Skip to main content
Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Economics

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Students on Summer 2018, Fall 2018, or Spring 2019 requirements ECONBA

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics provides excellent preparation for graduate and professional school, including law school, and for rewarding careers in consulting, finance, and other private and public sector employment. Specific courses in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, statistics, and mathematical modeling provide students with the tools to analyze and guide the decisions of business firms, consumers, and public-policymakers in a variety of market settings. Elective courses add breadth and depth to students' understanding of the basic tools of economic analysis by focusing on their application within specific subfields.

Economics focuses on providing an understanding of how individuals and societies manage their scarce resources—people must decide how much they work, what they buy, how much they save, and how they use their leisure time. Most societies use decentralized markets as the primary means of allocating resources, so economics gives students insight into how markets function in coordinating the activities of many diverse buyers and sellers. Economics also analyzes the trends and forces that affect the economy as a whole, including growth in average income, the portion of the labor force that cannot find work, and the rate at which prices are rising or falling.

Economics majors have the option of adding up to two (2) concentrations to the major, chosen from Financial and Monetary Economics, International and Development Economics, Economics of the Public Sector and Labor Markets, Strategic Interaction, and Advanced Computation/Econometrics Tools.

Requirements

The major requires at least 30 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introduction to Microeconomics. One (1) course:
    • ECON-B 251 Fundamentals of Economics for Business I
    • ECON-E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics
    • ECON-E 251
    • ECON-S 201 Introduction to Microeconomics: Honors
  2. Introduction to Macroeconomics. One (1) course:
    • ECON-B 252 Fundamentals of Economics for Business II
    • ECON-E 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics
    • ECON-E 252 Fundamentals of Economics II
    • ECON-S 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics: Honors
  3. Finite Mathematics. One (1) course:
    • MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics
    • MATH-S 118 Honors Finite Mathematics
  4. Calculus. One (1) course:
    • MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus I
    • MATH-M 211 Calculus I
  5. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory. One (1) course:
    • ECON-E 321 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
    • ECON-S 321 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory: Honors
  6. Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory. One (1) course:
    • ECON-E 322 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
    • ECON-S 322 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory: Honors
  7. Statistics. One (1) course:
    • ECON-E 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics
    • ECON-S 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics: Honors
  8. Econometrics. One (1) course:
    • ECON-E 371 Introduction to Applied Econometrics
    • ECON-E 471 Econometric Theory and Practice I
    • ECON-S 371 Introduction to Applied Econometrics: Honors
  9. Advanced Elective. One (1) additional course at the 300–499 level, excluding ECON-E 496 and ECON-X 373.
  10. Concentration or Additional Advanced Courses. One (1) of the following options, taking all courses in residence on the Bloomington campus:
    1. An Economics Concentration (see requirements below)
    2. Three (3) courses (beyond those completed for requirements above) above ECON-E 322, excluding ECON-E 496 and ECON-X 373.
  11. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    4. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    5. Exceptions to major requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Concentrations