Economics, BA

All programs

Bachelor of Arts in Economics · 46 credits

Catalog page

Typical path

+ First Year Seminar

+ SBC ×2

+ First Year Seminar

+ SBC ×2

+ SBC

+ ECO Elective

+ SBC ×2

+ Elective

+ Upper-division ECO ×2

+ Upper-division Elective

+ SBC ×2

+ Upper-division ECO

+ ECO Elective or other Approved Course

+ Upper-division elective

+ SBC

+ SBC ×2

+ Upper-division Elective ×2

+ Elective

+ Upper-division ECO

+ ECO Elective or other Approved Course

+ Upper-division Elective

+ Elective ×2

All options

Hide courses not offered in

Five additional economics electives at the 300 level and above

Pick 5 courses · 34 courses to choose from

100s

None

200s

None

300s

400s

One additional course

Pick 1 course · 37 courses to choose from

100s

200s

None

300s

400s

Mathematics

Pick 1 course · 5 courses to choose from

100s

200s

None

300s

None

400s

None

A.1.Introduction to Microeconomics

ECO 110Introduction to Microeconomics3 cr

Catalog text

1. ECO 110 - Introduction to Microeconomics 3 credits

A.2.Introduction to Macroeconomics

One of

ECO 111Introduction to Macroeconomics3 cr
or
ECO 108Introduction to Economics4 cr

Catalog text

2. ECO 111 - Introduction to Macroeconomics 3 credits. Note: This requirement may also be satisfied by students that earned credit for ECO 108 prior to Summer 2025

A.3.Intermediate economics courses

ECO 303Intermediate Microeconomic Theory4 cr
ECO 305Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory4 cr
ECO 320Mathematical Statistics4 cr
ECO 321Econometrics4 cr

Catalog text

3. Intermediate economics courses: ECO 303 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory 4 credits; ECO 305 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory 4 credits; ECO 320 - Mathematical Statistics 4 credits; ECO 321 - Econometrics 4 credits

A.4.Five additional economics electives at the 300 level and above

Choose 5 courses

ECO courses numbered 300 and above, each at least 3 credits

Excluding ECO 359, ECO 459; courses already counted toward requirement A.3 (Intermediate economics courses).

At least 1 from ECO 310, ECO 322, ECO 323, ECO 324, ECO 326, ECO 329, ECO 348, ECO 351, ECO 352, ECO 354, ECO 355, ECO 357, ECO 360, ECO 362, ECO 383, ECO 386, ECO 389.

At most 2 courses from ECO courses numbered 400 and above.

Catalog text

4. Five additional courses in economics at the 300 level and above, not including ECO 359 or ECO 459. Each of these must be taken for a minimum of three credits. One of the 5 electives must be a course from the following list: ECO 310, ECO 322, ECO 323, ECO 324, ECO 326, ECO 329, ECO 348, ECO 351, ECO 352, ECO 354, ECO 355, ECO 357, ECO 360, ECO 362, ECO 383, ECO 386, ECO 389

A.5.One additional course

Choose 1 course

ECO courses, each at least 3 credits

Excluding ECO 359, ECO 459; courses already counted toward requirement A.1 (Introduction to Microeconomics), requirement A.2 (Introduction to Macroeconomics), requirement A.3 (Intermediate economics courses), requirement A.4 (Five additional economics electives at the 300 level and above).

At most 1 course from ECO courses numbered 400 and above.

Catalog text

5. One additional course, either in economics (not including ECO 359 or ECO 459) or from a list of pre-approved electives in other departments, that carries a minimum of three credits.

