2022-2023 Undergraduate Bulletin

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Economics, Bachelor of Science

Economics is the study of how people and societies make choices to accomplish individual and social purposes. In this major, students learn about individual, national and global economic behavior, and then apply various theoretical insights and methods of analysis to the contemporary challenges involving social and economic justice, discrimination, immigration, markets, and crime, among other topics.

Learning outcomes.  Students will:

  • Apply multiple approaches to economic analysis using critical thinking to produce arguments concerning economic issues on a variety of issues. 

  • Produce arguments using quantitative reasoning ranging from critical evaluation of existing statistics to generating original statistical information.

  • Create persuasive oral and written communications of economic arguments.

  • Evaluate justice advocacy issues of social justice, racism, and environmental sustainability through the lens of economic inequality.

  • Experience multiple perspectives of complex social challenges to become informed, open-minded, and active global citizens. 

Credits required.

Economics Major (or more depending on math placement)
 39-42
General Education 42
Electives 36-39
Total Credits Required for B.S. Degree 120
 

Note: Students considering graduate programs in economics should consider additional mathematics and statistics courses as free electives. Students are strongly advised to discuss graduate school options early in their progression through the major.

Economics Major CUNY Gateway Courses. ECO 120 Introduction to Macroeconomics, ECO 125 Introduction to Microeconomics, ECO 255 Statistics for Economists.

Coordinator. Professor Sara Bernardo (sbernardo@jjay.cuny.edu), Department of Economics.

Advisor. Rita Taveras (rtaveras@jjay.cuny.edu), Department of Economics.

Advising information. Economics Major Advising Resources including a Sample Four-year Advising Plan. Major Checklist. 

Honors Option. Honors in the BS in Economics is bestowed upon students who graduate with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher, a GPA of 3.5 or higher for courses taken in fulfillment of the major, complete at least one additional Economics elective course at the 300-level, and complete a written capstone project in ECO 405 Seminar in Economics.  

Dual Admission / Accelerated Program Leading to the MA in Economics. This program allows student an accelerated approach to earning their BS and MA in Economics at John Jay.  Students complete 134 credits to earn both degrees. Contact the department for more details about the requirements and application process.

Additional information. Students who enrolled for the first time at the College or changed to this major in September 2020 or thereafter must complete the major in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose the form shown here or the earlier version of the major. A copy of the earlier version may be obtained in the 2019-2020 Undergraduate Bulletin.

Foundational Courses

Choose one
ECO 101Introduction to Economics and Global Capitalism

3
ECO 120Introduction to Macroeconomics

3
ECO 125Introduction to Microeconomics

3
Students who enter John Jay College as freshman will take ECO 101.  Transfer students may bring in ECO 120 or ECO 125.

One course may be required depending on math placement
MAT 108Social Science Math

3
MAT 141Pre-Calculus

3
Students can satisfy this requirement with a higher level math course such as MAT 241, MAT 242, STA 250

Total Credit Hours: 3-6

Advisor recommendation: ECO 101 fulfills the Flexible Core: Individual & Society area and MAT 108 or MAT 141 fulfill the Required Core: Math & Quantitative Reasoning area of the College's Gen Ed Program. 

Part One. Core Courses

Required
ECO 105Understanding U.S. Economic Data

3
ECO 213Political Economy

3
ECO 220Intermediate Macroeconomics

3
ECO 225Intermediate Microeconomics

3
ECO 255Statistics for Economists

3
ECO 310Economics in Historical Perspectives

3
ECO 405Seminar in Economics

3

Total Credit Hours: 21

Part Two. Electives

Select five courses, three of the courses must be at the 300-level or above. 

AFR 250Political Economy of Racism

3
AFR 322Inequality and Wealth

3
ECO 207Movements for Economic Justice

3
ECO 215Economics of Regulation and the Law
ECO 231Global Economic Development and Crime

3
ECO 235Finance for Forensic Economics
ECO 245International Economics

3
ECO 260Environmental Economics, Regulation and Policy

3
ECO 265Introduction to Public Sector Economics

3
ECO 270Urban Economics
ECO 280Economics of Labor
ECO 283Selected Topics in Economics

3
ECO 289Independent Study 200-level

3
ECO 315/PSC 315An Economic Analysis of Crime

3
ECO 324Money and Banking

3
ECO 325Economics and the Law

3
ECO 327The Political Economy of Gender

3
ECO 330Econometrics

3
ECO 333Sustainability: Preserving the Earth as Human Habitat

3
ECO 335Finance for Forensic Economics

3
ECO 360/SOC 360Corporate and White-Collar Crime

3
ECO 370Urban Economics

3
ECO 385Faculty Mentored Research Experience in Economics

3
ECO 380Economics of Labor

3
ECO 389Independent Study 300-level

3
ECO 489Independent Study 400-level

3

Total Credit Hours: 15

Notes: ECO 325 Economics and the Law formerly ECO 215 Economics of Regulation and Law
ECO 335 Finance for Forensic Economics formerly ECO 235 Finance for Forensic Economics
ECO 370 Urban Economics formerly ECO 270 Urban Economics
ECO 380 Economics of Labor formerly ECO 280 Economics of Labor

Total Credit Hours: 39-42