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Honors and Awards

Howard R. Bloch Memorial Scholarship & Thomas Sowell Scholarship

The Howard R. Bloch Memorial Scholarship(s) & Thomas Sowell Scholarships will be awarded to full-time undergraduate students majoring in Economics. In the recent past we have been able to give several awards between $1000 and $3000. Applicants will be selected on the basis of academic merit and financial need, and the process is open to international and domestic students. Applications can be obtained at the Office of Student Financial Aid - South Chesapeake Module or on the web at http://apollo.gmu.edu/finaid/. Applications are due before the end of May, and decisions will be made over the summer. Check with the Financial Aid office for more info or see http://finaid.gmu.edu/scholarships/schol-search.cfm

Awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement

The Economics Department Awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement are awarded each spring.  Students graduating either in the spring, in the following summer, or in the previous fall are eligible, provided the following minimum requirements are satisfied:

  • 3.65 GPA in economics courses at GMU (at least 18 Econ hours at GMU)
  • 3.5 GPA overall (at least 45 total hours at GMU)
  • Those who have already graduated in the previous fall must have completed 60 total hours at GMU and 27 hours of Economics at GMU.

The student with the highest overall GPA will receive the Howard R. Bloch Memorial Award.  Another of the outstanding academic achievement award winners selected by the Economics Department will receive the Wall Street Journal Award. 

Omicron Delta Epsilon -- International Honor Society in Economics

All students who qualify for outstanding achievement awards are eligible for membership in Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international honor society in the field of economics and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Please contact Professor Carlos Ramirez (cramire2@gmu.edu, 993-1145), for more information about programs and membership application.

GMU NOBEL LAUREATE ESSAY AWARDS

Generally the Economics Department will sponsor 3 Essay contests in the Spring if students demonstrate sufficient interest:

James Buchanan Award

This contest is open to all undergraduate economics majors and minors enrolled in any economics class during the Spring semester.  Prior award winners are ineligible for this contest. The award's 1st prize is $500 and 2nd prize is $250. To enter the contest, the student must write an essay discussing how public choice theory applies to an everyday problem. The essay must not exceed 5-7 pages or 2000 words in length.

F. A. Hayek Award in Austrian Economics

This contest is open to all undergraduate economics majors or minors enrolled in any economics class during the Spring semester.  Prior award winners are ineligible for this contest. The award's 1st prize is $500 and 2nd prize is $250. To enter the contest, the student must write an essay on the topic chosen for that year. (Pick up info in Econ dept.) The essay must not exceed 5-7 pages or 2000 words in length.

Vernon Smith Award

This contest is open to all undergraduate non-economics majors enrolled in any 100 level economics class during the Spring semester. Prior award winners are ineligible for this contest. The award's 1st prize is $500 and 2nd prize is $250. To enter the contest, the student must write an essay discussing how economics and individual liberty promote individual and societal well-being. The essay must not exceed 5 pages or 1500 words in length.

All essays submitted must:

  • include on each page, the student's name, email address and their instructor's name, course, and section number,
  • be in one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, or CG roman (12 pt),
  • be submitted to the Economics Department (Enterprise Hall 354)before 5:00 p.m. on the day of the deadline.
  • please do not exceed the word limits specified for each contest. Please submit 3 copies of the essay. Essays will be evaluated for their cogency, economic reasoning, and persuasiveness.

 

Spring Awards Ceremony

Finalists for the essay contests and the Outstanding Achievement winners will be notified by email and the awards will be presented at the Spring Awards Ceremony.