Major Requirements

Economics

The bachelor of arts degree

Requirements for the completion of the B.A. degree are:

• a grade of C+ or better in ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302;
• and a grade of C- or better in each of eight other economics courses, including:
• one any level economics course;
• one 200-level economics course;
• MATH 107 (207 beginning with the Class of 2015); and
• four additional 300-level economic courses and ECON 331, or three additional 300-level economic courses and ECON 498-499. Students who complete ECON 498-499 must also complete the 0.5 credit Senior Thesis Seminar (ECON 402-403), which does not count for major credit.
• New prerequisite commencing spring 2013: for students taking ECON 101, ECON 301, and/or ECON 302 beginning in fall 2011, a C+ or better in ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302 is a prerequisite for those courses in the department that require ECON 101 and ECON 301 and/or ECON 302.

The bachelor of science degree

Requirements for the completion of the B.S. degree are:

• a grade of C+ or better in ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302;
• and a grade of C- or better in each of 10-11 other economics courses, including:
• one 200-level economics course;
• MATH 107 (207 beginning with the Class of 2015); and
• ECON 312 and ECON 318, or ECON 318 and ECON 328, or ECON 312 and any course with ECON 312 as a prerequisite, or ECON 318 and any course with ECON 318 as a prerequisite;
• MATH 125 and MATH 126, or MATH 131 (or any course requiring MATH 131 as a prerequisite);
• four additional 300-level economic courses and ECON 331, or three additional 300-level economic courses and ECON 498-499. Students who complete ECON 498-499 must also complete the 0.5 credit Senior Thesis Seminar (ECON 402-403), which does not count for major credit.
• New prerequisite commencing spring 2013: for students taking ECON 101, ECON 301 and/or ECON 302 beginning in fall 2011, a C+ or better in ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302 is a prerequisite for those courses in the department that require ECON 101 and ECON 301 and/or ECON 302.

The interdisciplinary computing with economics major

This major is designed for those students who wish to combine an interest in computers with study in economics. In addition to the course requirements in mathematics and computer science, the requirements are:

• a grade of C+ or better in ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302;
• and a grade of C- or better in ECON 318, ECON 331, and additionally
• one 200-level economics course;
• one 300-level economics course; and
• MATH 107 (207 beginning with the Class of 2015).
• New prerequisite commencing spring 2013: for students taking ECON 101, ECON 301 and/or ECON 302 beginning in fall 2011, a C+ or better in ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302 is a prerequisite for those courses in the department that require ECON 101 and ECON 301 and/or ECON 302.

^a Required core economics courses may be retaken only once. If any of these courses is retaken, a grade of B- or better is required in the retaken course for completion of the major

^b or any course with a prerequisite of MATH 131

^c or ECON 312 and any course with ECON 312 as a prerequisite, or ECON 318 and any course with ECON 318 as a prerequisite

^d Students who complete ECON 498-499 must also complete the 0.5 credit Senior Thesis Seminar (ECON 402-403).

^e In addition to requirements in Computer Science and Mathematics.

The economics curriculum---ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302 together constitute the theoretical core of the economics curriculum. As such, ECON 301 and ECON 302 are different from 300-level elective courses. Students who major in economics should complete ECON 301 and ECON 302 as soon as possible after they have completed ECON 101 to ensure that they develop a sufficiently strong appreciation of the economic theory that they will be expected to apply in 300-level elective courses. Students are required to complete ECON 301, ECON 302, and ECON 331 at Trinity College. The Writing Intensive Part II requirement is fulfilled by the senior seminar (ECON 331) or the senior thesis (ECON 498-499).

It is recommended that students majoring in economics select cognate courses, in consultation with their adviser, in anthropology, history, philosophy, political science, public policy, and sociology. ECON 312, 318, and 328 are of particular value in integrating economic theory and economic applications. Internships and teaching assistantships do not normally count as credit toward the major; exceptions must be approved in advance by the Economics Department chair.

Many 300-level courses have prerequisites other than ECON 101 and students are advised to consult the course descriptions below or the course listings in the Schedule of Classes for course prerequisites. Beyond ECON 101, ECON 301, and ECON 302, courses are offered in the following areas in the department:

• Economic theory and its history (202)
• Economic growth (323)
• Economic systems and development (214, 231, 317, 321, 325)
• International economics (216, 315, 316)
• Labor economics (303)
• Money and finance (219, 243, 309, 310)
• Public policy issues (207, 208, 209, 217, 247, 305, 306, 307, 308, 311, 314, 330)
• Quantitative economics (103, 312, 318, 328, 329)
• Studies in social policies and economic research (331)
• Independent research (299, 399, 401, 498, 499)

Admission requirements and the economics major--- Students who intend to declare a major in economics must do so no later than the Friday after spring break of their sophomore year. This deadline applies to students declaring economics as their first or second major. At or before this time, students who:

• have satisfactorily completed (i.e., with a grade of C+ or better) ECON 101;
• have satisfactorily completed (i.e., with a grade of C- or better) a 200-level course (or, if already in their 4th semester, are currently enrolled in a 200-level course);
• and who have satisfactorily completed (i.e., with a grade of C+ or better) or are currently enrolled in either ECON 301 or ECON 302

will be admitted to the major upon submission of the declaration of major form to Professor Miguel Ramirez during fall 2012 or Professor James Wen during spring 2013. At that time, an adviser in the department will be assigned.

Study away---A maximum of three credits taken away from Trinity may be earned for major credit. Students are required to complete ECON 301, ECON 302, and ECON 331 at Trinity College. All students who wish to receive credit toward the major for courses taken away from Trinity must complete an application for transfer credit form with the Office of International Programs and have the course(s) approved for credit by their faculty adviser and by Professor Stater (Professor Zannoni for fall 2012), before going abroad. Permission to receive credit toward the major for courses in other departments or work in special programs at Trinity must be approved in advance by the Economics Department chair.

Students considering pursuing graduate studies in economics--- Students who are considering pursuing graduate study in economics should be aware of the emphasis that graduate programs in economics place on proficiency in mathematics. Graduate programs in economics place considerable weight on the applicant's score on the quantitative section of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), as well as on the student's performance in undergraduate mathematics courses and quantitatively oriented courses in economics. Students considering pursuing graduate study in economics are especially urged to discuss their interests with their advisers at the earliest possible date.

Accordingly, economics majors thinking about pursuing graduate study in economics are strongly advised to complement their economics course work with additional course work in the Mathematics Department. At a minimum, course work in mathematics should include: MATH 131. Calculus I and MATH 132. Calculus II and MATH 228. Linear Algebra. Beyond these, additional recommended course work in mathematics would include: MATH 231. Calculus III, MATH 234. Differential Equations, MATH 305. Probability and MATH 306. Mathematical Statistics, and MATH 331. Analysis I. Students are strongly urged to take ECON 312. Mathematical Economics and ECON 318. Basic Econometrics.

Honors---To graduate with honors in economics a student must have (1) completed ECON 301 and 302 with an average grade of B+ or better, with neither grade lower than a B; (2) an average grade of B+ or better in all economics courses taken at Trinity, with a grade of A- or better in at least half of those courses; (3) completed ECON 498-499, a senior thesis, with a grade of A- or better and ECON 402-403. In exceptional cases, a student who has completed ECON 498-499 but who has not met all other criteria for honors in economics may be awarded honors by a vote of the Economics Department.