Abstract

The authors of this article examine trends in the economics discipline regarding the classification of some undergraduate economics majors, i.e., econometrics and quantitative economics degrees, as STEM. According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the number of institutions conferring undergraduate econometrics and quantitative economics (STEM-eligible) degrees rose from 25 in 2012 to 71 in 2018, with total degrees conferred increasing 12-fold. By 2018, STEM-eligible economics degrees comprised 13.2 percent of all undergraduate economics degrees conferred, up from just 1.2 percent in 2012. This brief note outlines trends in undergraduate economics majors regarding STEM and non-STEM degree distinctions and discusses potential motivations for these changes.

摘要

本文的作者研究了一些学科经济学专业的分类（即计量经济学和定量经济学学位）作为STEM的经济学学科趋势。根据综合专上教育数据系统（IPEDS），授予本科计量经济学和定量经济学（符合STEM要求）学位的院校数量从2012年的25个增加到2018年的71个，授予的学位总数增加了12倍。到2018年，符合STEM资格的经济学学位占授予的所有本科经济学学位的13.2％，而2012年仅为1.2％。该简要说明概述了有关STEM和非STEM学位的本科经济学专业的趋势，并讨论了这些变化的潜在动机。