Economics, BA

Location(s): Main Campus

The economics curriculum provides an understanding of the origins, characteristics, and functions of global economic organizations. Students learn to appraise the functioning of the economy and proposals for the economy’s improvement, develop skills in economic analysis, study current institutional arrangements and their consequences, and the effects of individual and collective actions on the economic process. The BA degree offers an excellent background for students planning to enter careers or professional schools in business, law, or public policy.

Program Requirements

University General Education Requirements

All Binghamton University undergraduate students are required to fulfill this set of university-wide requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of a SUNY university undergraduate education. Please refer to the general education section in the Academic Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Students or the General Education page for more information.

Harpur College Requirements

All students in Harpur College must fulfill additional requirements designated by Harpur College to complement and extend the general education requirements. Please refer to the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences page for more information.

Major Requirements

Departmental requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Economics are 11 full courses in economics and mathematics, distributed as listed below. Students should consult the department for details on qualifying grades in AP and transfer courses.

Course Requirements

Students must fulfill the following requirements for the Economics major:

ECON 160 - Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 162 - Principles Of Macroeconomics
MATH 220 - Calculus For Business & Mgmt OR
MATH 224 - Differential Calculus
AND MATH 225 - Integral Calculus
ECON 360 - Microeconomic Theory
ECON 362 - Macroeconomic Theory
ECON 366 - Statistical Methods *
Five other full courses in economics numbered above 110, or their equivalent, of which at least three must be chosen from courses numbered 400-489 (hence, practica, internships and honors courses do not count for this requirement); no more than one may be chosen from courses numbered in the 100s.

Note:

*MATH 147, MATH 148, MATH 448, CQS 112, or one full course in statistics from approved list (see department website) may be substituted for ECON 366.

Additional Information About the Program

A course in which a student earns a grade of C- or less is not acceptable as a prerequisite and may not be used to fulfill the requirements for the economics major. A course taken with the Pass/Fail option may not be used to fulfill the requirements for the major or a prerequisite in economics.
No course for the major may be taken more than twice. For statistics and calculus courses, two attempts will be considered if students take two similar courses with different course numbers (for example, MATH 220 and MATH 224/225). Students who fail to receive a grade of C or better in two attempts at core courses will be dropped from the major.
Students who achieve a grade of B- or better in both college-level statistics (such as MATH 147 or ECON 366), and MATH 224 and 225 may change their major to any of the BS degrees.
College-level calculus (such as MATH 224/225 or MATH 220) and statistics (such as MATH 147) are required for an economics major. If students do not place into MATH 224, then MATH 223 and, if needed, MATH 108 are also required to complete the major. If students do not place into MATH 147, then MATH 107 is also required to complete the major.

Residency Requirement: Students must complete at least seven of the 11 required courses for the Economics major in residence at Binghamton. These seven courses must include ECON 360, ECON 362, and at least three electives, at least two of which must be electives numbered 400-489.

For more information on the Economics BA program, please refer to the Economics website. To apply to the Economics BA program, please visit the University Admissions website.