Requirements | Department of Economics (2024)

Requirements for B.A.

Basic Requirements

(Revised checklist effective April 2, 2018) ONLY for NEW ECO MAJORS

The major in Economics leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

Completion of the major requires approximately 41-45 credits.

A. A minimum of 11 courses, at leastten of them in economics, distributed as follows:

1.ECO 108Introduction to Economics

2. Intermediate economics courses:

• • • • ECO 303Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
      • ECO 305Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
      • ECO 320Mathematical Statistics
      • ECO 321Econometrics

3.Five additional courses in Economics at the 300 level and above(not includingECO 359orECO 459). Each of these must be taken for a minimum of three credits.

4. One additional course, either in economics (not including ECO 359 orECO 459)
or from alist of pre-approved electives in other departments, that carries a minimum of three credits.
Note: No more than two 400-level courses will count toward fulfillment of the major.

B.MAT 125Calculus A (orMAT 130/MAT 125). If students do not place intoMAT 125on the basis of the math placement examination,MAT 123orMAT 119/MAT 123is a required course for the major.
orAMS 151Applied Calculus I
or level 6 on the mathematics placement examination
or any higher level calculus course (See Note 2)

C. Upper-Division Writing Requirement:

Notes:

1. Students who need to takeMAP 103will be unable to takeECO 108in the first semester of the freshman year and will have to adjust their schedule accordingly.
2. Economics is a quantitative social science. Students planning to use their background in economics for graduate studies or in their careers should take additional courses in mathematics and applied mathematics.
3. A maximum of four courses in economics taken at other institutions may be applied toward the major.

Suggested Course Sequence

Requirements for Honors

Qualified students can graduate with honors in Economics. As specified below, the requirements include an honors thesis approved by the Department's Undergraduate Committee. Students interested in graduating with honors will need to plan their studies well so they can produce an honors thesis of truly original content by the end of their graduation semester. Students will need to take upper division classes on topics of their interest and identify faculty members that are able and willing to guide them through a substantial research project. They should agree with the faculty member and register forECO 487in a subsequent semester and ensure that they and their advisor devote enough time on the project to bring it to the level required for the honors designation.

Honors in Economics will be awarded to graduating seniors who have achieved the following:

1. A grade point average of at least 3.5 in the five required courses (see A1 and A2 above), with no less than a B in any one of these courses.
2. A grade point average of at least 3.50 in five upper division electives in Economics (see A3 above).
3. Six credits in economics at the 400 level.
4. An honors thesis, submitted to the director of undergraduate studies for honors evaluation by the Undergraduate Committee.