B.Mathematics

One of

MAT 125Calculus A3 cr
or
All of
- MAT 130Trigonometry and Logarithms1 cr
- MAT 125Calculus A3 cr
or
AMS 151Applied Calculus I3 cr
or
Choose 1 course
- MAT 126Calculus B3 cr
- MAT 127Calculus C3 cr
- MAT 131Calculus I4 cr
- MAT 132Calculus II4 cr
- AMS 161Applied Calculus II3 cr

Catalog text

MAT 125 - Calculus A 3 credits OR MAT 130 - Trigonometry and Logarithms 1 credit, MAT 125 - Calculus A Credits: 3 credits OR AMS 151 - Applied Calculus I 3 credits OR level 6 on the mathematics placement examination OR any higher level calculus course (See Note 2)

C.Upper-Division Writing Requirement

One of

ECO 359Reading and Writing in Economics3 cr
or
All of
- ECO 487Independent Research in Economics0–6 cr
- ECO 459Write Effectively in Economics0 cr

Catalog text

All students must do so by registering for the WRTD certified class ECO 359 unless they intend to complete a larger, more substantial, independent research project. Those seeking to complete a substantial independent research project should not register for ECO 359. They should instead seek a faculty member's approval to register for ECO 487 and obtain their WRTD certification by registering for the 0-credit ECO 459 class in the same semester.

Sample schedule

Year 1 · Fall16 cr

First Year Seminar 1011
WRT 101Introductory Writing Workshop3
ECO 110Introduction to Microeconomics3
MAT 122 / MAT 123 / AMS 151Overview of Calculus with Applications3
SBC3
SBC3

Year 1 · Spring16 cr

First Year Seminar 1021
WRT 102Intermediate Writing Workshop3
MAT 125 / AMS 151Calculus A3
ECO 111Introduction to Macroeconomics3
SBC3
SBC3

Year 2 · Fall14 cr

ECO 303Intermediate Microeconomic Theory4
ECO 320Mathematical Statistics4
SBC3
ECO Elective3

Year 2 · Spring17 cr

ECO 305Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory4
ECO 321Econometrics4
SBC3
SBC3
Elective3

Year 3 · Fall15 cr

Upper-division ECO3
Upper-division ECO3
Upper-division Elective3
SBC3
SBC3

Year 3 · Spring12 cr

Upper-division ECO3
ECO Elective or other Approved Course3
Upper-division elective3
SBC3

Year 4 · Fall15 cr

SBC3
SBC3
Upper-division Elective3
Upper-division Elective3
Elective3

Year 4 · Spring15 cr

Upper-division ECO3
ECO Elective or other Approved Course3
Upper-division Elective3
Elective3
Elective3

Program rules

Letter grades
Courses in requirements A.1, A.2, A.3, A.4, A.5, B, C must be taken for a letter grade.
Minimum grade
C or higher in requirements A.1, A.2, A.3, A.4, A.5, B, C.

Notes

Advising: Students are urged to consider enrolling in ECO 488 - Internship in Economics. Registration requires an internship offer (through the Career Center or otherwise) and permission of a faculty member; the permission and Career Center arrangement must be made before the start of the semester. The academic component runs alongside the work component.
Advising: Independent research (ECO 487) should be formulated with the supervising faculty member before the start of the semester in which it is taken. Credit is variable (about four hours per week per credit).
Advising: Economics is a quantitative social science. Students planning graduate study or careers using economics should take additional mathematics and applied mathematics courses.
Advising: Students who need to take MAP 103 cannot take ECO 110 or ECO 111 in their first semester of freshman year and must adjust their schedule.
Note: Honors in Economics is available. Requirements include a 3.5 GPA in the five required courses with no less than a B in any one, a 3.50 GPA in five upper-division economics electives, six credits in economics at the 400 level, and an honors thesis evaluated by the Undergraduate Committee. The honors program is not evaluated here.
Note: Double majors must fulfill the Economics upper-division writing requirement in addition to their other major's upper-division writing requirement.
Note: Upper-division writing should generally be completed in the senior year, after most upper-division major requirements are done. ECO 459 may be used with a paper from another upper-division class only in exceptional cases, with instructor and student agreement, and with registration for ECO 459 in the same semester.
Note: Students may consider Second Majors and Minors in Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS), Business (BUS, major only), and Computer Science (CSE).
Note: No more than two 400-level courses will count toward fulfillment of the major (enforced within A.4; A.5 allows one 400-level course, so confirm the combined total).
Note: A maximum of four courses in economics taken at other institutions may be applied toward the major. Not checked by the audit.
Note: If students do not place into MAT 125 on the basis of the math placement examination, MAT 123 or MAT 119/MAT 123 is a required course for the major. Not checked by the audit.
Note: Completion of the major requires a minimum of 46 credits.