There is a strong emphasis in the economics major on hands-on experience in addition to a high-quality curriculum. The internship experience allows students to find out more about a potential career field and to gain valuable networking contacts. The director of the Business Internship Program places nearly 200 students per year in internship settings, many of which result in job opportunities after graduation. Some examples of employers who participate in the Canisius internship program are:
- Rich Products
- M&T Bank
- Computer Task Group
- A.G. Edwards
- American Red Cross
- Canadian Consulate
- Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
The organization was also awarded a $900 grant, sponsored by HSBC Global Education Trust and HSBC Holdings PLC, for its ROY (Return on Youth) Fund Financial Literacy Program. The ROY Fund is a ten-week program, modeled after the Canisius Golden Griffin Fund, in which SIFE members and Golden Griffin Fund participants teach high school students the fundamentals of the stock market, stock selection, portfolio management and macroeconomic factors that influence the financial world on a daily basis. The ROY Fund project was chosen from among more than 360 applications on the basis of its quality, innovation, sustainability, meaningful and measurable results and its ability to fulfill SIFE competition judging criteria. The Canisius SIFE grant application was prepared by Nancy Hilliker '10, finance and economics major.
Patricia A. Hutton, PhD, professor of economics, is the founder and advisor of the Canisius SIFE chapter.