School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Economics (BA, BS)
Economists study how people make choices in life when scarcity limits what is available and provides incentives to induce efficient behavior. They look at a society's financial, industrial, and labor organizations; its distribution of income and ownership rights; its governmental activities; and its political and economic philosophies, and analyze how these and other factors influence the goods an economy produces, the resources it uses in production, and the distribution of its output. They also look at how incentives affect decisions relating to human behavior, such as whether to obey the law, get married, or have children.
Economic analysis leads to explanations, predictions, and policy suggestions. How are wages and prices set? Why do some cities boom while others decline? Why do we have an energy crisis? How should we use our exhaustible resources? How will consumers and corporations react to a tax cut? How can the crime rate be reduced? If we are to use our resources efficiently, what antitrust and government regulations should be enforced? What can be done to reduce inflation and unemployment? To prevent excess pollution? To achieve economic growth? To distribute income more equitably? In examining these sorts of questions, economics helps us to understand more clearly the choices available to us and the consequences of our decisions.
There is an abundance of career opportunities for an economics major.
Careers in business include consulting, banking and other financial institutions, insurance, corporate strategic planning, real estate, journalism, management, marketing, and public utilities.
Careers in government include consulting, publicly owned utilities, planning and forecasting, regulatory agencies, management, needs assessment, legislative staffs, judicial agencies, and executive support.
Careers in the interfacing of business and government include labor arbitration, regulation, environmental planning, urban and regional planning, and interest representation.
Economics is an excellent preparation for a career in law.
Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Degree Requirements (120 hours)1
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours2
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
RHET 1302 Rhetoric
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
MATH 1306 College Algebra for the Non-Scientist
MATH 1314 College Algebra
STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making3
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences core courses (see advisor)
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities
LIT 2331 Masterpieces of World Literature
PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 2316 History of Philosophy I
PHIL 2317 History of Philosophy II
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
ARTS 1301 Exploration of the Arts
American History: 6 semester credit hours
HIST 1301 U.S. History Survey to Civil War
HIST 1302 U.S. Survey from Civil War
Government / Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
GOVT 2305 American National Government
GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
CRIM 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
CRIM 1307 Introduction to Crime and Criminology
SOC 1301 Introduction to Sociology
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
EPPS 2301 Research Design in the Social and Policy Sciences
And one of the following:
EPPS 2302 Methods of Quantitative Analysis in the Social and Policy Sciences
EPPS 2303 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics for the Social and Policy Sciences
II. Major Requirements: 48 semester credit hours
Major Preparatory Courses: 6 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
ECON 2301 Principles of Macroeconomics4
ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics4
STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making3
Major Core Courses: 15 semester credit hours
ECON 3304 Basic Techniques for Economic Research4
ECON 3310 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
ECON 3311 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
ECON 4320 Public Sector Economics
And one of the following:
ECON 3330 Economics of Health
ECON 4332 Energy and Natural Resource Economics
ECON 4382 International Finance
Major Related Courses: 27 semester credit hours
27 semester credit hours of upper-division ECON courses
III. Elective Requirements: 30 semester credit hours
This requirement may be satisfied with lower- and upper-division courses from any field of study. Students must complete at least 51 semester credit hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.
Note: Students wishing to pursue Master's or PhD degrees in economics should consult their advisor about appropriate mathematics and quantitative methods courses.
Bachelor of Science in Economics
Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)1
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours2
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
RHET 1302 Rhetoric
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
MATH 2413 Differential Calculus3,5
STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences core courses (see advisor)
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities
LIT 2331 Masterpieces of World Literature
PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 2316 History of Philosophy I
PHIL 2317 History of Philosophy II
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
ARTS 1301 Exploration of the Arts
American History: 6 semester credit hours
HIST 1301 U.S. History Survey to Civil War
HIST 1302 U.S. Survey from Civil War
Government / Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
GOVT 2305 American National Government
GOVT 2306 State and Local Government
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
One of the following:
CRIM 1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
CRIM 1307 Introduction to Crime and Criminology
SOC 1301 Introduction to Sociology
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
EPPS 2301 Research Design in the Social and Policy Sciences
And one of the following:
EPPS 2302 Methods of Quantitative Analysis in the Social and Policy Sciences
EPPS 2303 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics for the Social and Policy Sciences
II. Major Requirements: 56 hours
Major Preparatory Courses: 11 hours beyond Core Curriculum
ECON 2301 Principles of Macroeconomics4
ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics4
or MATH 1325 Applied Calculus I3
or MATH 1326 Applied Calculus II
or MATH 2414 Integral Calculus
STAT 1342 Statistical Decision Making3
Major Core Courses: 18 semester credit hours
ECON 3310 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
ECON 3311 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
ECON 4320 Public Sector Economics
ECON 4351 Mathematical Economics
ECON 4355 Econometrics
And one of the following:
ECON 3330 Economics of Health
ECON 4332 Energy and Natural Resource Economics
ECON 4382 International Finance
Major Related Courses: 27 semester credit hours
27 semester credit hours of upper-division ECON courses
Optional Major Core Concentrations: 9 semester credit hours6
Green Economics
One course from:
ECON 4333 Environmental Economics
ECON 4336 Environmental Economic Theory and Policy
Two additional courses from:
ECON 4320 Public Sector Economics
ECON 4332 Energy and Natural Resource Economics
ECON 4333 Environmental Economics
ECON 4336 Environmental Economic Theory and Policy
International Economics
ECON 4360 International Trade
Select two course from:
ECON 3369 Political Economy of Terrorism
ECON 4362 Development Economics
ECON 4382 International Finance
GEOG 3370 The Global Economy
GEOG 3372 Population and Development
Business Economics
Three courses from:
ECON 3312 Money and Banking
ECON 4301 Game Theory
ECON 4310 Managerial Economics
ECON 4340 Labor Economics and Human Resources
ECON 4345 Industrial Organization
ECON 4355 Econometrics
ECON 4385 Business and Economic Forecasting
III. Elective Requirements: 22 semester credit hours
This requirement may be satisfied with lower- and upper-division courses from any field of study. Students must complete at least 51 semester credit hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.
Note: Students wishing to pursue Master's or PhD degrees in economics should consult their advisor about appropriate mathematics and quantitative methods courses.
1. Incoming freshmen must complete and pass UNIV 1010 Freshman Seminar and the corresponding school-related freshman seminar course. Students, including transfer students, who complete their core curriculum at UT Dallas must take UNIV 2020.
2. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
3. A Major requirement that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Semester credit hours are counted in Core Curriculum.
4. Indicates a prerequisite class to be completed before enrolling for upper-division classes in Economics and Finance.
5. Three semester credit hours are counted under Mathematics core, and one semester credit hour is counted under Major Preparatory Courses.
6. Semester credit hours to be counted as part of major related courses.