THE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ECONOMICS
Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units
See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major adviser or view it and other current advising information on the CSU, Chico Web.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See "General Education Requirements" in The University Catalog and The Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings. The course requirements marked below with an asterisk (*) may also be applied toward General Education.
Cultural Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
See "Cultural Diversity" in The University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
American Institutions Requirement: 6 units
See the "American Institutions Requirement" under "Bachelor's Degree Requirements." This requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155. Courses used to satisfy this requirement do not apply to General Education.
Literacy Requirement:
See "Mathematics and Writing Requirements" in The University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or better to receive WP credit. See The Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a C- or better before you may register for a WP course.
Course Requirements for the Major: 41-57 units
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.
In addition to completing the degree core courses, all students must complete the Option in Economics, the Option in Environmental Economics, or the Option in International Economics to fulfill degree requirements.
DEGREE CORE COURSES: 23-24 units
Lower Division: 12-13 units
2 courses required:
| ECON | 102 | Principles of Macro Analysis | 3.0 | FS * |
| ECON | 103 | Principles of Micro Analysis | 3.0 | FS * |
1 course selected from:
| CSCI | 110 | Intro to Applications Prog | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CSCI 111.
| MINS | 301 | Corporate Tech Integration | 3.0 | FS |
| SOSC | 110 | Computer Applications for BSS | 3.0 | FS |
1 course selected from:
| MATH | 109 | Survey of Calculus | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement. This course is not intended for majors in mathematics, physics, chemistry, or engineering.
| MATH | 120 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 118 and MATH 119 (or high school equivalent); a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam.
OR (the following course may be substituted for the above)
Any upper-division ECON course that is not taken to satisfy any other requirement.
NOTE: For students interested in graduate school, MATH 121 is strongly recommended, as are MATH 350, MATH 351, and MATH 435.
Upper-Division: 11 units
2 courses required:
| ECON | 301 | Microeconomic Analysis | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 103.
| ECON | 302 | Macroeconomic Analysis | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 102.
1 course selected from:
| BADM | 103 | Statistics of Business & Econ | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: For Business Administration majors: MATH 107. For others: Completion of General Education Breadth Area A4 requirement.
| ECON | 380 | Economic Statistics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 102.
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement.
| MATH | 108 | Statistics of Business & Econ | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: For business administration students: MATH 107. For other students: completion of General Education Breadth Area A4 requirement.
2 units required:
| ECON | 495 | Economic Literature | 1.0 | FS WP |
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, ECON 102, ECON 103.
Majors must take ECON 495 twice, each time with a different instructor, to fulfill the writing proficiency requirement.
Major Option Course Requirements: 18-33 units
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required dependent upon the option chosen. Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.
THE OPTION IN ECONOMICS: 18 units
The BA in Economics with an Option Economics is designed for those seeking a structured program in economics and flexibility in selecting a set of 300- and 400-level economics courses to complete the major. Those declaring this option complete the core courses listed above and additional courses in economics.
9 units required:
Any upper-division Economics (ECON) courses. Some limitations exist as to specific courses that may be applied toward the economics major. See catalog course descriptions. A maximum of 3 units of internship (ECON 389) credit may be applied to the economics major.
9 units required:
Any 400-level Economics (ECON) courses with the prerequisite of ECON 301 or ECON 302. ECON 497 pro seminar courses will count as 400-level economics courses only if the ECON 497 has an ECON 301 or ECON 302 prerequisite.
THE OPTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS: 30-33 units
The BA in Economics with an Option in Environmental Economics is designed for those seeking a structured program in economics with an emphasis in environmental economics. Those declaring this option complete the core courses listed above, additonal courses in economics (see below), and selected courses outside the Department of Economics.
Economics Courses: 12 units
3 courses required:
| ECON | 365 | Environmental Economics | 3.0 | FS |
| ECON | 465 | Economics of Energy | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: ECON 301.
| ECON | 466 | Environmental & Resource Econ | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 301.
1 course selected from:
| ECON | 355 | Economics of Gov Regulations | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 103.
| ECON | 462 | Urban-Regional Economics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 301.
NOTE: ECON 355 and ECON 462 appear on two selection lists for the Option in Environmental Economics. Whichever course is not selected from the above choice may be taken to fulfill requirements for the second listing where it appears. Neither course may be used to fulfill the requirement in both selection lists where it appears.
Environmental Economics Electives: 18-21 units
2 courses selected from:
Select one course from two different subjects.
Biology:
| BIOL | 101 | Concepts of Biology | 3.0 | FS * |
| BIOL | 108 | Principles of Biology | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: High school biology and chemistry.
| BIOL | 151 | Biological Principles | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Recommend CHEM 111 or concurrent enrollment.
| BIOL | 334 | Conservation Ecology | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: BIOL 101 or equivalent.
| BIOL | 342 | Field Biology | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: BIOL 101 or BIOL 108.
Chemistry:
| CHEM | 100 | Chemistry and Current Issues | 3.0 | FS * |
| CHEM | 107 | Gen Chem for Applied Sciences | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Intermediate Algebra.
| CHEM | 111 | General Chemistry | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.)
Geoscience:
| GEOS | 330 | Environmental Science | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: One course from Breadth Area B1 and one course from Breadth Area B2 of the General Education requirements.
| GEOS | 340 | Environmental Geology | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: One course from Breadth Area B1 and one course from Breadth Area B2 of General Education requirements.
| GEOS | 342 | Concepts in Earth/Space Sci | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: GEOS 141 or faculty permission.
| GEOS | 370 | Energy in the Human Environ | 3.0 | SP * |
Prerequisites: One course from Breadth Area B1.
