Requirements and Opportunities

Students may complete a major or minor in Economics. 

The economics curriculum provides students with a strong grounding in economic theory and methods through the core courses, and allows them to tailor their major to their specific interests in advanced theory and/or field courses.  It emphasizes analytical rigor, the use and interpretation of statistical and empirical evidence, and original, independent research.  The curriculum helps students master the methods used by economists to analyze economic issues and assess alternative economic arguments and policies. 

Major Requirements

The economics major consists of 10 semester courses in economics and one semester of college-level calculus. The required courses for the economics major are:

• ECON B105 Introduction to Economics
• ECON B200 Intermediate Microeconomics
• ECON B202 Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ECON B253 Introduction to Econometrics 
• Two 300-level electives for which ECON B200 or B202 is a prerequisite, at least one of which is a Writing Intensive 300-level economics elective
• Three additional 200- and/or 300-level economics electives
• A research seminar in economics (ECON B390-399) that fulfills the thesis requirement. Each seminar focuses on a specific field in economics and requires that a student has successfully completed prior coursework in that field. For example, ECON B316 or B348 is a prerequisite for ECON B396. In exceptional cases, ECON B403 Independent Research may be substituted for this requirement; this requires preapproval of the instructor and the department chair.
• A minimum of one semester of college-level calculus (or its equivalent)

Students who earn a grade below 2.7 in ECON B105 are advised not to major in Economics.

Majors are advised to complete ECON B200, B202, and B253 during sophomore year. They must be completed by the end of junior year or before any study away.

Majors should complete a Writing Intensive economics course before taking a research seminar.

Minor Requirements

The minor in economics consists of 6 semester courses in economics and one semester of college-level calculus.   The required courses for the economics minor are:

• ECON B105 Introduction to Economics
• ECON B200 Intermediate Microeconomics or B202 Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ECON B253 Introduction to Econometrics
• Three electives, one of which must have ECON B200 or B202 as a prerequisite
• A minimum of one semester of college-level calculus (or its equivalent)

  A minor plan must be approved before the start of the senior year.

More Important Information for Majors and Minors

Students with questions about the Economics major or minor are encouraged to meet with an Economics faculty member.

• Because ECON B200, B202 and B253 have a 200-level economics elective as a prerequisite, prospective majors should try to enroll in a 200-level economics elective the semester after completing ECON B105.

• Bryn Mawr majors or minors should take the core (ECON B200, B202, and B253) at Bryn Mawr.  When necessary, the following substitutions can be made:

• Majors may substitute Haverford’s three-course theory sequence (ECON H201 Analytical Methods for Economics, H300 Intermediate Microeconomics, and H302 Intermediate Macroeconomics) for Bryn Mawr’s two-course theory sequence (ECON B200 Intermediate Microeconomics and B202 Intermediate Macroeconomics).  Minors may substitute ECON H201 and either ECON H300 or H302 for ECON B200 or B202. If a student takes ECON H201, the course counts towards the major requirements at Bryn Mawr only if the student also takes ECON H300 and H302; it counts toward the minor requirements at Bryn Mawr only if the student also takes ECON H300 or H302.

• Students may substitute Haverford’s ECON H203 Statistical Methods in Economics or ECON H204 Economic Statistics with Calculus for ECON B253 Introduction to Econometrics as a major requirement at Bryn Mawr only if they also take ECON 304 Econometrics as an elective.  Because most of our 300-level electives require ECON B253 or ECON 304, majors and minors should take ECON B253 unless they are confident they will be able to complete ECON 304 before taking one of those other 300-level courses.

• Accounting-related courses at Haverford (ECON H247 Financial and Managerial Accounting) and Swarthmore (ECON SW033 Financial Accounting) do not count toward the Bryn Mawr economics major or minor.

• If a student has taken ECON 105 or H104/6, they cannot take another introductory course elsewhere for credit.

• No more than two courses that do not have Econ 105 as a prerequisite can be counted toward an economics major or minor at Bryn Mawr.

Honors

An economics major with a minimum GPA of 3.70 in economics, including economics courses taken in the second semester of the senior year, will graduate with honors in economics.

Advanced Placement

The department will waive the ECON 105 prerequisite for students who score a 5 on both the Microeconomics and Macroeconomics AP exams or a 6 or 7 on the Economics Higher Learning Exam of the International Baccalaureate. The waiver does not count as course credit toward the major or minor; majors and minors receiving advanced placement must still take a total of ten and six courses in economics, respectively. Students qualifying for advanced placement should see the department chair to confirm the waiver, plan their course work in economics and receive a permission number to enroll in the elective that will substitute for Econ 105.

Study Away and Transfer Credits

We encourage students to spend a semester abroad during their junior year. Majors must complete the required core courses (ECON B200, B202 and B253) before studying away. Up to two courses taken abroad may be counted for credit toward the major. If a student wants a particular course to count toward the economics major, the student must obtain approval from the department chair before confirming registration at the host institution.