Economics Minor

Prerequisites for Declaring the Minor

1. Complete at least two graded economic courses at the University of Virginia.
2. 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:

The economics GPA is a weighted measure of all Economics courses taken at the University with the following exceptions: 

1. Grades received in courses taken outside the University’s Economics Department, such as transfer courses or direct credit courses offered through study abroad programs, are not included in the economics GPA.
2. 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.
3. HIUS 2061 is cross-listed as ECON 2060, and HIEU 2051 is cross-listed as ECON 2050 until Spring 2015. ECON 2060 is (and ECON 2050 was) the same whether taught under the History or Economics numbers. A grade in HIUS 2061 (or HIEU 2051 taken before Spring 2015), therefore, would be included in the economics GPA.
4. If a student fails a course and 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 received on any subsequent retake(s) are not included in the student’s economics GPA.

3. Microeconomics

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

• ECON 2010 - Principles of Economics: Microeconomics Credits: 3
• ECON 3010 - Intermediate Microeconomics Credits: 4

• 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 good grade of at least C+ in two attempts are not eligble to declare the economics minor.

    a. Students who have transfer credit for ECON 3010 at the time that they matriculate at the UNiversity are exempt from this prerequisite.

    b. ECON 2010 and ECON 2020 are the only courses for the minor that may be taken outside the Unviersity after matriculation.

   

  4. Macroeconomics

  Students must complete the following course with a passing grade:

• ECON 2020 - Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics Credits: 3

•  

  5. Calculus

  Complete Calculus I and obtain a minimum grade of C+ in at least one of the calculus courses.

  • The following courses are accepted Calculus I courses:
• APMA 1090 - Single Variable Calculus I Credits: 4
• MATH 1210 - A survey of Calculus I Credits: 3
• MATH 1190 - A Survey of Calculus I with Algebra Credits: 4
• MATH 1310 - Calculus I Credits: 4
• Students who matriculate at the University with AP or transfer credit for Calculus I are considered to have met the minimum grade requirement.
• Transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy the grade requirement after one has begun taking classes at the University.

 

6. Statistics

Students must 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
• 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 of at least a C+ in the statistics course listed above, whether in the same or different courses, are ineligible to declare the economics minor.
• Students who matriculate at the University with AP or transfer credit for one of these courses are exempt from this prerequisite. Transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy this requirement after one has begun taking classes at the University.

Minor Requirements

No course taken credit/no credit may be used to satisfy minor requirements.

Required Courses

Complete all the prerequisite courses for declaring a minor; ECON 2010, 2020 3010 (or 3110), Calculus, and Statistics.

Elective Courses

The student must complete 3 additional economics elective courses at the 2000 level or above, each of which must be at least a 3-hour course.

• Of the economics elective courses used to satisfy this requirement, no more than one can be numbered below 2999.
• At least two of the three Economics elective courses must be completed at the University.
• ECON 3720, ECON 4720, and ECON 3020 can count as electives in the minor.
• Students entering the University with transfer credit for ECON 3010 (or 3020) on their transcript, but who do not have credit for ECON 2010 (or 2020), are exempt from ECON 2010 or 2020, respectively. 
  • However, they will be required to complete one additional economics elective; in other words, a total of 4 ECON electives must be completed for the minor.

GPA

Students must have a cumulative economics GPA of at least a 2.0 to graduate with the minor. See the prerequisites for details on computing the economics GPA.

Declaring the Minor

College rules require that the minor be declared by the end of the add period in the semester before graduation, ordinarily during the seventh semester. Under some circumstances, this deadline may be extended until early in the semester in which you intend to graduate.

1. Review your transcript to make sure you have completed all prerequisites.
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/minor declaration 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 minor has been entered. If the minor has not been entered, contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Economics Department.

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

Contact 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 the Director of Undergraduate Studies.