Graduate Programs
Research Opportunities
The School of Economic Sciences is involved in a variety of research activities. The research competence of the School is reflected in its considerable success in obtaining grant and contract financing for its research activities. Research is also supported by state and federal funds.
At this time there are about 50 separate projects in the School. These include, among others: supply and demand analyses of a large number of commodities; international marketing and trade; analyses of state and regional transportation investments; financial economics projects focusing on risk and uncertainty; farm production and management projects addressing soil conservation; resource projects exploring energy, water, environmental, and recreation problems; sports economics; health, labor market and other human resource projects in development, public finance, and public welfare; and projects examining changes in the marketing, processing, transportation, and distribution of food.
Each graduate student has ample opportunity to gain research experience by working with faculty members on current research projects. There is usually enough flexibility to arrange an assignment that closely meets the student's interests and that can serve as the basis for thesis/dissertation research. Students holding research assistantships work on the projects that finance their assistantships. All students, whether receiving assistantship support or not, will find several alternatives available for research.
The School's research activities are enhanced by several levels of computing capability. The School has an extensive array of micro-computers and software located in School work spaces. All graduate students have 24-hour access to the Graduate Research Laboratory. The laboratory is equipped with computers running current releases of analytic, word processing, and graphics software required to support course work and independent research. Output devices are available to prepare high-quality presentation materials.
Senior programming and data processing expertise within the School and an academic services section in the Computing Center help students and faculty use computers in solving research problems.
Research conducted by School of Economic Sciences faculty and students is often associated with other University units, such as the International Marketing Program for Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT), the Environmental Research Center, the Water Research Center, the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center, and other departments across the campus, as well as with the Economic Research Service of USDA and the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The variety of research opportunities available to graduate students in the School of Economic Sciences enables graduates to qualify for employment in a wide variety of positions. Recent graduates of WSU are employed in other universities and colleges, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and local government agencies, and private firms. Graduates from abroad now occupy responsible university, government, and business positions around the world.
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