4 courses selected from:
| ABUS | 101 | Intro to Ag Business/Economics | 3.0 | FS |
| ABUS | 341 | Natural Resource Economics | 3.0 | Inq |
Prerequisites: ABUS 101 or faculty permission.
| BIOL | 400 | Fundamentals of Ecology | 4.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: BIOL 152 or faculty permission. Some taxonomic background is recommended.
| ECON | 355 | Economics of Gov Regulations | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 103.
| ECON | 389 | Internship1.0 | 6.0 | FS |
If ECON 389 is selected, it must be taken for 3 units.
| ECON | 462 | Urban-Regional Economics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 301.
| GEOG | 304 | Environmental Issues | 3.0 | FS * |
| GEOG | 320 | Intro Community & Rural Plng | 3.0 | FA |
| GEOG | 427 | Environmental Impact Analysis | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: GEOG 320 or equivalent.
ERROR: unknown course: HIST_341
| PHIL | 329 | Environmental Ethics | 3.0 | FS * |
| PHIL | 334 | Ethics & Environmental Sci | 3.0 | Inq |
| POLS | 461 | Environmental Politics/Admin | 3.0 | SP |
| RELS | 334 | Ethics & Environmental Sci | 3.0 | Inq |
| RELS | 347 | Cross-Cultural Environ Ethics | 3.0 | FS * |
NOTE: ECON 355 and ECON 462 appear on two selection lists in the Option in Environmental Economics. Each course may be used to fulfill requirements for only one category.
THE OPTION IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: 21 units
The BA in Economics with an Option in International Economics is designed for those seeking a structured program in economics with an emphasis on international economics. Those declaring this option complete the core courses listed above, additional courses in economics (see below), and selected courses outside the Department of Economics.
Economics courses: 12 units
4 courses required:
| ECON | 370 | Intl Finance and Trade Policy | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 103.
| ECON | 375 | Developing Countries | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 103.
| ECON | 376 | Economics of the Pacific Rim | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 101 or ECON 102 or faculty permission.
| ECON | 470 | International Economics | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 301.
International Economics Electives: 9 units
3 courses selected from:
| AFRI | 300 | Contemporary Probs/Prospects | 3.0 | FS *NW |
| ANTH | 303 | Cultural Anthropology | 3.0 | FS |
| ANTH | 338 | Culture and Tourism | 3.0 | Inq |
| ANTH | 373 | Pacific Cultures | 3.0 | Inq |
| ANTH | 437 | Anthro/Development Issues | 3.0 | S2 |
| ASST | 300 | Asian Studies: Contemp Probs | 3.0 | FS *NW |
| ECON | 389 | Internship1.0 | 6.0 | FS |
If ECON 389 is selected, it must be taken for 3 units.
| GEOG | 354 | Mexico: Land and People | 3.0 | FA *NW |
| GEOG | 355 | Cent Amer/Carib: Land/People | 3.0 | SP *NW |
| GEOG | 365 | Former Soviet Union | 3.0 | Inq |
| GEOG | 370 | Pacific Rim Regions | 3.0 | Inq |
| GEOG | 378 | Australia and South Pacific | 3.0 | Inq |
| HIST | 206 | Comparative Slavery | 3.0 | FS *Eth |
| HIST | 375 | Modern China | 3.0 | FA NW |
| INTB | 396 | International Business | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ECON 102, ECON 103.
| MEST | 362 | Middle East: Society/Culture | 3.0 | SP *NW |
| MGMT | 446 | Intl Business Transactions | 3.0 | Inq |
| MKTG | 477 | International Marketing | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: MKTG 371.
| LAST | 354 | Mexico: Land and People | 3.0 | FA *NW |
| POLS | 341 | International Relations | 3.0 | FS * |
| POLS | 346 | Intl Relations: Pacific Basin | 3.0 | SP |
| POLS | 413 | Politics of Developing Nations | 3.0 | SP |
| POLS | 417 | Politics: Industrial Societies | 3.0 | FA |
| RELS | 332 | World Religions & Global Iss | 3.0 | FS *Eth |
Culture/Language Recommendation:
Those selecting this option are strongly encouraged to complete one or more of the following: An intermediate foreign language course. A study-abroad program. Either the cultural immersion in Mexico (fall semester) or Costa Rica (spring semester) offered by the Latin American studies and geography programs. An international internship outside the United States.
Electives Requirement:
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total university offerings. You should consult with an adviser regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your university experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Double Majors
Economics majors may complete a second major and count part of their economics courses to complete that major. For those seeking a double major in Economics and another discipline, please contact the Economics Department for advising.
Grading Requirement:
All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.
Advising Requirement:
Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate adviser for specific information.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It involves 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.
Your Honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair. Most importantly, however, the Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the university for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or competition in shows; such experience is valuable for graduate school and later professional life.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are
1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. At least 3 of these 6 units are independent study (499H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B. 2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units. 3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year. 6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your Honors project.
While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major adviser for further information.
In addition to the common requirements for the Honors in the Major program given above, the Honors in Economics program includes the following: 1. A faculty member must recommend you. 2. You must submit an application for this program. Please contact the Economics Department. 3. Students who are admitted to the department's Honors in the Major program must complete 3 units of ECON 410H, ECON 431H, ECON 435H, ECON 440H, ECON 450H, ECON 462H, ECON 466H, ECON 470H, ECON 481H, or ECON 483H with a grade of B or better. Unless other arrangements are made, the professor instructing the above course becomes your faculty mentor for that semester. In this course, you will define a research problem or performance area and develop an Honors Research Project/Thesis proposal in preparation for work in ECON 499H. Additional mentoring by the instructor assigned to ECON 499H will take place during the spring semester only. 4. You must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in your senior year.