The Economics Major

The Economics Major/Minor

This department provides instruction for students interested in understanding economic activity: its development and operation, its problems and trends, and its public and private institutions. The program is designed to be broad in nature to meet the needs of students with various career interests. Many majors go on to graduate or professional schools in economics, business administration, and law, but also in such fields as public administration, international relations, environmental protection, health care, social work, and education.

Major in economics:
The major requires a minimum of nine courses in economics. Four courses are prescribed for all majors: 101, 305, 306, and either 410 or 411. Economics 305 and 306 should be completed in the junior year and 410 or 411 during the senior year. Five electives at the 300 level or above are required. In addition, Mathematics 101 (calculus) and Mathematics 204 (statistics) are also required for the economics major and should be completed during the sophomore year. Courses in accounting do not count toward the nine-minimum-course requirement, not do such grades count in the grade point average in the major. All majors in this department are required to pass a written comprehensive examination.

To be eligible for honors in economics, the student must demonstrate distinguished performance in three areas: 1) major coursework; 2) the research seminar (Economics 410); and 3) the comprehensive examination. Distinguished performance is determined at the discretion of the economics faculty though a minimum grade point average of 3.0 is necessary in the area of major coursework.

Note: The above information applies to students entering Sewanee in the Advent semester of 2000 and after. Students entering Sewanee prior to this time ought to consult the catalog for previous requirements.

Minor in economics:
The department of economics offers a minor in economics. Six courses are required for a minor. The minor requires three core courses (101, 305, and 306) and three electives at the 300 level or above. In addition, Mathematics 101 (calculus) and Mathematics 204 (statistics) are also required for the economics minor and should be completed during the sophomore year. A comprehensive exam is not required for the minor. Courses in accounting do not count toward the six-minimum-course requirement.