Economics Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
- OSU-Cascades (hybrid)
Options available:
Businesses want employees who can think, communicate orally, write, and solve problems and who are comfortable with quantitative analysis. The traditional economics major perfectly prepares students to meet these demands.
Major Code: 885
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Communicate economic theory and applications in written and oral form.
- Analyze consumer, firm, market, and macroeconomic behavior using microeconomic and macroeconomic theory.
- Examine issues in fields of economics using economic theory.
- Derive basic estimators and prove their properties, estimate economic models using data, test hypotheses, forecast, and interpret estimates.
- All students must complete at least one option. Major and option credits together must total a minimum of 57 credits.
- No courses may count for more than one option.
- None of the 57 credits may be taken S/U.
- All students must receive a grade of "C" (2.00) or better in all upper-division required major core courses and maintain an overall grade-point average (GPA) of 2.00 in all courses taken toward the major and options.
- Students cannot receive credit toward the major or options for both ECON 311 and ECON 411, for both ECON 315 and ECON 415, and for both ECON 424 and ECON 427.
- No more than 4 credits of self-study courses (ECON 401–ECON 410) may be counted towards the 57 credit requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 415 | ADVANCED MACROECONOMIC THEORY 1 | 4 |
| or ECON 315 | INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMIC THEORY | |
| ECON 423 | PRE-ECONOMETRICS 1, 2 | 4 |
| or ST 351 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | |
| ECON 427 | INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS WITH CALCULUS 1 | 4 |
| or ECON 424 | INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS | |
| ECON 411 | ADVANCED MICROECONOMIC THEORY 1 | 4 |
| or ECON 311 | INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMIC THEORY | |
| ECON 428 | ^INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC RESEARCH | 4 |
| or ECON 439 | ^PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | |
| SSCI 211 | +CAREER EXPLORATION IN THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES | 2 |
| or PPOL 415 | +PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT SKILLS | |
| PPOL 460 | +POWER, INEQUALITY, AND PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
| Required Option | ||
| Select at least one option for a minimum of 23 credits 3 | 23 | |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Remaining Core Ed, CLA Core, BA/BS Requirements and General Electives | 123 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
Students who select the Mathematical Economics Option must complete ECON 411, ECON 415, ECON 423 and ECON 427 in the major core
- 2
Students who select the General Economics Option must complete ECON 423 in the major core
- 3
Courses cannot double-count between options (for example, ECON 329 cannot apply to both the Mathematical Economics and General Economics options)
Major Code: 885
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
Bachelor of Science
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Quantitative Literacy & Analysis | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| BS Math or Stats | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BS Math or Stats | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Communication, Media & Society | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECON 311 or ECON 411 | INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMIC THEORY or ADVANCED MICROECONOMIC THEORY | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Non-Western Culture | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| ECON 315 or ECON 415 | INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMIC THEORY or ADVANCED MACROECONOMIC THEORY | 4 |
| SSCI 211 or PPOL 415 | +CAREER EXPLORATION IN THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES or +PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT SKILLS | 2 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| CLA Core: Fine Arts | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BS Computer Science | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Humanities | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| General Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECON 423 or ST 351 | PRE-ECONOMETRICS or INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| BS Science | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Writing Elevation | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| ECON 424 or ECON 427 | INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS or INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS WITH CALCULUS | 4 |
| PPOL 460 | +POWER, INEQUALITY, AND PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECON 428 or ECON 439 | ^INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC RESEARCH or ^PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | 4 |
| CLA Core: Social Science | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| CLA Core: Additional Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
Bachelor of Arts
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Language 111 | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Communication, Media & Society | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Language 112 | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Quantitative Literacy & Analysis | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Language 113 | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Language 211 | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| ECON 315 or ECON 415 | INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMIC THEORY or ADVANCED MACROECONOMIC THEORY | 4 |
| Language 212 | ||
| CLA Core: Fine Arts | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECON 311 or ECON 411 | INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMIC THEORY or ADVANCED MICROECONOMIC THEORY | 4 |
| Language 213 | 4 | |
| Option Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECON 423 or ST 351 | PRE-ECONOMETRICS or INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Writing Elevation | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| ECON 424 or ECON 427 | INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS or INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS WITH CALCULUS | 4 |
| PPOL 460 | +POWER, INEQUALITY, AND PUBLIC POLICY | 4 |
| CLA Core: Humanities | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECON 428 or ECON 439 | ^INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC RESEARCH or ^PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | 4 |
| CLA Core: Social Science | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PPOL 415 or SSCI 211 | +PROFESSIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT SKILLS or +CAREER EXPLORATION IN THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES | 2 |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Option Course | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| CLA Core: Non-Western Culture | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CLA Core: Additional Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |