Major, minor, MS, PhD, and courses in Economics

Major in Economics

Economics is the study of the ways in which people attempt to satisfy their material needs and desires.  It studies how people decide whether or how much to work in the marketplace or at home, and how consumers and businesses decide whether or how much to spend, save, produce or invest.  It explains how markets coordinate the activities of many diverse buyers and sellers, and it explores circumstances that make it difficult for markets to function effectively without government or nonprofit-sector intervention.  A major in economics supports the liberal arts traditions of promoting students’ ability to think critically and helping them develop a better understanding of the world around them.

Students completing the Economics B.A. program will achieve the following:

Know:

  • A wide variety of economic issues, be able to determine when an issue is or is not essentially economic, and be able to distinguish between the positive and normative aspects of economic issues.
  • The mathematical and statistical techniques that are widely used in economic analysis.

Understand:

  • The complementary roles of the private sector and the government in the U.S. economy, and develop some familiarity with the similarities and differences in the role of the government in other world economies.
  • The relationships between world economies in the areas of trade, finance, and information exchange, and will be familiar with the potential benefits and costs of these relationships.
  • How economic theory and models can be used to help study economic phenomena, and be able to use economic theory to help interpret and address many economic and social issues.

Be able to:

  • Understand and interpret economic data, and statistics based on economic data, when presented in a variety of forms.

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Economics (ECON) requires satisfactory completion of the following:

  • A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a B.A. degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts.
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required for graduation.
  • A minimum of 26 credit hours must be completed after formal admission to IUPUI.
  • A minimum of 21 credit hours of major coursework must be completed in residence in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. Course work completed on an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program counts as residential credit.
  • A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each major course.
  • Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, except in cases of variable title courses, internships, and other special courses, no course will be counted more than once toward graduation.
  • Choice of the General Track (33 major credits) or the Quantitative Track (32 major credits).
  • ECON-E 406 must be taken at IUPUI.

Advanced Courses

Students are required to have 42 credit hours in 300-400 level coursework including courses in their major. Of the 42 advanced credits, 9 credit hours must be 300-400 level coursework outside the first Liberal Arts major field of study and from the School of Liberal Arts. Students seeking dual degrees are exempt from completing 9 credits hours in 300-400 level coursework outside their major and from the School of Liberal Arts.

Economics Major Requirements (32-33 credits)

  • ECON-E 201: Introduction to Microeconomics (3 credits)
  • ECON-E 202: Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 credits)
  • ECON-E 270: Introduction to Statistical Theory in Economics (3 credits)
  • ECON-E 321: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (3 credits) (Prerequisite for this course is E 201.)
  • ECON-E 322: Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (3 credits) (Prerequisite for this course is E 202.)
  • ECON-E 406: Senior Seminar (3 credits) (Prerequisites for this course are E 321 and E 322.)

With the exception of ECON-E 406, these classes should be completed by the end of the junior year.

Choose either the General Track or the Quantitative Track to complete a Major in Economics:

General Track – (33 credits); The general track requires an additional five courses, consisting of the following:

  • MATH-M 118: Finite Math
  • MATH-M 119: Brief Survey of Calculus

Ideally, these courses will be completed before a student takes any economics courses.

Economics electives (9 credits) from the following:

  • ECON-E 303: Introduction to International Economics
  • ECON-E 304: Introduction to Labor Economics
  • ECON-E 305: Money and Banking
  • ECON-E 307: Current Economic Issues
  • ECON-E 327: Game Theory
  • ECON-E 337: Economic Development
  • ECON-E 375: Mathematical Economics
  • ECON-E 387: Health Economics
  • ECON-E 408: Undergraduate Readings in Economics – Arranged
  • ECON-E 410: Selected Topics in U.S. Economic History
  • ECON-E 450: Business Conditions Analysis and Forcasting
  • ECON-E 470: Introduction to Econometrics

Quantitative Track – (32 credits); The quantitative track requires an additional four courses (or more, depending on the student’s readiness for the math sequence) consisting of the following:

  • MATH 16500: Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
  • MATH 16600: Analytic Geometry and Calculus II
  • ECON-E 470: Introduction to Econometrics

Ideally, these courses will be completed before a student takes any economics courses.

Economics electives (3 credits) from the electives list above (excluding ECON-E 470).

BA/MS in Applied Economics

The Economics Department offers a five-year Dual B.A./M.S. program.  This program gives undergraduate economics majors the opportunity to add a graduate (Master of Science) degree to their undergraduate (Bachelor of Arts) degree with only one additional year of study.

Program Requirements