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The Gender Gap in Economics Degrees: An Investigation of the Role Model and Quantitative Requirements Hypotheses
Author(s) -
Emerson Tisha L. N.,
McGoldrick KimMarie,
Siegfried John J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
southern economic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 2325-8012
pISSN - 0038-4038
DOI - 10.1002/soej.12247
Subject(s) - liberal arts education , gender gap , the arts , economics , mathematics education , psychology , demographic economics , higher education , political science , economic growth , law
Using a panel of 159 institutions over 10 years, we investigate the role model effect of women faculty and quantitative requirements on the female proportion of undergraduate economics majors. We find no evidence that female faculty attract female students. Calculus, however, does matter. A one semester calculus requirement is associated with more female majors at institutions offering business degrees and liberal arts colleges. A second semester calculus requirement deters women from majoring in economics at Ph.D.–granting universities, but is associated with more female majors at liberal arts colleges. Econometrics requirements are unrelated to the gender gap in economics majors.