Bachelor of Arts in Economics

The Bachelor of the Arts (BA) in Economics prepares students for a variety of careers and for graduate studies in multiple disciplines; students develop essential skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and data analytics. We offer electives, such as behavioral economics, resource & energy economics, public policy, pandemic economics, economic development, experimental economics, health, and economic history. The BA in Economics is selected by many students pursuing a double major. 

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Admission Requirements

• Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.

Graduation Requirements

• Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
• Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
  • For 3 credits of Tier 1 Quantitative Skills, choose MATH A221 or MATH A251 or MATH A251F.
  • For 6 credits of Tier 2 Social Sciences, choose ECON A101 and ECON A102.
• Complete the following major requirements with a minimum grade of C:

A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division.

Honors in Economics

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics recognizes distinguished achievement by conferring programmatic honors in economics. In order to receive honors in economics, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Meet requirements for BA in Economics;
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.50 in their major requirements;
• Complete ECON A492 with a grade of A, or complete a research paper with a grade of A which demonstrates independent economic research in a semester-length independent study course.

Students not meeting all these requirements may be awarded honors through a vote of the faculty.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics will be able to: 

• Demonstrate the economic way of thinking and apply it to a wide variety of issues and problems.
• Use economic concepts and analytical skills to address economic problems.
• Demonstrate a basic descriptive knowledge of the U.S. and world economies.
• Understand the role of institutions, especially markets and government, in shaping economic outcomes.
• Obtain and analyze relevant economic data to test hypotheses against evidence.

Sample Plan

The academic plan below is one pathway through the degree/certificate. It includes all requirements, taking into account recommendations from program faculty. Each student’s plan may vary according to their initial course placement, intended course load, additional majors and/or minors, and their placement into required prerequisite courses. Any change in the plan below can have an unforeseen impact on the rest of the plan. Therefore, it is very important to meet with your academic advisor to verify your personal academic plan.

Please review the following terms, definitions, and resources associated with the sample academic plan below.

• Each course in the far left column links to a pop-up bubble with a course description, prerequisite requirements, and associations with university requirements. For example, if a course fulfills a general education requirement, you will see that in the pop-up bubble.
• GER: indicates a General Education Requirement. GERs that also count toward degree/certificate requirements appear as a specific course in the plan. For these courses, "GER" is not indicated explicitly in the table, but if you click on the course, you will see the course's GER status in the pop-up bubble.
• Program Elective: indicates a specific course selection determined by program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Elective: indicates an open selection of 100-400 level university courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate.
• Upper Division Program Elective: indicates a specific 300-400 level course selection determined by the program faculty to fulfill a degree/certificate requirement. Students should seek assistance from their academic advisor.
• Upper Division Elective: indicates an open selection of 300-400 level courses to fulfill elective credits needed to meet the minimum total credits toward the degree/certificate. These courses must be upper division in order to meet General University Requirements for the particular degree/certificate type.