Economics Requirements

Economics is not a religion, or a one-sided worldview. Rather, it is a systematic approach to weighing costs and benefits in almost any situation. Economics answers many simple questions about life, but leaves just as many to ponder.

The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. - J.M. Keynes.

The Senior Thesis that all Economics majors complete provides an opportunity to apply what you know to something you don't understand.

Objectives

 The objective of the major in Economics is to develop a general knowledge of how economies function to allocate scarce resources.  By applying economic theories of decision-making and coordination to public policy issues, majors will gain understanding of the operation of the United States and other economies and of their interactions.  Specialization in economics is valuable to students who intend to enter business or government service.  For many positions with the federal or state governments, training in economics or related social sciences is required.  Moreover, undergraduate specialization in economics is the first step for students who wish to make a career of college teaching of economics or who wish to secure positions as professional economists with business or government.  To hold such positions, graduate study of economics is usually required.

Prerequisites

 Students desiring to major in the Department are required to pass the following prerequisites prior to admission into the major.  If a student has not taken both of these courses, that student may be admitted only if currently scheduled for a later section or by consent of the chair if mitigating circumstances exist.

         Economics 150 - Principles of Economics                                  2 units

        Economics 160 - Principles of Financial Accounting                    1 unit

 Course of Study for the Economics Major

 To graduate as an Economics major, students must pass a minimum of 11 units credit in courses in Economics plus 1 unit in Mathematics and meet the following requirements:

 A.         Required Courses in Economics

             *If EC 408 is taken in lieu of EC 303, EC 408 may not be counted as one of the three units of Economics electives described in B.

 B.         Electives in Economics

 C.         Required Course in Mathematics

 Students majoring in Economics and Business are required to meet all-College requirements.