Economics BA
Nearly every decision which a person, business, or government makes involves trade-offs, and so, falls under the purview of economic analysis. In coursework for the Economics BA, students learn to think analytically and apply their knowledge to a broad range of topics such as property rights, environmental regulation, labor markets, and government regulation. Students also study the economy as a whole and explore the sources of growth, recessions, and inflation, as well as government policies designed to influence the economy. The study of economics is an excellent way to learn how to apply analytical skills to a range of interesting questions and problems.
General Education Requirements
All undergraduate economics majors must meet the university and college general education requirements. Candidates for the B.A. degree may take any foreign language to meet this requirement. Candidates for the B.S. degree take mathematics and quantitative courses instead of the foreign language requirement. Courses in economics may be used to meet the university social sciences requirement.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Option
Courses outside the major field and ECON 1001, Principles of Microeconomics, and ECON 1002, Principles of Macroeconomics, may be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
Prerequisites
All prerequisites for economics courses must be completed with a C- or better.
Degree Requirements
Candidates for the B.A. degree must take at least 33, but no more than 45, hours in economics. At least 27 hours must be above the 2000 level. All core courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
| The following core courses are required: | ||
| ECON 1001 | Principles of Microeconomics (MOTR ECON 102) | 3 |
| ECON 1002 | Principles of Macroeconomics (MOTR ECON 101) | 3 |
| ECON 2800 | History of American Economic Development | 3 |
| or ECON 2200 | Monetary Policy in Historical Perspective | |
| ECON 3001 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 3002 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 3100 | Economic Data and Statistics | 3 |
Departmental Honors
A student may earn departmental honors with a GPA of 3.6 in economics and the recommendation of the department.
Complementary Areas of Study
he department encourages all majors to develop breadth in related disciplines. Course work and minors are available in a number of areas such as business administration, computer science, statistics, and political science. In addition, courses offered by the department are required for the B.S. in Actuarial Science and help satisfy the prerequisites for courses required for the Certificate in Actuarial Studies and have been approved by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) to satisfy the VEE requirements in Economics. Students should check with their advisers for recommendations concerning courses in these areas. The department suggests the following supplemental course work for students interested in pursuing doctoral-level graduate work in economics or careers in general business. It also encourages all students to obtain work experience by enrolling in the Internship in Applied Economics (ECON 4990).
General Business Preparation
It is recommended that students interested in pursuing careers in business also take:
| ACCTNG 2400 | Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCTNG 2410 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS AD 2900 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| FINANCE 3500 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MKTG 3700 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
Learning Outcomes
- Use economic reasoning to interpret and evaluate social, political and economic arguments, and policies.
- Use mathematical methods to construct and analyze economic models and to analyze and interpret economic phenomena.
- Understand key market institutions such as property rights and contracts and economic organizations such as the Federal Reserve System and the International Monetary Fund and apply this knowledge to analyze economic behavior and evaluate public policy.
- Identify the causes and consequences of poverty and prosperity across and within societies.
- Predict changes in key macroeconomic variables in response to changes in social, political, and economic policy as well as non-economic events such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and changes in consumer confidence.
- Use basic statistical methods and statistical software to interpret and analyze economic data and relationships.
- Acquire a historical perspective through knowledge of the development of the U.S. economy and its key institutions.
Sample Four Year Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| INTDSC 10031 | 1 | ECON 1001 | 3 |
| MATH 1030 | 3 | MATH 1100 | 3 |
| ENGL 1100 | 3 | Foreign Language 1002 | 5 |
| Foreign Language 1001 | 5 | EXPLORE – Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 |
| CORE – Communication Proficiency | 3 | CORE – Information Literacy | 3 |
| 15 | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ECON 1002 | 3 | ECON 3001 | 3 |
| Foreign Language 2101 | 3 | ECON 2000+ level elective | 3 |
| EXPLORE – Humanities and Fine Arts | 3 | EXPLORE – Humanities and Fine Arts | 3 |
| EXPLORE – Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 | EXPLORE – Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 |
| EXPLORE - Social Sciences | 3 | Cultural Diversity Requirement | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ECON 2800 | 3 | ECON 3002 | 3 |
| ECON 3100 | 3 | ECON 2000+-level Course | 3 |
| ENGL 3100 | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| Elective or minor | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| Elective or minor | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ECON 2000+ level elective | 3 | ECON 2000+ level courses | 3 |
| ECON 2000+ level elective | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| Elective or minor | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| Elective or minor | 3 | Elective or minor | 3 |
| Elective or minor | 3 | Elective or minor | 1 |
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||
- 1
INTDSC 1003 is required only for first-time freshmen and transfer students with less than 24 college credits.
Please Note: This plan is an example of what a four year plan could look like for a typical student. Placement exam scores in math as well as the completion of coursework may change the plan. It should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester. All requirements are subject to change.