Major Requirements
A major in economics requires a minimum of ten courses.
The major can be completed in fewer than four years, but it is almost impossible to complete the major in less than three years.
COURSEWORK
| ECON 101 | Principles of Economics I | 4 |
| ECON 102 | Principles of Economics II | 4 |
| Calculus 1 | Scientific Modeling and Differential Calculus | |
| ECON 250 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | 4 |
| ECON 251 | Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory | 4 |
| ECON 272 | Applied Econometrics | 4 |
| Three 300-level ECON electives | |
| ECON 495 | Senior Seminar | 4 |
CHOOSING ELECTIVES
The economics department offers so many electives that it's helpful to think about how these electives might be grouped to give more intellectual continuity to a course of study. For example:
Students interested in obtaining a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) and/or having a career in management are encouraged to complete:
| ECON 233 | Accounting and Financial Analysis | 4 |
| An internship | |
| | |
| ECON 350 | Managerial Economics | 4 |
| Or | |
| ECON 326 | Economics of Human Resource Management | 4 |
| | |
Students interested in obtaining a Ph.D. in economics are encouraged to complete:
MATH 150: Instead of MATH 146.
And at least one of:
Students interested in a career in public policy are encouraged to complete:
| POLS 101 | American Politics and Public Policy | 4 |
| Or | |
| UEP 101 | Environment and Society | 4 |
| | |
| An internship or service learning experience | |
And at least one of the following:
WRITING REQUIREMENT
Students majoring in Economics will satisfy the final component of Occidental College's college-wide writing requirement by arranging (with the instructor) for an ECON 300-level course (or ECON 272) to be designated as the student's writing course. The writing requirement must be satisfactorily completed by May of the student's junior year. Students who fail the requirement or who fail to meet the deadline will be required to both take a composition course in the senior year and demonstrate acceptable writing skills in the senior comprehensive in order to graduate. Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major. See the Writing Program and consult the department chair for additional information.
COMPREHENSIVE REQUIREMENT
Met by passing the Major Field Test (MFT) in economics in February of the student's senior year and by completing ECON 495 in the fall semester of the student's senior year. The MFT is administered at the College, and students must sign up for it in the fall semester of their senior year. Students who will be off campus during one of the semesters of their senior year must contact the department chair by the end of their junior year.
HONORS
Majors can earn honors by taking ECON 499 in the fall of their senior year and by writing and defending, in that class, a thesis that is judged by the department faculty to be of honors quality. Enrollment in ECON 499 is limited to students with GPAs of 3.5 or higher (both overall and within the department). Interested students should consult with their academic advisor and then apply to the department chair by end of their junior year.
OFF-CAMPUS AND TRANSFER CREDITS
- Students who have passed a microeconomics or macroeconomics class at another college or university will be allowed to skip ECON 101.
- Economics majors must complete the following courses at Occidental and may not satisfy them with transfer credits: ECON 250, ECON 251, ECON 272, at least two 300-level electives, and their Senior Comprehensives course.
- Students may take one accounting course for College credit, either at Occidental or through transfer credits. Students may not receive College credit for any other business-related course.
- Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on either AP Calculus test have met the departmental Calculus I major requirement (and the calculus pre-requisite for courses that require Calculus I).
- Students who have received a score of 5 on both the AP Microeconomics test and the AP Macroeconomics test will be allowed to skip ECON 101 and ECON 102. Students who have received a score of 4 on both the AP Microeconomics test and the AP Macroeconomics test, or a score of 4 in one and 5 in the other, will be allowed to skip ECON 101.