Economics, B.A.

Universal Curriculum Requirements

To be awarded a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, students are required to complete universal curriculum requirements in addition to the program requirements provided below. The school universal curriculum requirements can be found on the school Degree Programs page .

Prerequisites for Declaring the Major

Students must complete the following prerequisites before declaring the Economics major. 

Complete at least two graded economics courses at the University of Virginia.

Economics GPA

• Achieve an economics grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.3; the economics GPA is a weighted measure of all 2000 level or higher economics (ECON) courses taken at the University with the following exceptions:

      a. Grades received in courses taken outside the Unviersity’s Economics Department, such as transfer courses or direct credit courses offered through study abroad programs, are no included in the economics GPA.

      b. If a student is granted economics elective credit for a course taken in another school or department at the University of Virginia, the grade received in that course is not included in the student’s economics GPA.

      c. HIUS 2061 is cross-listed as ECON 2060, and HIEU 2051 was cross-listed as ECON 2050 until Spring 2015. ECON 2060 is (and ECON 2050 was) the same whether taught under history or economics numbers. A grade in HIUS 2061 (or HIEU 2051 tkaen before Spring 2015), therefore, would be included in the economics GPA.

      d. If a student fails and course then retakes it, both grades – the failing grade and the grade received on the retake – enter into the computation of the economics GPA. If a student has taken and passed a course, grades receive on any subsequent retake(s) are not included in the student’s economics GPA. 

Calculus

Complete calculus through calculus I (from the courses listed below) with a minimum grade of C+ in the calculus course.

• MATH 1210 - A survey of Calculus I Credits: 3
• MATH 1310 - Calculus I Credits: 4
• APMA 1090 - Single Variable Calculus I Credits: 4

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  a. Students who fail to obtain a C+ on their first attempt are permitted to try to meet the prerequisite a second time. Students who twice fail to obtain a grade of at least C+ in these courses, whether in the same or different courses, are ineligible to declare the economics major.  Students considering the concentration in financial economics or graduate work in economics are encouraged to take MATH 1310 and MATH 1320 (or APMA 1110 and APMA 2120) instead of MATH 1210 and MATH 1220.

   

  b. Pre­-matriculation transfer credit or a grade of C+ or above in MATH 1220, MATH 1320, or APMA 1110 will be accepted in lieu of calculus I to fulfill the prerequisite.  However, rule 3a still applies. Students who receive a grade below C+ in Calc I and choose to take Calc II instead of repeating Calc I are using up their second chance under rule 4a above. If they receive a grade below C+ in Calc II, they are ineligible for the major.

   

  c. Students who matriculate at the University with AP or transfer credit for one of the aforementioned calculus I or II courses are exempt from this prerequisite. Transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement after one has begun taking classes at the University.

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  Intermediate Microeconomics

• Complete one of the following with a minimum grade of C+

• ECON 3010 - Intermediate Microeconomics Credits: 4
• ECON 3110 - Mathematical Microeconomics Credits: 4

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  • Students who fail to obtain a C+ on their first attempt at completing ECON 3010 (or ECON 3110) are permitted to retake ECON 3010 (or ECON 3110) once. Those who fail to get a grade of at least C+ in two attempts are not eligible to declare an economics major.
  • Credit is not given for both ECON 3010 and ECON 3110, and these courses are considered the same course for the purposes of this requirement.
  • Students who have transfer credit for ECON 3010 at the time that they matriculate at the University are exempt from this prerequisite. Transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement after one has begun taking classes at the University.

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  Statistics

  Complete one of the following courses with a minimum grade of C+.

• STAT 2120 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis Credits: 4
• STAT 3120 - Introduction to Mathematical Statistics Credits: 3
• APMA 3110 - Applied Statistics and Probability Credits: 3
• APMA 3120 - Statistics Credits: 3

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  a. Students who fail to obtain a C+ on their first attempt are permitted to try to meet the prerequisite a second time. Students who twice fail to obtain a grade of at least C+ in the statistics courses listed above, whether in the same or different courses, are ineligible to declare the economics major.

   

  b. Students who matriculate at the University with AP or transfer credit for one of the aforementioned statistics courses are exempt from this prerequisite. Transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement after one has begun taking classes at the University.

