Welcome Letter from the Department Chair

Aloha Kākou,

Welcome to the Department of Economics in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa!

Our undergraduate program offers a liberal arts-oriented program, currently with 200 majors. Highlights include an active undergraduate student mentoring program, a free tutoring program in our introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics courses, a student-run economics club, internships and co-op work arrangements, the Department's own exchange programs, an expanding Honors program, and research opportunities with economics faculty. Students can also choose fully online BA program, quantitative economics concentration certificate program, or the economics honors track. I urge you to become an economics major or minor to make the most out of these opportunities, mathed with the highest starting salaries among other majors. Come to our office in Saunders Hall 542 and see our Economics Undergraduate Advisors; or send an email the Advisors at adviecon@hawaii.edu.

Our graduate program has about 50 MA and PhD students, who take a common core of courses in economic theory and econometrics; and then select field courses from a menu covering economic development, international economics; labor, health, and public economics; and environmental and natural resource economics. Economics graduate students work closely with faculty to build their skills as researchers. The Department’s weekly lunchtime workshop series provide valuable feedback from faculty and other fellow students in a relaxed collegial environment. In addition, we have an active department seminar series.

Our faculty and students live in the most ethnically diverse US state, where we enjoy the richness of the host Hawaiian culture, an unmatched climate, and daily encounters with some of the most beautiful places and people on this planet. Our students and faculty are privileged to enjoy the benefits of a highly ranked university, department and many amazing communities in the Aloha State. I invite you to be a part of our community.

All the best,
Nori Tarui, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair
Department of Economics, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa