Economics and Computer Science Major
Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 54
- 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.
The College of Arts & Sciences and the McKelvey School of Engineering have developed a major that allows students interested in both economics and computer science to combine these two complementary disciplines efficiently, without having to pursue them as two separate majors.
Engineering students who declare this major must fulfill the distribution requirements and all other requirements for the BS in Applied Science degree in the McKelvey School of Engineering. Arts & Sciences students who declare this major must fulfill the distribution requirements and all other requirements for a BA degree in addition to the specific requirements listed below. It is possible to earn the Financial Economics Specialization in conjunction with this major (prime or second), and interested students should consult with the Academic Coordinator in the Department of Economics.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 1501 | Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 1502 | Introduction to Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 4001 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 3150 Introduction to Econometrics or ECON 4150 Introduction to Econometrics with Writing | 3 | |
| MATH 1510 Calculus I (AP credit may satisfy this requirement) or MATH 1515 Calculus I with Foundations | 3 | |
| MATH 1520 | Calculus II (AP credit may satisfy this requirement) | 3 |
| SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis* or SDS 3030 Statistics for Data Science I or ESE 3260 Probability and Statistics for Engineering | 3 | |
| CSE 2400 Logic and Discrete Mathematics or MATH 3010 Foundations for Higher Mathematics or MATH 3015 Foundations for Higher Mathematics with Writing | 3 | |
| CSE 2407 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 3 |
| CSE 3407 | Analysis of Algorithms | 3 |
| CSE 1301 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 |
- *
Of these options, SDS 3020 is the preferred course.
Elective Courses
- Three 3-unit economics electives drawn from any ECON 4001 prerequisite course, including ECON 4002.
- Economics electives of particular relevance include (but are not limited to) ECON 4315 Market Design, ECON 4151 Applied Econometrics, ECON 4160 Topics in Econometrics: Microeconomics, ECON 4335 Industrial Organization, ECON 4420 Computational Macroeconomics, and ECON 4710 Game Theory.
- Three 3-unit computer science electives drawn from the list below:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 2107 | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
| CSE 3101 | Introduction to Intelligent Agents Using Science Fiction | 3 |
| CSE 3104 | Data Manipulation and Management | 3 |
| CSE 3300 | Rapid Prototype Development and Creative Programming | 3 |
| CSE 3302 | Object-Oriented Software Development Laboratory | 3 |
| CSE 3401 | Parallel and Sequential Algorithms | 3 |
| CSE 4001 | Indepent Study | varies; max. 3 |
| CSE 4101 | Ai and Society | 3 |
| CSE 4102 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CSE 4106 | Data Science for Complex Networks | 3 |
| CSE 4107 | Introduction to Machine Learning* | 3 |
| CSE 4170 | Introduction to Machine Learning and Pattern Classification | 3 |
| CSE 4205 | Programming Systems and Languages | 3 |
| CSE 4207 | Cloud Computing with Big Data Applications | 3 |
| CSE 4305 | Database Management Systems | 3 |
| CSE 4507 | Introduction to Visualization | 3 |
| CSE 5104 | Data Mining | 3 |
| CSE 5107 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| CSE 5108 | Human-In-The-Loop Computation | 3 |
| CSE 5403 | Algorithms for Nonlinear Optimization | 3 |
| CSE 5507 | Advanced Visualization | 3 |
- *
Students planning to complete CSE 5107 should try to complete CSE 4107 as the prerequisite course. Non-engineering students may substitute SDS3200 or SDS 3030 for the ESE 3260 prerequisite for ESE 4170.
Additional Information
- In rare cases, and with preapproval from both Economics and Computer Science, majors may receive 3 units of major credit for an elective outside of those listed above. Students must receive preapproval for such a course before enrollment, and approval will only be granted for courses that are in the spirit of the joint major.
- No credit is awarded in the major from the AP Microeconomics exam or the AP Macroeconomics exam. Students who have a score of 5 on the corresponding AP exam may elect to bypass ECON 1501 and/or ECON 1502, but any bypassed units must be made up with preapproved elective credit in Economics or Computer Science. In Economics, this preapproved elective credit may be at the 3000 or 4000 level.
- AP credit (and back credit) for MATH 1510 and/or MATH 1502 is accepted in the major.
- Please refer to Arts & Sciences' Policies & Procedures for more information about credit for test scores and college credit prior to matriculation to Washington University.
Study Abroad
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for ECON 3150. Note: Many study abroad programs in Europe do not offer the equivalent of ECON 3150 in the spring semester. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad coursework. Preapproval from the Economics department's study abroad advisor is required.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for one economics elective. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad coursework. Preapproval from the Economics department's study abroad advisor is required.
- Majors selecting an approved study abroad program (for one semester) may receive transfer credit for up to two Computer Science electives. A grade of C (or higher) is required in study abroad coursework. Preapproval from a McKelvey School of Engineering's study abroad advisor is required. Majors should review the McKelvey School of Engineering’s transfer course approval process and refer to the Transfer Course Equivalency Database.
- 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 major degree requirements.
Transfer Credit
- Majors may receive a maximum of 6 units of transfer credit from other colleges/universities to replace ECON1501 and/or ECON 1502. A minimum grade of C- must be earned. This policy is distinct from studying in an approved study abroad/study away program. Consult with the Economics department Academic Coordinator, as needed.
- Transfer credit for computer science, mathematics, and probability/statistics courses is approved by the respective departments 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 Economics department Academic Coordinator.
Visit the Economics page
for additional information about this program.
Contact Info
| Contact: | Dorothy Petersen, Academic Coordinator |
| Phone: | 314-935-5644 |
| Email: | dottie@wustl.edu |
| Website: | http://economics.wustl.edu |