Employment
Our majors receive a strong foundation in mathematics and quantitative analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, organizational development and analysis of human behavior along with insights into firm and public-policy decision-making. With this skill set, our undergraduate majors are prepared for success in a wide-variety of fields. Prior to graduation, many secure roles such as Data Analyst, Business Developer, Operations Manager, Client Manager, Buyer, Sales Associate, Auditor, Financial Advisor, Marketing Associate, and much more! To learn more about two popular roles, see below.
-
Analyst
Every organization benefits from great analysts. Our graduates boast jobs as Business Analysts, Environmental Analysts, Market Analysts, and other similar titles. Through these roles you can help international businesses, financial giants, service industries, or public-policy makers enact informed decisions on how and where to put their efforts to maximize success, visibility, and/or profits. Analysts can also tailor their work toward their personal interests such as fashion, sports, wildlife, hospitality, etc. by working for organizations that align with their hobbies, leisure activities and passions. As you can see, the analyst role opens many doors!
-
Client Manager
Many of our students thrive in environments where they can regularly interact with others and are drawn toward outward-facing roles such as client manager positions. In this role, one may recruit and on-board new clients for an organization. The client manager then assists with developing account plans, proposals and ensuring excellent customer service by tailoring products to meet the client’s needs, troubleshooting problems, and following through on deliverables. The work can vary widely based on the product or services an organization provides such as commercial goods, financial portfolios, insurance, real estate or software.
Where Do Our Majors Go?
Our graduates span the globe. There is truly opportunity everywhere for Resource Economics and Managerial Economics students! Many graduates also opt to stay in the Commonwealth, where green energy, technology, and other businesses are flourishing. Here is just a small sampling of companies that employ our undergraduates:
Clean Energy: ISO New England, Level Solar, Solar Five
Financial Institutions: BlackRock, Ernst & Young, Fidelity, JP Morgan Chase, State Street
Government Agencies: Bureau of Labor Statistics, State/Town Departments (Public Works, Recreation, Transportation), United States Military
Healthcare: Athena Health, Dana Farber
Insurance: The Hanover Insurance Group, Liberty Mutual, Travelers
Retail: Anheuser-Busch, chewy, TJX Company, Volkswagen
Technology & Social Media: Black Duck, Dell, Epsilon, LinkedIn, Oracle, Verizon, VM Turbo
How Much Do Our Majors Make?
According to the 2022 UMass Amherst Graduating Senior Survey open response data, undergraduates directly entering the workforce after graduation make an average annual income of $60,000.
What About Graduate School?
While Resource Economics and Managerial Economics majors are well suited to enter the workforce in competitive jobs without immediate further studies, graduate school is an exciting alternative. Graduate studies provide an excellent way to further develop a particular skill set, delve deeper into your passions, and open doors to new employment opportunities such as academia, research, and project lead or specialist roles. Our students pursue degrees in fields such as:
Accounting, Analytics, Business, Energy Management, Economics, Environmental Economics, Finance, Law, Public Policy, Resource Economics
Career Development
Intentional Support
When you declare a Resource Economics or Managerial Economics major, you will benefit from excellent resources including caring faculty, advisors who meet with you every semester to support your goals, and dedicated staff.
Motivated students have opportunities to build their skills outside the classroom in many ways and are encouraged to seek out opportunities as research, teaching or project assistants. You may find yourself helping faculty run a lab experiment, conducting a literature review, collecting or organizing data, etc.
As part of the required curriculum, you will enroll in a 1-credit career development class during your junior year. This class is designed just for Resource/Managerial Economics majors with opportunities to explore career interests, develop professional materials, practice interviewing skills, and network with alumni and/or field professionals. Through this class you will also be invited to join the Department of Resource Economics LinkedIn group. This group is an excellent way to connect with program graduates who are now established in their careers!
As a major, you will have access to departmental career advising. You may schedule 1:1 appointments with our Student Support Specialist via Navigate at any time during your undergraduate experience to further explore your interests, hone your skills, and learn about academic credit options for internships (p. 38).
Internships
Many Resource/Managerial Economics students choose to participate in internships during their undergraduate careers. Internships are a fantastic way to apply academic knowledge to the work setting while simultaneously building your resume, making professional connections, and exploring possible career interests. Internships may occur any time of year. Many students secure 10-20 hour internships during Fall or Spring semester while others opt to work up to 40 hours a week during winter break or the summer months. Some find opportunities on-campus, some work remotely from their computers, and others travel to office sites. Find current postings on Handshake (also the spot to look for full time employment).
Recent undergraduate internship sites include:
Accept Solar, ALKU, AvalonBay, Crystaphase, Dell, Eversource, Federal Reserve Bank, FICO, Fresenius Medical Care, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Liberty Mutual, MASSPIRG, Mass Port Authority, Morgan Stanley, Raven Marketing, REMI, State Street, TJX Companies, Trip Advisor, UMass Donahue Institute
Students have the option to earn academic credit for internship experiences. To learn more about earning academic credit for internships please read our Undergraduate Internship Process Student Guide (p. 38)
College & Campus Connections
As a part of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, you have access to SBS Pathways including SBS Career & Professional Development Advising and SBS Special Programs. This is in conjunction with and in addition to the excellent campus services at your disposal including but not limited to Career Services, UMass Amherst Alumni Advisors and the International Programs Office which supports study abroad, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT) and more! (Fun fact, did you know that both Managerial Economics and Resource Economics are considered STEM majors within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, providing a great space to explore STEM concepts from a unique lens and offering additional CPT and OPT options for international students?)
Learn more about becoming an undergraduate major in Managerial Economics or Resource Economics.