Getting Started

College: SBS

Information below is meant to guide first-year students in getting started with this major and choosing appropriate courses. More advanced students interested in this major would also likely start with proposed foundation/pre-requisite courses. Please refer to the Major page located in the left menu bar to learn about the full major requirements.

How to Explore the Major

Suggested General Education Courses

All Undergraduates are required to satisfy the General Education Requirements. Guidelines for students are available at www.umass.edu/gened. Students should choose a wide variety of Gen Ed courses, providing breadth of experience.

Economics is a Liberal Arts Major in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and interdisciplinary experience, in General Education courses, is useful to an Economics Major.

Suggested Major and Pre-requisite Courses

Suggested for First Year Students

ECON 103 - Intro to Microeconomics (or RES-ECON, 102 Intro to Resource Economics)
ECON 104 - Intro to Macroeconomics
Calculus 1 - MATH 127 or MATH 131
Calculus 2 – MATH 128 or MATH 132

First-year students should take a Calculus 1 and 2 sequence in consecutive semesters whenever possible. However, if the Math Placement Test score indicates that further preparation is necessary, students should take a pre-calculus course during their first semester before taking Calculus 1.

NOTE: Students should be aware that ECON 103 (or RES-ECON 102), ECON 104, and Calculus 1 are all prerequisites for the Intermediate courses in economic theory which we suggest for the second year. Students considering graduate school should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Advising in the Economics Department to discuss additional math requirements.

Suggested for Second Year Students

ECON 203, Intermediate Microeconomics (or RES-ECON 202, Price Theory)
ECON 204, Intermediate Macroeconomics
RES-ECON 212 (preferred) or STATISTC 240, 501, or 515

The Economics Department cannot assure that students will graduate in four years with an Economics major if they fail to complete these courses by the end of the second year.

How to Declare/Change into the Major

For current & admitted students: This major is unrestricted, which means any student may declare the major. Open majors may still have an entry process such as meeting with an advisor, peer advisor or attending an informational meeting.

To declare Economics, students complete a declaration form and meet with a peer advisor, information is posted at https://www.umass.edu/economics/undergraduate/declaring-economics-majorminor

Transfer Students

Students can declare when they enter the university. Meet with an advisor in the Economics Department, preferably during a transfer advising session or before the first day of classes. These meetings may be done during in person New Student Orientation, over the phone, on zoom, or if necessary, by email, advising@econs.umass.edu.

Summary of Requirements for the Major

Refer to the Major page located in the left menu bar to learn more.

Minimum total # or range of credits required: 48-54

Is there a minor? If so, what are the requirements?
Yes - a minor is available! Refer to the Minor page located in the left menu bar to learn more.

For further information, contact:

Director of Undergraduate Advising
Stephanie Brewer, sbbrewer@umass.edu

--or--

Senior Academic Advisor
Leah Dodson, ldodson@econs.umass.edu

--or--

Senior Academic Advisor
Meghan Shewchuk, shewchuk@umass.edu

--or--

Faculty Advisor
Valerie Voorheis, voorheis@econs.umass.edu

General email: advising@econs.umass.edu

Website: http://www.umass.edu/economics/