Professor Boediono, an alumnus and professor of UGM, hails from the Economics program at the UGM Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM).
Before serving as the 11th Vice President of Indonesia, Professor Boediono held positions as Governor of Bank Indonesia, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and Head of Bappenas.
In addition to Professor Boediono, the Economics program has produced thousands of successful alumni working in various industry sectors. Promising job prospects and high demand for graduates make this program highly sought after by new students each year.
In 2023, the program attracted 2,851 applicants with a selectivity rate 1:24, meaning only one out of 24 applicants was accepted.
The Economics program regularly undergoes national and international accreditation to support quality education.
This is evidenced by achieving the “Excellent” accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT) and The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Moreover, in the QS WUR by Subject 2024 ranking, the Economics program at FEB UGM is placed 151-200 worldwide.
Dr. Sekar Utami Setiastuti, Head of the Economics program at FEB UGM, highlighted the program’s uniqueness. Despite being in the social sciences and humanities cluster, students use a quantitative approach to understand social phenomena.
In several universities, such as Brown, Princeton, Yale, and Columbia, econometrics and quantitative economics are categorized under STEM.
“Mathematics remains a crucial subject for students as it supports decision-making in economics through statistical data processing. A strong understanding of mathematics will result in internationally competitive graduates,” she explained.
Dr. Setiastuti added that to align the Economics program with FEB UGM’s new vision and mission as a sustainable campus; two new courses will be introduced in the 2024 curriculum: Circular Economy and Earth’s Balance and Sustainability. These courses will complement the existing environmental courses, such as Environmental Economics and Energy Economics.
Additionally, to provide International Undergraduate Program (IUP) students with international exposure, the Economics program offers double degree programs and exchange programs with several partner universities abroad, such as The University of Melbourne, Erasmus School of Economics (Rotterdam), University of Groningen, University of Hull, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and Hochschule Pforzheim.
The Economics program, as part of FEB UGM, is also a member of the Partnership of Asian Management Schools (PAMS), offering short academic programs abroad in collaboration with partners like Woosong University, Foreign Trade University, Sun Yat-sen University, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
“Through double degree and exchange programs, we hope students can gain different learning experiences while expanding their international network,” she stated.
Rizqi Akhyar Prasetya, an Economics student from the 2021 cohort, mentioned a unique aspect he realized after joining the program: the multidisciplinary approach, which involves mathematical analysis in every subject.
“As a social science graduate, it was surprising, but on the other hand, I feel proud because this sets economics apart from other social sciences and humanities majors. It’s very mathematical here, so it feels cool,” he said.
Prasetya also shared that his involvement in various non-academic activities and student organizations has been beneficial for developing soft skills such as leadership and communication.
Holding various positions in organizations and committees for numerous activities has provided him with a lot of experience, expanded his network, and improved other skills that will be useful after graduation.
Author: FEB UGM/Kurnia E