University of Wisconsin–Madison

Engage in Econ

photo of students with speaker - all making a w with their hands

Engage in Econ is an Undergraduate Academic Advising Office & Econ Career Development Office organized set of professional development experiences for undergraduates declared in Economics. This innovative, in-house program provides interested students with resources to develop their academic & professional skills and build community to enhance their UW experience and network. Study habits, mentorship, career exploration, and organization involvement are only some of the multitude of opportunities! By fulfilling all the requirements of the program (see below), a student will be included in the Chair’s List for that semester.

Students who receive this designation on the Chair’s List are considered to be leaders within the Department of Economics.  Read on for more information about the eligibility, requirements, and benefits of the Engage in Econ program!

Program Requirements

Engage in Econ (EE) is a program to promote and support our most engaged students in their professional development journey. Participating students will connect with other economics majors and advisors through undergraduate Econ-hosted programming, geared toward developing deeper understandings of current success in economics and post-graduation outcomes. To maintain good status in the program, students must accumulate a minimum of 4 Engage Credits each Fall/Spring semester. Engage Credits can be earned by participating in special community-building learning events and Economics-hosted programming. Engage Credits are not academic/course credits and will not appear on your transcript.

By the end of each semester, students must have earned a minimum of 4 Engage Credits for Fall2026term.
One engage credit is awarded each semester for completing each item below. 

1. Maintaining membership in any Dept of Economics Students Organization or Group.
Registered econ student groups and organizations include:

2. Classrooms to Careers
Attend panels to learn from career experts! Attendance for both panels is encouraged: one Engage in Econ credit will be earned per panel attendance.
September 18th, 11AM-12PM – Zoom – RSVP Here
November 13th, 11AM-12PM Location TBD

3. Student & Alumni Networking Gathering
Meet & talk with alumni of the UGRD Department of Economics to learn tips and tricks for employability post-graduation!
November 6th, 12-1:30PM Location TBD

4. Career Chats with ECDO Staff Member, Patrick!

Hop on Zoom to hear from Economics alumni about the different career paths they have taken. Make sure to bring your questions!
September, October, and November, Exact dates and times will be announced soon.

5. GUTS Workshop! How to know what you know
Join this student-lead workshop by Study Skills GUTS expert, Isabella! This workshop will discuss self-awareness tips for studying effectively & efficiently for students in Economics!
September 25th, 1-2PM in Social Sciences 6240

6. Strategic Self-Care: Wellness in Economics
Explore how economic thinking can be applied beyond the classroom to manage time, reduce burnout, and maximize well-being. Led by undergraduate Rachel Williams.
September 11th, 1-2PM in Social Sciences 8417

7. Considerations for Graduate School
Join Alicia and Patrick for a collaborative self-awareness practice workshop to determine if going to graduate school is right for you. Together we will discuss and brainstorm motivations, challenges, and “tools in your toolkit” to help you decide if graduate school is a path for you to consider.
October 30th, 1-2PM in Social Sciences 6240

8. 2-Hour Job Search Workshop
Based on a book called “The Two-Hour Job Search”, this serves as a framework for how students can/should approach applying for jobs and internships. Demonstrations of excel spreadsheet organization, advice on identifying companies, finding alumni, networking, and more! This workshop is 1 hour long and pre-registration is required.
September 25th, 11AM-12PM, virtual (watch for an email for Zoom link registration!)

9. Employable in Econ Info Session
Not sure how to talk about your Econ major in your resume or during an interview? Turn what you’ve learned into what employers want. This Zoom seminar will help you upgrade your resume and improve your interview talking points, explaining the skills you’ve learned in ways that make employers want you.
October 16th, 12-1PM, virtual (watch for an email for Zoom link registration!)

Bucky Badger poses in front of Witte Residence Hall as they prepare for new student move-in

Program Benefits

Students will be recognized with a public spot on the Department of Economics Chair’s List should they meet program requirements at the end of each semester.  Students are encouraged to include this designation on their resume each semester they are on the Chair’s List (example resume here). Additional benefits include:

  • Building community with other econ majors and with the Dept of Economics
  • Learn about academic and career pathways to success within economics
  • Name featured on the Dept of Economics Chair’s List website

Past Recipients

Congratulations to Chair’s List students for the following semesters:

Eligibility and Registration

The opportunity to be included in the Engage in Econ program, earning a spot on the Chair’s List, is open to any declared undergraduate economics major. Attendance and participation are tracked throughout the semester and all students who earn at least 4 Engage Credits in a semester will receive this designation. Credits must be earned within a semester and cannot roll over semester to semester. There are no “make up” options and only students who meet the minimum requirements (4 Engage Credits) will qualify.

Next steps are easy! Just attend our events listed above! You will be asked to sign in at each event with your campus ID number. This sign in will give you one Engage Credit per attended event/involvement in Econ.

Questions about this program can be directed to Econ advisors at econadvise@ssc.wisc.edu