students for graduate study in business and law as well as graduate work in economics or public policy, leading to careers in teaching and research in economics; and it serves as a direct stepping stone towards employment in business, non-profits, finance, and government organizations.

Announcements

Congratulations to Sara Spaziani (PhD '24) for winning an Honorable Mention for the 2024 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Government Finance and Taxation Award for her dissertation "Essays in Public and Labor Economics." Sara will receive her honorable mention at the 117th National Tax Association Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan on November 15th.

Sara Spaziani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick. Her primary research interests are in public economics and labor economics. In particular, she studies how public policies and economic shocks impact workers, employers, and the labor market in order to inform optimal policy design and reduce existing inequalities.

Sara received her Ph.D. in Economics from Brown University in May 2024. Her dissertation, titled “Essays in Public and Labor Economics,” combines economic theory with the analysis of administrative and survey data to explore the welfare and labor market effects of government policies and economic shocks.

Congratulations Sara!
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Economics is the study of how individuals, businesses and governments choose to allocate resources to best satisfy their objectives. The study of economics serves a number of purposes: it helps students understand the functioning of markets, of firms and of financial organizations; it helps students understand public debate about economic policy, including taxation and government expenditure, trade and globalization, the development and growth of the economy, health and welfare; it prepares students for graduate study in business and law as well as graduate work in economics or public policy, leading to careers in teaching and research in economics; and it serves as a direct stepping stone towards employment in business, non-profits, finance, and government organizations.

Academics

The Ph.D. program in Economics at Brown trains students in economic theory and the tools of economic analysis. Through coursework, participation in seminars, and supervised research students are taught to conduct theoretical and empirical research at the highest level.
Economics is one of the most popular concentrations at Brown. Economics is much broader in scope than many people realize. You can take classes about race, mass media, global warming, internet marketplaces, game theory, finance, big data, …the list goes on.

Faculty

The Brown Department of Economics faculty members engage in research ranging from pure theory to applied subjects. Distinguished in their specialties, they are often sought out for their expertise.  Economics remains one of the most popular undergraduate majors at the university, and the department’s doctoral program attracts scholars from around the world.

Research