Complete at least two graded economics courses at the University.
Achieve a GPA of at least 2.3 for all economics courses completed at the University (that is, the final grades in these courses averaged together).
Achieve a grade of at least C+ in ECON 201, ECON 301, or ECON 311. Students who have AP or transfer credit for two of the preceding courses at the time that they matriculate at the University are exempted from this requirement.
Receive credit for APMA 111, MATH 122 or MATH 132 with a minimum grade of C. Students who have AP or transfer credit for one of these courses at the time that they matriculate at the University are exempted from this requirement.
Complete a statistics course [ECON 371, 372, or 472; MATH 312; APMA 311 or 312; or STAT 212] with a minimum grade of C. Students who have AP or transfer credit for one of the preceding courses at the time that they matriculate at the University are exempted from this requirement. (With the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, SEAS students may declare the economics major, and later complete statistics in the third year, using APMA 312 or MATH 312).
Notes on Requirements to Declare
No requirement for declaring the major can be satisfied by retaking the same course.
Transfer students must meet all prerequisites. They cannot automatically enroll in the major. Third-year transfer students considering the economics major are strongly advised to see the Director of Undergraduate Studies before selecting fall courses.
If the course used to satisfy the statistics requirement is not an economics course, it does not enter the economics grade point average.
When
You are Ready to Declare the Major
Print out (1)-(5) above. Review them carefully. Do you qualify?
Obtain a major declaration form from Garrett Hall.
Before you come to the Economics Department, complete that
form, as follows:
Fill in the personal information.
Fill in the course grid—prefix, number, title and term—with the
eleven courses (completed, in progress, or planned) that will complete the requirements for the major. Include calculus and statistics. Write
TR or AP in the "year" column if you are using transfer or AP credit.
You will not be required to complete the particular elective
courses that you list as planned. This form is just a first draft of
your plans for the major. As you select electives, consult question
5 of FAQ.
Print out your VISTAA form. You must bring this form with
you when you declare.
Bring the declaration form and your VISTAA form (or transcript) to
2015 Ivy Road, Room 326, during regular office hours. The Undergraduate Secretary will verify that you have satisfied the
requirements to declare and will assign you to a major advisor.
Take the declaration form to your advisor for review and signature. Return it to Room 326, where we will give you your copy of the
document. Your declaration is not complete until we send the
form to your school of enrollment.
Departmental
Degree Requirements
Complete four required courses: ECON 201, ECON 202, ECON 301 or ECON 311, and ECON 302. The required courses (except ECON 302) must be
completed by the end of the 6th semester. Majors who fail to do so will
be dropped from the program.
Earn 15 hours of elective economics course credit, at least 12 hours of which must be in courses numbered above 299 and least 6 hours in courses above 399. (ECON 371 does not satisfy the electives requirement.)
Achieve at least a 2.0 economics grade point average (that is, the final grades, averaged together, in the courses used to satisfy requirements (1) and (2)). If you fail and retake the same required course, both grades enter the economics grade point average. When a course is passed and retaken, the second grade does not carry credit or enter the grade point average. If you take more than the minimum 15 hours of electives, the elective courses with the highest grades, excluding transfer courses, will enter the economics grade point average. Students who have questions about their status as an economics major should see the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Notes on Degree Requirements
No courses taken credit/no credit may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Majors are encouraged to take additional mathematics courses. Students considering the finance concentration or graduate work in economics should take MATH 131 and MATH 132 (or APMA 111 and APMA 112) instead of MATH 121 and MATH 122.
Transfer credit for courses taken outside of the University: No courses taken outside the University after matriculation may be counted towards the major in place of ECON 301 or 302. At most six hours of the fifteen hours of elective course credits may be in courses taken outside of the University. No courses taken outside the University may be counted toward the minor in economics, except ECON 201, ECON 202, statistics and calculus. To be sure that a course will transfer for economics credit, a student must receive approval in advance, from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Concentration
in Financial Economics
Economics majors may declare this concentration when they have completed ECON 472 with a grade of at least a B. To complete the concentration, meet the ordinary requirements for the major. In addition:
Four of the five economics electives are stipulated as follows:
ECON 303 (Money and Banking)
Either ECON 434 (Theory of Financial Markets), ECON 435 (Corporate Finance) or COMM 372 (Corporate Finance, at McIntire School of Commerce) or for some students, Econ 437 (Behavioral Finance)
ECON 472 (Introduction to Econometrics)
ECON 436 (Empirical Finance)
Students must complete COMM 201 (Financial Accounting). COMM 201 is ordinarily restricted to second-year students.
When you have completed the prerequisite, please bring your current VISTAA form to the Undergraduate Secretary in Room 326 of the Dynamics building to declare the concentration.
Concentration in International Economics
Economics majors may declare a concentration in international economics no later than October 1 of their seventh semester. To declare it, students must have already completed ECON 372 or 472, or be enrolled in one of them.
In addition to the five required courses for the major (201, 202, 301 or 311, 302 and statistics), students must pass ECON 421, ECON 422, and any two of the following:
ECON 451
ECON 423
An area studies course within the department (ECON 309, 353, 355, 456, etc.)
When you have completed the prerequisite, please bring your current VISTAA form to the Undergraduate Secretary in Room 326 of the Dynamics building to declare the concentration.
Concentration in Public Policy
Economics majors may declare a concentration in public policy no later than October 1 of their seventh semester. To declare it, students must have already completed ECON 301 or 311 with a grade of B or better, passed ECON 372 or 472 (or if declaring in their seventh semester, be enrolled in it), and passed ECON 431 (or if declaring in their seventh semester, be enrolled in it).
To complete the concentration, in addition to the four core courses required for the major, students must pass ECON 372 or 472 and ECON 431 by the end of their seventh semester.
In addition, by graduation they must complete ECON 488 and at least two courses from the list below:
ECON 304, ECON 305, ECON 331, ECON 333, ECON 408, ECON 415, ECON 416, ECON 418, ECON 420, ECON 421, ECON 422, ECON 423, ECON 433, ECON 442, ECON 443, ECON 451.
Students who concentrate in public policy are encouraged to take courses in the Department of Politics. Some of these courses deal with important aspects of policy development that are not covered in economics courses. PLAP 266, 338, and 471, and 514, PLCP 413 and 525, and PLPT 480 are especially relevant. When you have completed the prerequisite(s), please bring your current VISTAA form to the Undergraduate Secretary in Room 326 of the Dynamics building to declare the concentration.
