Director of Undergraduate Studies Mallesh Pai on the New MEOS Major
Our new Director of Undergraduate Studies , Professor Mallesh Pai , was the chair of the committee that designed the new interdisciplinary Managerial Economics and Organizational Sciences ( MEOS ) major , a stand-alone major housed in the Economics Department that replaces the previous Managerial Studies ( MANA ) second major . He spoke with RICE ECON about the new program .
What is the purpose of the new MEOS program ?
The MEOS major provides students with a major focused on how the social sciences ( especially Economics , Psychology and Political Science ) inform the science and practice of management . It aims to provide students who are interested in careers in management / business the skills they need ( statistical / econometric methods , communication , practical experience , etc .), while also exposing them to the underlying basic ( social ) science .
How is it structured ?
MEOS is a 15-course major . The course structure involves : 3 basic Math / Stat foundation courses ; 5 core courses ( 2 basic ECON classes , 2 PSYC classes and a Practicum ); 6 elective classes from across the School of Social Sciences , and a Capstone class (“ Management Communications in a Consulting Simulation ”).
Where can students get advice about the MEOS program ?
The MEOS program is housed in the economics department , so it is advised by the same team that advises ECON / MTEC majors . You can get more information about the advising team and office hours / contact details
on our website .
How does it differ from MANA ?
The MEOS program shares many of the underlying goals of MANA , but it is a more rigorous major ( MEOS is a 15-course major whereas MANA was 10 courses ). Unlike MEOS , MANA was a “ second major ,” i . e ., you could not graduate from Rice with just the MANA major . Also , MEOS is a STEM-designated major .
Note that MEOS is an economics major – a student can declare at most one major out of ECON / MTEC / MEOS .
How should I choose between ECON / MTEC / MEOS ?
That really depends on your interests . The ECON major is the traditional / classic economics major , exposing students to a wide variety of upper-level economics electives . The MTEC major is designed for students interested in gaining more quantitative / statistical / econometric skills , e . g . students considering graduate school or more quantitative jobs ( for example , in finance ). The MEOS major is designed for students interested in getting a wider exposure to the social sciences as it relates to management . Importantly , however , note that there is no need to figure this out immediately – all 3 majors share the same basic core courses ( ECON 100 , 200 , MATH 101 , 102 and STAT 310 ). You can take these while you try to learn more about what is best for you !
How does MEOS compare to the new BUSI major ?
The two majors are focused on similar areas and are thus complementary , but they feature different approaches . The MEOS major is a social science major – the coursework focuses on how the social sciences inform management ( e . g ., via Economics , IO Psychology , etc .), while the BUSI major focuses more on applications . The MEOS major also has some unique elements ( e . g ., the practicum and the capstone ).
What options are available for current MANA majors ?
Current MANA majors ( i . e ., students who matriculated 2020 and earlier ) can , if they desire , continue to major in MANA . They are also , of course , welcome to switch to MEOS – feel free to reach out to an ECON advisor if you need help with the requirements and / or with rearranging your course schedule .
Advising Corner
Fall 2021 Advising Office Hours
Monday 9:30 – 10:30 a . m . Maria Bejan ,
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Tuesday 11:00 a . m .– 12:00 p . m . Nina Bobkova ,
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Wednesday 12:00 – 1:00 p . m . James DeNicco ,
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Thursday 1:00 – 2:00 p . m . Mahmoud El-Gamal ,
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By Appointment Mallesh Pai ( Director of Undergraduate Studies ),
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