   

  NOTE: Students declaring in their 6th semester must have either completed or already registered for ECON 3720 or ECON 4720 (STAT 3220, if completed before Fall 2013, is also acceptable). Students declaring after their 6th semester must have already completed ECON 3720 or ECON 4720 (STAT 3220, if completed before Fall 2013, is also acceptable).

Declaring the Major

1. Review your student record to make sure you have completed all the prerequistes - the grades must be posted on SIS. If any prerequisites are in progress, you are not yet eligble to declare. 

2. Request a guide from the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Economics Department on how to complete the online declaration form. The coordinator is also available by email and appointment to answer questions.

3. Complete and submit the DocuSign major delcaration form (available on the Forms Directory of the College of Arts & Sciences website) per the instructions in the guide. 

4. Check your Student Information System (SIS) account 5 days after submitting the form to confirm the major has been entered and that a major advisor has been assigned. If the major has not been entered, contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Economics Department. 

NOTE: You are not declared until you have completed all four steps. Students are responsible for confirming the major has been entered into SIS. 

Program Requirements

• Students must achieve at least a 2.0 economics GPA in order to graduate.
• Students who finish their sixth semester with an economics GPA below 2.0 will be dropped from the major. 

• Certain courses can be transferred towards the major after a student starts at UVA (post-matriculation), however, certain restrictions apply. For more details, please see the Transfer Credit section on the department’s website. 
• Transfer students must meet all prerequisites. They cannot automatically declare the major. Third-year transfer students considering the economics major are strongly advised to contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator before selecting courses. 
• No course taken credit/no credit may be used to satisfy major and concentration requirements.
• Students who declare their economics major after Fall 2011 must complete at least four courses in economics at the University of Virginia to graduate as economics majors, whatever transfer credit they may have received for work done elsewhere. For purposes of this rule, any class taught at the University of Virginia in another school or department of the University that is routinely accepted for major credit can be counted towards the total of four courses.  

Concentrations in Economics

The Economics Department offers concentrations in Financial Economics, Industrial Organization, International Economics, and Public Policy.

• Concentrations are optional, but economics majors whose interests are heavily focused on one of the following areas may want to declare a concentration.
• Courses taken for a concentration are also considered major electives, unless the course is already specifically required for the major (i.e. Intermediate Microeconomics, Econometrics).
• Students should keep in mind that elective courses applicable to a concentration are not guaranteed to be offered on a consistent basis.
• Elective courses taken for a concentration may not be shared with another concentration.  In other words, the concentration must stand alone with its own set of elective courses.
• Concentrations must be declared in the student’s 7th term at latest.

Students with questions about a concentration should contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

How to Declare a Concentration:

1. Review your transcript to make sure you have completed all the prerequisites (if any). 

2. Contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. 

3. The Undergraduate Program Coordinator will provide the reqirued declaration form by email. When the form has been filled out and approved via email, the Undergraduate Program Coordinator will send the completed form to your school’s registrar where it will be entered into your student record.

4. Check your Student Information System (SIS) acount 5 days after completing the form to confirm the concentration has been entered. If the concentration has not been entered, contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Economics Department.

NOTE: You are not declared until you have completed all four steps. Students are responsible for confirming the concentration has been entered into SIS.

Distinguished Majors Program

The Distinguished Majors Program brings the best undergraduates together in their fourth year to learn from each other, enter the intellectual life of the Department of Economics, discover the anture of research in economics, and write a thesis. Applications are due in March of the student’s third year. Applicants should have a strong overall academic record, with a cumulative grade point average in economics that is at least 3.6 at the time of application.

Specific requirements of the program include: 

1. Each student must take the Distinguished Majors Seminar (ECON 4990) in the fall of the fourth year.
2. Each student will complete a DMP thesis (ECON 4999), independent research under the supervision of an economics faculty member. The thesis is due in April.

Department recommendations for Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction will be based on:

a. quality of the thesis

b. overall work in the Distinguished Majors Program

c. overall work in economics

d. overall college record.

Additional Information

The Department of Economics is located in Monroe Hall. The mailing address is P.O. Box 400182, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4182. The department’s web address is www.virginia.edu/economics. If you have further questions about undergraduate study in economics, please contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator or Director of Undergraduate Studies.