The CoBE Report

Every year upon graduation the College of Business and Economics has several students that decide to continue their education in graduate school. Once the decision has been made to pursue a graduate degree students enter the world of finding the right program for them and begin the application process.

Graduating Economics majors Michael Babington, Quinton Baker, and Jaeger Nelson.

This May the College of Business and Economics is graduating Quinton Baker, Michael Babington, and Jaeger Nelson all of whom have made the decision to pursue a Ph.D. in economics at Michigan State University, Florida State University, and Indiana University respectively. Here is what they had to say about their decisions to attend graduate school:

Mike, over your time at UWW what are some of the experiences that motivated you to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics?

“To put things simply the economics courses that I have taken at Whitewater have been some of the most fun filled and fulfilling courses I have taken. I decided that I wanted to continue this journey of learning about economics by going on to a Ph.D. program. During my time here at UWW the most beneficial aspect of my education has been getting involved on campus. In my last two years here I have done several research projects and have had intense involvement with student organizations and the Dean’s Advisory Council. These activities have led me to meet several amazing people, students, faculty, and staff that have helped me throughout my time here and into whatever the future holds for me.” – Michael Babington

Quinton, over your time at UWW what are some of the experiences that motivated you to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics?

“I simply love to learn. I had a few exceptional professors that had noticed my love for learning and then they would find ways to make me learn outside of the classroom. I found some of those extracurricular experiences to be my most valuable experiences during my career at Whitewater. I truly believe that I would not have this opportunity without the great amount of opportunity I was given by the faculty of the economics department and the College as a whole, but I also believe that students need to be the ones to seek the opportunity. Talk to your professors. Do not focus on getting high marks; instead try to master the subject, especially if that subject is in your major!  If you can get a relationship with a professor or two, a whole lot of doors will open. It just so happened that a Ph.D. program was on the other side of the door for me.” – Quinton Baker

Jaeger, over your time at UWW what are some of the experiences that motivated you to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics?

“Like Quinton and Mike, I have an insatiable desire to learn and have had an abundance of great experiences here at UWW that have helped me make the decision to pursue a Ph.D. When it comes to Ph.D. programs it is vital to talk to professors in your discipline as they are your most reliable and readily available source for information when you begin the process. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work on both individual and group research projects in the economics department that helped me better understand not just economics, but what I wanted to do after graduation. If you are thinking about pursuing a graduate education, especially if you are thinking about a doctoral program, you should 1) talk with your professors and sign up for any classes that they say you may/will need for your graduate program(s) of interest (ex. in economics they want a lot more math), 2) start doing school/program research early, and 3) begin collecting the materials you will need to apply (this information is easily found on program websites).” – Jaeger Nelson

Thank you to Michael Babington, Quinton Baker, and Jaeger Nelson for providing this post, and good luck in graduate school!