Undergraduate studies in economics were introduced in the 19th century by institute president Francis Amasa Walker, while the department's Ph.D. program was introduced in 1941.
Nine out of 18 Clark medalists since 1999 received Ph.D. degrees from the department.
In the 1890s, economists including Francis Amasa Walker and Davis Rich Dewey taught courses in economics to the undergraduate students.
[3] In these years, the program became more quantitatively oriented and emphasized technical training.
[6] Among the department's past and current faculty and alumni are several recipients of the Nobel Prize in Economics: