Standard Economics Track

The B.A. program in economics is intended to equip students with the basic tools to understand the operation of a modern economy.

We want to acquaint our students with economic models of individuals as consumers and producers; of price determination through their interaction in markets; models of income and employment determination; as well as develop our students’ basic skills to test these models’ predictions against knowledge of the real world. Such real-world information may be constructed from available cross-section or time-series information, from experiments, and from their own observations.

Such a scientific approach to economics must rely on mathematics and statistics in the design of our major. These courses are offered at different levels, as we understand that our majors have a range of academic, private, and public sector paths in mind.

The course offerings for students of economics may be grouped into five categories:

• Fundamentals – provides students with the basic skills required to be successful in the major.
• Core Curriculum – consists of three courses designed to introduce students to the "economic approach."
• Empirical Methods Sequence – provides students with the fundamental techniques of data analysis.
• Economic Policy Course – applies the tools developed in the core curriculum to issues of fiscal policy, monetary policy, and other policy discussions relevant to the current state of the economy.
• Electives - allows students to tailor the economics major to their interests and to take up to two preapproved courses from Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, and the Booth School of Business. 

Students who are finishing work in all five categories during their third year may want to consider an independent research project (including participating in a workshop their senior year as they write an honors B.A. thesis).

Additionally, students in the current standard Economics track may be able to complete pre-approved Booth courses to meet some of the elective requirements.