Chair
Yoonseok Lee
110 Eggers Hall
315-443-3843
Faculty
Merima Ali, Badi Baltagi, Kristina Buzard, John Cawley, Monica Deza, Gary V. Engelhardt, William Horrace, Hugo Jales, Andrew Jonelis, Shafaat Khan, Jeffrey D. Kubik, Derek Laing, Yoonseok Lee, Chung-Chin (Eugene) Liu, Michael Lorenzo, Tidiane Ly, Devashish Mitra, Ryan Monarch, Inge O’Connor, Jan Ivar Ondrich, Thomas Pearson, Alexander Rothenberg, Abdulaziz Shifa, Perry Singleton, Aron Tobias, Yulya Truskinovsky, Maria Zhu
Program Description
Economists analyze the internal functioning of markets and market outcomes. While modern economics focuses on market forces, markets function imperfectly in some cases and that introduces scope for policy action. Our curriculum emphasizes the application of economics to the study of public policy issues and the role of government in a market economy. Examples include analysis of international trade and relations, economic behavior in the workplace, health care, taxation, and numerous other spheres of a global economy. Students who major in economics prepare themselves for a variety of careers. Some move on to graduate study in economics and become professional economists; the majority, however, pursue careers in law, public policy, government, and many aspects of business, including banking and financial analysis, management, and marketing. Consequently, some students choose to pursue double majors and dual degrees. Further information on these programs is available in the Academic Rules and Regulations section of this catalog or in the economics department office.
The department offers both the B.A. degree in economics as well as a STEM-designated B.S. degree in economics. The B.A. has a liberal arts focus and emphasizes the applied and policy aspects of economics. The B.S. is attractive to the more mathematically oriented student.
Major Requirements
To Earn a B.A. in Economics
A student becomes an economics major after consulting with an economics advisor on a plan and course of study and bringing them to the department office for approval. To earn a B.A. in economics, a student:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| MAT 284 | Business Calculus | 4 |
| |
| 6 |
| ECN 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECN 311 | Intermediate Mathematical Microeconomics |
| ECN 302 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECN 422 | Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics | 3 |
| |
| 12 |
| |
| ECN 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECN 311 | Intermediate Mathematical Microeconomics |
| or ECN 302 | Intermediate Macroeconomics |
| |
| Total Credits | 34 |
Additional Information
In all, 27 credits of economics courses are required.
The Economics Department applies a two-thirds rule to the upper-division economics courses (item 3 above). Two-thirds of the upper-division coursework must be taken at Syracuse University or its affiliate programs, such as SU Abroad. In practical terms, no more than two of the upper division courses may be taken at another college or university and applied to the B.A. economics major at Syracuse University.
Graduation with a B.A. in economics requires an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher in 21 credits of upper-division economics courses.
Scheduling
It is recommended that students sequence their courses in the following manner:
- The Principles of Economics (ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics and ECN 102 Introductory Macroeconomics or ECN 101 Introductory Microeconomics and ECN 203 Economic Ideas and Issues) and the Calculus quantitative skills requirement MAT 284 Business Calculus should be completed by the end of the sophomore year or earlier.
- The quantitative skills requirement MAT 284 Business Calculus is a prerequisite for the intermediate theory courses ((ECN 301 Intermediate Microeconomics or ECN 311 Intermediate Mathematical Microeconomics) and ECN 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics).
- The intermediate theory courses ((ECN 301 Intermediate Microeconomics or ECN 311 Intermediate Mathematical Microeconomics) and ECN 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics) are the prerequisite courses for ECN 422 Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics and many of upper-division electives. For this reason, it is important that students complete their intermediate coursework by no later than the fall of their junior year or earlier.
- Students should complete ECN 422 Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics and at least two upper-division electives in economics by the end of their junior year or earlier.
Substitutions
Courses not listed in the above plan and/or taken outside Syracuse University will not be counted toward the fulfillment of economics degree requirements except upon the approval of a petition. Such petitions should be approved before the substitution course is taken, unless it was completed while the student was regularly enrolled in the school or college in which the course was offered. For management students with a second major in economics, FIN 355 Money & Banking may be used as a substitute for ECN 481 Introduction Money & Banking. Credit is not given for both ECN 481 Introduction Money & Banking and FIN 355 Money & Banking.
Curriculum Suggestions
Students who are more analytically inclined or interested in graduate school should plan to take MAT 295 Calculus I/MAT 296 Calculus II, and take ECN 311 Intermediate Mathematical Microeconomics rather than ECN 301 Intermediate Microeconomics. In addition, they may wish to take ECN 505 Mathematical Economics and ECN 522 Econometric Methods as upper-division economics electives.
Students planning to enter law school after graduation may find ECN 431 Public Economics, ECN 451 Labor Economics and ECN 481 Introduction Money & Banking of particular interest, while those who plan to pursue graduate degrees in management may want to choose from ECN 465 International Trade Theory and Policy, ECN 481 Introduction Money & Banking, and ECN 487 Economic Growth. Students pursuing an international specialty might be interested in ECN 410 Topics in Economic Applications (Economic Development), ECN 465 International Trade Theory and Policy, and ECN 481 Introduction Money & Banking. Students preparing a public sector specialty might find ECN 431 Public Economics of particular interest. Those with a human resources interest should select ECN 451 Labor Economics. Those interested in macroeconomic theory should consider ECN 481 Introduction Money & Banking.
The School of Management allows economics majors to take one course per semester in the School of Management. These courses are counted as general electives and not as economics or arts and sciences electives.
College of Arts and Sciences Requirements
For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major (30 credits) that are listed above.
Dual Enrollments:
Students dually enrolled in Newhouse* and Arts and Sciences|Maxwell will complete a minimum of 122 credits, with at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences|Maxwell coursework and an Arts and Sciences|Maxwell major.
*Students dually enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences|Maxwell as first year students must complete the Liberal Arts Core. Students who transfer to the dual program after their first year as singly enrolled students in the Newhouse School will satisfy general requirements for the dual degree program by completing the Newhouse Core Requirements.
Undergraduate University Requirements
The following requirements and experiences apply to all Syracuse University Undergraduate matriculated degree programs.
