Economics |
Majoring in Economics
The Economics major at Carolina is one of the largest majors within the College of Arts and Sciences. Its Bachelor of Arts degree program is centered within the College's philosophy of liberal arts to develop each student's critical thinking skills and, as one of the social sciences, to enable them to gain a broader understanding of human behavior on individual and group levels.
The Department of Economics is committed to providing courses which will enable students to gain a greater comprehension of the principles and problems of modern economic life so that they may participate as intelligent and informed citizens and to offer a major which will enhance their preparation for future careers. After graduation many Economics majors pursue graduate degrees in fields such as economics, business, law, health administration and public policy. Other Econ graduates proceed to employment opportunities in the private, governmental and non-profit sectors of the economy. In preparation for either employment or graduate studies, Economics majors often select second majors or minors in other departments and curricula in the University.
All entering UNC students spend the first two years in the General College. During these four semesters they are required to take a variety of courses in English, foreign language, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, aesthetics, history and philosophy. Because the study of economics involves a substantial amount of quantitative analysis, Economics majors are required to complete a course in calculus (MATH 231 (31) or OR 113 (23) can be used to satisfy this requirement; MATH 116 (16) is not acceptable). The Department strongly encourages students to take OR 113 (23), unless they plan to take additional math courses beyond Math 231 (31). Students considering doing graduate work in economics should take additional math courses and/or major or minor in mathematics.
The Economics Department offers the following courses within the General College curriculum:
Students Who Major in Economics:
Students who major in Economics are required to take Economics 101 (10) and at least seven (7) additional Economics courses. Note that 200 and 300 level courses do not count toward the major. A grade of C or better must be achieved in Econ 101 (10) and at least six (6) of the seven (7) courses in a student's major program.
The minimum of seven courses in the Economics major must include three required courses:
These three will usually be completed by the middle or end of the junior year. Students who have passed STAT 155 (31) and BUSI 410 (120J) and 411 (120S) are considered to have met the ECON 400 (70) requirement, although seven Economics courses in addition to ECON 101 (10) must still be taken in this case.
The remaining four (or more) courses will be selected from the following list, with at least one of these being an advanced course:
Since the College of Arts and Sciences requires that students in Bachelor of Arts programs pass at least four courses from a set of junior-senior perspectives, Economics majors may have as many as nine (9) free elective courses during the upper-class semesters.
The Department participates in the UNC Honors Program by offering H-sections of ECON 101 (10), 410 (101), and 420 (132) on a regular basis. These sections are designed for students who are willing to accept the challenge of a more demanding approach to the subject matter. Registration for these honors sections takes place through the University's Honors Program office in Steele Building. Senior majors with outstanding academic performances (typically at least a 3.5 in the major and in overall GPA) may be invited to enroll in ECON 691 (98) and 692 (99), which may lead to a degree with Honors in Economics. The prime focus of the senior honors work is the completion of an independent research project, culminating in a defended honors thesis. Students who graduate with Honors in Economics take at least eight courses in the major, and ECON 692 (99) may count as the required "advance course."
The Department offers a number of other courses as service to other departments, schools and curricula. Since they are designed for students with somewhat different interests and objectives, these courses do not count towards an Economics major and may not receive graduation credit if paired with similar courses on the above lists: Econ 50 (6E), 231 (36), 234 (59), 310 (100), 320 (130), 325 (80), 328 (83), 340 (140), 345 (145), 360 (96), and 380 (190).
Students should check the University Undergraduate Catalogue for further details.
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*Graduation credit can be received for
only one of these courses.
**Students may count either
ECON 460 (161) or ECON 463 (164) towards the major, but
not both.
07/26/06
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