VCU
Department of Economics
Virginia Commonwealth University
 
A Carnegie Research I Institution

Prompted by a desire to improve continuously the curriculum, the Department conducted a survey of alumni in the spring of 2000. Click on one of the following links or scroll down to learn more about the results of the survey.
 

uAdministration of the survey
uGraduate Education of Alumni
uSalaries of alumni
uAssessment of VCU and the Department
uOccupations of Alumni
  

Administration of the survey
The survey consisted of a questionnaire that was mailed to every economics major in the databank maintained by the Office for Development at Virginia Commonwealth University.  606 questionnaires were mailed, with a reminder being sent approximately three weeks later. To date, 90 alumni have responded and the postal service returned 64 of the questionnaires because the addresses were incorrect.

uHere is a copy of the questionnaire.
Salaries
The survey indicates that our alumni are well employed.  40% of the respondents indicated that their annual salary exceeded $70,000.  The estimated mean salary is approximately $60,000.  The frequency distribution is:
Salary Range
Percentage (%)
Less than $30,000
6
$30,000-$40,000
13
$40,000-$50,000
20
$50,000-$60,000
13
$60-$70,000
9
More than $70,000
38
Occupations of our alumni
The questionnaire asked respondents about the industries in which they have found employment and the functional areas of their employment. Click on a link or scroll down to learn more.
uIndustries in which our graduates are employed
uFunctional areas of our graduates occupations
Industries in which our graduates are employed
The survey indicates that our alumni are employed in a diverse range of industries.  In a comparison of  first job after graduation and current job, real estate, education, financial services and information services were the sectors with the biggest increases in percentages employed; banking, government, and manufacturing saw the largest decreases.  The frequency distributions for industry in which the graduates were first employed after graduation and the industry in which the graduates were currently employed are:
 
Industry
% of First Jobs
% of Current Jobs
Financial Services 
9
13
Government 
20
11
Education 
5
10
Real Estate 
2
10
Insurance 
5
6
Telecom
5
6
Nonprofit
3
6
Retail 
3
4
Information Services 
0
4
Construction 
1
2
Healthcare/Medical 
1
2
Pharmaceuticals 
1
2
Law/Legal 
0
2
Banking 
15
1
Manufacturing 
6
1
Energy 
3
1
Transportation 
3
1
Consumer Products 
2
1
Distribution 
2
1
Sports 
2
1

Functional areas of our graduates occupations
Respondents were asked the functional areas of the first and current positions. In a comparison of first job after graduation and current job, ownership of a business, general management, and information services were the areas with the biggest increases in percentages employed; accounting, research and analysis, administration and operations, and finance saw the largest decreases.  The frequency distributions for function area in which the graduates were first employed after graduation and the industry in which the graduates were currently employed are:.

Functional Area
% of First Jobs
% of Current Jobs
Sales and Marketing
20
21
General Management
9
17
Finance
17
12
Owner of Business
3
12
Research and Analysis
15
7
Information Services
0
7
Administration and Operations
10
3
Teaching
3
3
Accounting
10
1
Human Resources
2
1
Production and Manufacturing
2
0
Graduate Education
45% of the respondents indicated that they had attended graduate school.  The  frequency distribution for the areas of study in graduate school taken by these alumni  is:
 
Area of Graduate Study
% of Respondents
Business
32
Economics
24
Education
14
Law
5
Assessment
The surveys indicate high levels of satisfaction on the part of alumni.  The questionnaire contained several questions that asked the respondent to assess various aspects of their experience at VCU on a seven-point scale, with 7 indicating the the highest level of satisfaction.  The percentages of ratings of 5, 6, 7, and the total of these three ratings for four questions are:
 
Question
% of ratings of 5
% of ratings of 6
% of ratings of 7
Sum
How well did the Department prepare you for your first job after graduation?
32
29
18
79
How well did VCU prepare you for your current career?
28
26
19
63
How well did the Economics courses prepare you for your current career?
24
26
26
76
How satisfied are you with your choice of a VCU economics degree?
13
41
31
85

This page does not reflect an official position of Virginia Commonwealth University.  It  is maintained by the Department of Economics and was revised August 1, 2000.