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 units |
| ECON 102 | Principles of Economics II | 4 units |
| Calculus 1 | Scientific Modeling and Differential Calculus | 4 units |
| ECON 250 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory | 4 units |
| ECON 251 | Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory | 4 units |
| ECON 272 | Applied Econometrics | 4 units |
| Three 300-level ECON electives | 12 units |
| ECON 495 | Senior Seminar | 4 units |
Two of the three 300-level elections must be completed at Oxy.
Choosing Electives
The economics department offers many electives, so it is helpful to think about how these electives might be grouped with other non-economics courses to give more intellectual continuity to a course of study. For example:
Students interested in obtaining a Ph.D. in Economics are encouraged to complete:
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 units |
| Or | |
| UEP 101 | Environment and Society | 4 units |
| An internship or service learning experience | 0 or 2 units |
And at least one of the following:
| ECON 301 | Environmental Economics and Policy | 4 units |
| ECON 302 | Industrial Organization | 4 units |
| ECON 308 | Public Finance | 4 units |
| ECON 311 | International Economics | 4 units |
| ECON 312 | International Finance | 4 units |
| ECON 320 | Economic Development | 4 units |
| ECON 324 | The Economics of Immigration | 4 units |
| ECON 325 | Labor Economics | 4 units |
| ECON 328 | Economics of Race and Gender | 4 units |
| ECON 351 | Macroeconomic Policy Since the Great Depression | 4 units |
Students interested in Environmental Economics are encouraged to complete the following environmental science introductory courses in addition to the regular Economics requirements:
Introduction to Geology:
| GEO 105 | Earth: Our Environment | 4 units |
| Or | |
| GEO 106 | Earth and the Human Future | 4 units |
Introduction to Biology:
Students must select one course from the list below:
Environmental Biology:
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| Or | |
| BIO 270 | Ecology | 4 units |
Economics Component:
| ECON 301 | Environmental Economics and Policy | 4 units |
Fundamental Geology:
| GEO 245 | Earth's Climate: Past and Future | 4 units |
| GEO 255 | Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science | 4 units |
Students interested in obtaining a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) and/or having a career in management are encourage to complete:
| ECON 233 | Accounting and Financial Analysis | 4 units |
| An internship | 0 or 2 units |
| And | |
| ECON 326 | Economics of Human Resource Management | 4 units |
| Or | |
| ECON 350 | Managerial Economics | 4 units |
SECOND-STAGE WRITING REQUIREMENT
Students majoring in Economics will satisfy the second-stage writing requirement by arranging (with the instructor) for ECON 272 or an ECON 300-level course to be designated as the student's writing course. Students need to notify the instructor of the course they are wishing to designate as their writing course before the end of the semester. Writing courses cannot be retroactively counted. Also, students can only designate one course as their writing course in a given semester. 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 college writing 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
Economics students meet their comprehensive requirement by successfully completing ECON 495 with a grade of C or above in the fall semester of their senior year. Students who will be off campus during the fall semester of their senior year must contact the department chair by the end of their junior year to make alternative arrangements.
HONORS
Majors can earn honors by taking ECON 498 in the spring semester 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 498 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 in the fall semester of their senior 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. Students who have an AP Microeconomics score of 5 may be allowed to skip ECON 101 after consultation with the economics department.