From the Program Chair, Dr. Martha Cruz Zuniga
Welcome to the Applied Economics program, a premier program that provides top skills in economics. It brings flexibility in learning to students and allows them to to acquire skills in demand in the labor market. There are five focus areas: international development, environment/climate change, artificial intelligence, behavioral economics, and data analytics, which are explored with a global perspective. Our program offers students the ability to learn how to design, implement and evaluate policies to tackle society challenges. These challenges include among others, implementing successful initiatives, ensuring effective management of resources and policies, and measuring success and impact of programs. The Applied Economics program brings academic research, practical experience and leadership to form a unique class of professionals committed to making a difference in economic and social advancement.
Our program explores economics from the perspective of the whole human person, and the whole human community—is at the core of this program and the mission of The Catholic University of America.
Students graduating from the program will be able to:
- Use their technical skills more effectively to produce sustainable results, based on a better understanding of the macroeconomic environment, and the role of institutions.
- Conduct evidence-based analysis and decision-making processes with careful attention to identification of problems, data collection and analysis, and well-thought and designed assessment tools.
- Acquire the technical skills to be able to design, implement, manage and evaluate programs that would effectively contribute to improve society.
- Combine standard theory with a deeper and ethical understanding of economic issues so as to make policy design and implementation more effective. Thus, proposing programs, policies, and approaches that respect the dignity of the human person, strengthen the core institutions of the culture, and build a stable foundation for lasting growth.
This innovative program is applicable to different activities of the private sector, public sector, non-for-profit sector, international organizations. It also provides excellent foundtaions for doctoral studies.
Our advantageous location in Washington, D.C., is proximate to entities such as the World Bank, IDB, OAS, federal government agencies, private corporations and nonprofit organizations. Enrolling in the Applied Economics program will allow you to learn and experience firsthand a broad array of practices in both the public and private sector through interaction with high-profile individuals engaged in successful initiatives.
I invite you to navigate our website or contact us to learn more about our program. I know that you will find the Applied Economics program at Catholic University an exciting and supportive tool for achieving your career and personal goals.
Best,
Martha Cruz Zuniga, Ph.D.
Department of Economics
The Catholic University of America