What Do Economics Professors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Economics Professors teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. They also prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as econometrics, price theory, and macroeconomics.

Other tasks include:

• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Evaluate and grade students’ class work, assignments, and papers.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

We asked Economics Professors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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83% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 83% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Economics Professors conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. They keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.

A typical day for a Postsecondary Economics Teacher will also include:

• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
• Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

We asked some Economics Professors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	29% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	8% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	67% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	25% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	45% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Economics Professors also prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as econometrics, price theory, and macroeconomics. They may also maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Economics Professors Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. They might also Participate in campus and community events.

In addition, they Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Evaluate and grade students’ class work, assignments, and papers.

To some Economics Professors, it is also their responsibility to Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Postsecondary Economics Teacher, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm

http://www.cgsnet.org/

https://www.acteonline.org/

http://www.teach.org/