• Introductory courses. The department offers two different one-semester courses at the introductory level.

  • ECON101 (Introduction to Economics) presents the basic concepts, methods, and concerns of economic analysis to students with no background in the discipline and without using calculus. This course is well suited for students who do not plan to major in economics but who want a general introduction to economic analysis and institutions. It also serves as a prerequisite for 200-level electives in the department.

  • ECON110 (Introduction to Economic Theory) is designed for students who think that they may wish to major in economics and for students who want to choose among a broader range of electives offered by the department. This course covers topics in both microeconomics and macroeconomics but requires a one-year college-level calculus background. By using calculus to develop the concepts and tools of economic analysis, ECON110 introduces gradually the mathematical foundations that are essential to the further study of economics. Any one of the following―MATH118 (Introductory Calculus II: Integration and Its Applications) or MATH122 (Calculus I, Part II) or placement out of MATH122 satisfies the prerequisites for ECON110. With the permission of the instructor, MATH118 or MATH122 may be taken concurrently with ECON110. First-year students contemplating an economics major should acquire the requisite mathematical background as soon as possible. Any first-year student who does not place out of MATH122 must wait until the spring to take ECON110. Students may take both ECON101 and ECON110; this may be an attractive option for some prospective majors who are in the process of acquiring a mathematical background sufficient to enroll in ECON110. However, any student who completes ECON101 and decides to major in economics must complete ECON110. The department also offers First-Year Initiative courses or other courses without prerequisites in economics when staffing allows.

• Core courses. Core courses develop the central tools of theoretical and empirical economic analysis and are required for all economics majors. The first core course, ECON300 (Quantitative Methods in Economics), is the gateway course to the major. ECON301 (Microeconomic Analysis) and ECON302 (Macroeconomic Analysis) are designed to provide majors with the basic theoretical tools and analytical techniques that economists use to study social issues. ECON300 is a prerequisite for both ECON301 and ECON302; students must have completed ECON110 and MATH118 or MATH122 or the equivalent before taking ECON300. ECON300 should be taken as early as possible, preferably immediately after ECON110, but no later than the spring term of the sophomore year if a student wishes to be admitted to the economics major by the beginning of the junior year. All prospective economics majors are strongly encouraged to complete ECON300 and one other core course by the end of the sophomore year; majors are expected to complete the entire core sequence by the end of the junior year.

• Elective courses. Elective courses apply analytical tools acquired from the introductory and core course to specific areas or fields of economics or, in several cases, develop these analytical tools to a more sophisticated level. The department offers two tiers of elective courses. Of these, 200-level lower-tier electives require only introductory economics, while upper-tier electives, numbered 310 to 399, list at least two core courses as prerequisites and are intended primarily for economics majors.

  • Lower-tier electives. These courses, numbered 203 to 299, have either ECON101 or ECON110 as a prerequisite. They are intended to introduce both majors and nonmajors to the application of economic theory and methods in a wide variety of topics and to the connections between economics and related fields such as psychology, law, government, history, and area studies.

  • Upper-tier electives. These courses, numbered 303 to 399, have either two or three of the core courses as prerequisites. These upper-tier electives apply economic theory and methodology to the same broad range of topics and areas in economics as the lower-tier electives but at a more sophisticated level. Upper-tier electives enable students to read published research in economics and to begin to produce their own original research. Most upper-tier electives require a substantial research paper or project; a student may choose to expand this research paper into a senior honors thesis by working with a faculty advisor in a senior honors thesis tutorial. In some areas and for some topics, for example, International Trade (ECON271 and ECON371), electives may be taught at both the lower-tier and the upper-tier elective. In such cases, students may not earn credit toward the major for both courses. In addition to these electives, students may pursue independent research in an individual or group tutorial offered by a faculty member in the department (ECON401, ECON402, ECON411, or ECON412). Any student standing for honors in economics will take at least one Senior Thesis Tutorial (ECON409 or ECON410).

Entry requirements and major program. Completion of ECON110 with a grade of C+ or higher and completion of, or enrollment in, ECON300 are required for entry into the economics major. A student who fails to obtain a grade of C+ or better in ECON110 may be admitted to the major only after that student obtains a grade of C+ or better in ECON300.

Major requirements. All students majoring in economics must complete a minimum of eight courses numbered 200 or above. Of these eight, three must be the core courses: ECON300, ECON301, and ECON302. Of the five electives, three must be upper-tier courses, numbered 303 to 399, or ECON409. No more than one senior thesis, individual, or group tutorial may be counted toward the eight courses that satisfy the requirements of the major. The teaching apprenticeship tutorials, numbered 491 and 492, may not be counted toward the major. ECON110, 300, 301, and 302 must be taken at Wesleyan; no more than two elective courses taken elsewhere may be counted toward the economics major. Courses taken elsewhere must be approved by the department chair prior to enrollment and will be designated as lower-tier electives if approved. If the course material warrants counting a course taken elsewhere (or a tutorial numbered 401, 402, 411, or 412) as an upper-tier elective, the student must submit materials from that course (or tutorial) with a petition requesting that it be treated as an upper-tier elective to the department chair immediately upon return to campus (or upon completion of the tutorial). University requirements for graduation permit a student to count no more than 12 courses numbered 201 or higher and no more than 14 courses (except for senior thesis tutorials that do not count in either total) in any one department toward the 32 courses required for graduation. The teaching apprenticeship tutorials, numbered 491 and 492, are included in these totals for the purpose of determining oversubscription in a department.

Advanced placement. No advanced placement will be given for ECON110 under any circumstances. Subject to the University's regulations, students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on either the Microeconomics or Macroeconomics Advanced Placement Exam or a score of 5 to 7 on the International Baccalaureate Exam will be eligible for a prerequisite override for courses requiring ECON101. These students will receive one credit toward graduation, but not toward the major, for their exam score upon completion of ECON301, in the case of the microeconomics exam, or ECON302, in the case of the macroeconomics exam, with a grade of C+ or better. A student may receive only one advanced placement credit in economics.

Departmental honors. Honors and high honors in economics are awarded on the basis of a completed honors thesis representing two semesters of research and writing. The department offers two options. The traditional route for an honors candidate is the two-semester senior honors thesis tutorials (ECON409 and 410), in which the student begins thesis research with a faculty advisor in the fall, continues in the spring term, and completes the thesis by the deadline set by Honors College (usually mid-April). The second path allows a student to expand a research paper that was completed in an upper-tier elective by taking either ECON409 or ECON410 with a suitable faculty advisor and completing the thesis by the deadline set by Honors College in the spring term. The department requires an honors candidate to present work in progress to the faculty at the end of the fall semester. Other details of the honors program in economics are provided on the department's Web page. Theses are evaluated by the department based on the recommendations of a committee of readers including the thesis advisor and two other members of the faculty. All work is judged by the same standards, regardless of whether the student has taken both ECON409 and ECON410 or taken only one of these. A candidate for honors may be awarded pass, honors, or high honors in economics. All candidates for honors should have a B+ average in their economics courses prior to their senior year and a three-year cumulative average of B or better for all courses. A student who does not meet this requirement may petition the department for an exception; the petition must be signed by the student and by the faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project. The petition should speak to the research strengths of the student and the feasibility of the project.

Last updated: May 13, 2008.

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