Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 37-39
- Grade Requirement: All courses in the major (including MATH and SDS courses) must be completed with the letter grade option, and a grade of at least C– must be earned in each.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1501 | Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 |
| or MEC 2900 | Microeconomics | |
| ECON 1502 | Introduction to Macroeconomics | 3 |
| or MEC 2920 | Global Economics | |
| ECON 4001 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 4002 | Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 3150 | Introduction to Econometrics | 3 |
| or ECON 4150 | Introduction to Econometrics With Writing | |
| MATH 1510 | Calculus I | 3 |
| or MATH 1515 | Calculus I With Foundations | |
| MATH 1520 | Calculus II | 3 |
| ECON 4830 | Mathematical Economics | 1-3 |
| or MATH 2130 | Calculus III | |
| One of the following: | ||
| SDS 2020 | Elementary Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| SDS 3020 | Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis | 3 |
| SDS 3030 | Statistics for Data Science I | 3 |
| ESE 3260 | Probability and Statistics for Engineering | 3 |
| DAT 1200 & DAT 1201 | Managerial Statistics I and Managerial Statistics II | 6 |
Elective Courses
Four upper-level (3-unit) economics electives (12 units), at least two of which must be at the 4000 level.
Additional Information
- No credit is awarded in the economics major from the AP Microeconomics or the AP Macroeconomics exam(s).
- AP credit for MATH 1510 Calculus I, MATH 1520 Calculus II, and/or SDS 2020 Elementary Probability and Statistics is accepted in the economics major.
- AP, IB, and/or British A-level credit for MATH 1510 Calculus I and/or MATH 1520 Calculus II is accepted in the economics minor. Please refer to Arts & Sciences policies for further information.
Study Abroad
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for ECON 3150 Introduction to Econometrics. Note: many study abroad programs in Europe do not offer the equivalent of ECON 3150 Introduction to Econometrics in the spring semester. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad coursework. Preapproval from the department's study abroad advisor is required.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may also receive transfer credit for two economics electives, which count in the major as 3000-level electives (regardless of the abroad course prerequisite). A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad coursework. Preapproval from the department's study abroad advisor is required.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program for a full year of study will be handled on a case-by-case basis in terms of meeting degree requirements. All majors must complete at least four 4000-level courses from the Department of Economics.
Transfer Credit
- Majors may receive a maximum of 3 units of transfer credit from other colleges/universities to replace ECON 1501 Introduction to Microeconomics, ECON 1502 Introduction to Macroeconomics, or a 3000-level economics elective. A minimum grade of C– must be earned. This policy is distinct from studying in an approved study abroad program, but, in total, no more than 9 units of transfer credit will be accepted for a major matriculating as a first-year student.
- Transfer credit for MATH or SDS courses is approved by the respective department and is accepted by the Department of Economics for major credit.
- For further details on policies and procedures, please refer to the Economics Undergraduate Guide and the Department of Economics website, or schedule a meeting with the department's Academic Coordinator.
Graduating with Honors
There are three types of academic recognition that an Arts & Sciences student may receive upon graduation:
- College Honors: This designation is automatically awarded to all Arts & Sciences students who graduate with an eighth-semester, overall GPA of 3.60 or higher and who have not participated in a department's Latin Honors program. In other words, it is not possible for a student to receive both the College Honors designation and a (level of) Latin Honors.
- Latin Honors: Cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude are phrases that Washington University grants for undergraduate work that deserves special recognition. The College of Arts & Sciences requires a recommendation from the student's major department as part of the decision to award Latin Honors, and each department sets its own requirements for making such a recommendation. In the Economics Department, students can participate in one of two tracks of the Latin Honors Program. Further details are below and on the Undergraduate Honors & Prizes page of the Department of Economics website.
- English Honors: These honors are awarded at the department's discretion as an acknowledgment of exemplary work within the major. There are three categories of English Honors: Distinction in Economics, High Distinction in Economics, and Highest Distinction in Economics. It is possible for a student to receive combinations of College-English or Latin-English Honors, and it is possible to receive English Honors without participating in the Department of Economics’ Latin Honors program. Additional information is on the Undergraduate Honors & Prizes page of the Department of Economics website.
Latin Honors Program Requirements
The College of Arts & Sciences awards Latin Honors based on GPA (which must be at least 3.65) and the recommendation of the Department of Economics. Majors select one honors track and complete 9 units (three courses) of additional coursework over and above the major requirements. The two tracks are Latin Honors with Thesis and Latin Honors by Coursework.
In addition to the major requirements, students who select the Latin Honors with Thesis track must successfully complete the following:
- Currently, the department mandates completion of ECON 4151 Applied Econometrics, ideally during the junior year, but not later than the fall semester of the senior year.
- The thesis, via enrollment in ECON 4980 Honors Seminar (Fall) and ECON 4990 Study for Honors (Spring).
- The thesis presentation, which will be scheduled in the spring of the senior year.
- Thesis candidates are expected to participate in the department's Honors Conference and/or the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium. Ideally, the Economics major is completed during or before the fall semester of the senior year.
In addition to the major requirements, students who select the Latin Honors by Coursework track must successfully complete the following:
- One of the following: SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis, SDS 3030 Statistics for Data Science I, SDS 4010 Probability, ECON 4151 Applied Econometrics, or ECON 4160 Topics in Econometrics: Microeconometrics.
- Two (3-unit) economics electives at the 4000-level. One of the additional advanced electives must be ECON 4151 Applied Econometrics, ECON 4160 Topics in Econometrics: Microeconometrics, ECON 4210 Topics in Financial Economics: Asset Pricing, ECON 4211 Topics in Financial Economics: Investments, ECON 4320 Auction Theory and Practice, ECON 4335 Industrial Organization, ECON 4520 Topics in Growth and Development, ECON 4710 Game Theory, ECON 4770 Decision Under Risk and Time, ECON 8010 Microeconomics I, or ECON 8011 Microeconomics II.
- Students who select ECON 4151 Applied Econometrics or ECON 4160 Topics in Econometrics: Microeconometrics to complete item #1 above may not double-count the course as one of the additional advanced electives. In this case, students must select a different course from the list above as one of the required additional advanced electives.
Contact Info
| Contact: | Dorothy Petersen, Academic Coordinator |
| Phone: | 314-935-5644 |
| Email: | dottie@wustl.edu |
| Website: | http://economics.wustl.edu |