2009-2010 Course Catalog

Required for the economics major

  1. Economics 100 or 120
  2. Mathematics 140 or both Mathematics 120 and 130; Mathematics 207
  3. Intermediate Theory
    1. Economics 300
    2. Economics 320
    3. Economics 380
    (Majors must take all three courses prior to completion of the junior year. The department must approve any exception.)
  4. Five additional six-unit courses numbered 200 or higher, three of which must be numbered 400-699.
    (Only one tutorial or independent study may count as one of these five courses.)
  5. The grade-point average for the major will be computed from economics courses and from required mathematics courses. A C average is required.

Required for the interdisciplinary mathematics-economics major
The mathematics component of the major is:

  1. Mathematics 140, 150, 160, 207, 300, and 310
  2. Either Mathematics 435 or 445 and 6 units in a mathematics course numbered 400 or above, with 435, 440, 445, or 560 recommended

The economics component of the major is:

  1. Economics 100 or 120
  2. Economics 300, 320, and 380
    (Majors must take all three courses prior to completion of the junior year. The department must approve any exception.)
  3. Any three six-unit courses numbered between 400 and 580 with Economics 500 and 520 recommended

The interdisciplinary component of the major is:

  1. Completion of an independent study project that has been approved by both departments.
  2. A major must have an advisor in each department.

Required for the economics minor

  1. Economics 100 or Economics 300 (both microeconomics)
  2. Economics 120 or Economics 320 (both macroeconomics)
  3. Five additional six-unit courses, at least four of which must be economics courses numbered 200 or above and one that could be a mathematics course.
    4. (Only one tutorial or independent study may count as one of these five courses.)
  4. C average in the minor

Recommendations
Recommendations For the student intending one course Economics 120 is especially appropriate for the student who intends to take only one economics course. For the student interested in taking more than one course, especially if considering a degree in economics Economics 100 is the appropriate starting point.

For the economics or mathematics-economics major

  • Adopt an advisor in the Department of Economics as soon as possible and speak to your advisor about the selection of a coherent set of electives.
  • Take Mathematics 140 or 120 and 130 as soon as possible. Mathematics 150 and 160 are also recommended.
  • Take Economics 100, a 200-level economics course, and then Economics 300.
  • Take Economics 300 early if you have done well in its prerequisites.
  • If a student does not meet one or more pre-requisites for any course, he or she must explicitly obtain consent of instructor.
  • Students preparing for graduate work in economics, public policy, or business or those preparing for an M.B.A. in a quantitative field should plan to take a number of mathematics courses and should consult the economics faculty for advice. The mathematics-economics major is particularly well-suited for these students. Furthermore, students should take Economics 500 and Economics 520 as part of their preparation.
  • Economics majors anticipating a career in secondary-school teaching should check state certification requirements

    • Course structure and numbering
    The 100-level introductory courses are theory-based survey courses. Economics 100 is the best preparation for taking other economics courses, and most courses at the 200 level require only Economics 100. Economics 120 is an alternative to Economics 100, but it is not an adequate preparation for some 200-level courses.
    The 200-level courses apply basic theory to particular fields of inquiry. Contingent on basic 100-level preparation, the economics department strives to make the 200-level courses accessible to as many students as possible.
    The 300-level courses are intermediate theory courses geared toward economics majors, while the 400-level courses are advanced applications classes. The 500-level courses are graduate-school preparatory courses.

    Senior Experience in Economics
    The economics curriculum culminates with a one-term Senior Experience in which the student produces a well-researched paper that stands up to the standards of the profession. Students must enroll in the senior experience seminar (to be offered twice a year), a "workshop" that will help students craft the content and the form of the paper. The prerequisite for this seminar is a one-page paper proposal that is approved by the instructor. An entrepreneurial project may also be approved as a senior experience after early and in-depth consultation with the department chair and the student's advisor.
    Students pursuing double majors, double degrees, and education certification, are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors and relevant department chairs to plan and negotiate their overall senior experience as early as possible, especially if they are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary capstone that integrates their interests in both majors, or combines their student teaching with a project in their major.
    Interdisciplinary mathematics-economics (economics-mathematics) majors may choose to meet their Senior Experience requirement by taking the above workshop or by satisfying the Department of Mathematics' requirement. In either case, they will need to demonstrate the ability to combine topics in both disciplines – bringing appropriate techniques of mathematics or statistics to bear on the study of economics, or learning mathematics or statistics suggested by models in economics. Students who plan to complete this interdisciplinary major must have their Senior Experience proposal approved by one advisor in the Department of Mathematics and one in the Department of Economics prior to the term in which they plan to complete the experience.