Undergraduate Degree & Course Catalog
2016-17

Economics - Degrees & Policies

Degrees Offered

Undergraduate: BA, BA in Economics-Mathematics, Minor
Combined degrees: BA/MA, BA/MS
Graduate: MA, MS, PhD

Advisement

Students considering an economics major should consult the undergraduate advisor in 435 Fronczak and help themselves to the Undergraduate Brochure outside the department office.

Advanced Placement: The department accepts AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics for credit with a grade of 4 or higher.

Acceptance Information

To apply for the Economics major or minor, students should submit a current Academic Advising Report (AAR) to the department office, 415 Fronczak Hall, and write their name, person number, e-mail address and local address and phone number on it. Please also note whether the application is for a major or minor in Economics and, in the case of a double or joint major or double degree, specify the other major/degree.

Transfer Policy

Every economics major must take at least four upper level (300-level or higher) economics electives at the University at Buffalo. These cannot include ECO 495 Undergraduate Supervised Teaching or ECO 496 Internship in Economics. Transfer credit may be given towards the required courses (ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory, ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory, and ECO 480 Econometrics 1) or for ECO 181 Introduction to Macroeconomics or ECO 182 Introduction to Microeconomics, or for other economics electives. Students who seek transfer credit should consult the director of undergraduate studies in economics and provide documentation, such as course descriptions and syllabi, for each course for which credit is sought. A form for this purpose is outside the department office, 415 Fronczak Hall.

SUNY Seamless Transfer Path

SUNY Seamless Transfer is a SUNY-wide program intended to make transferring to UB and other SUNY Schools simple and efficient for SUNY students. SUNY has defined courses that SUNY students can take before transferring which will apply to the major at UB and ensure timely graduation.

Information about the Transfer Path for this major can be found on the SUNY Website.

Students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor or department to discuss how their coursework will apply to their degree.

Economics - B.A.

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.0 in two or more economics courses.
Completion of the prerequisite courses.
Completion of a minimum of 30 university credit hours.

Advising Notes

10 credit hours of required courses and 23 credit hours of electives are required. Electives are selected from other economics courses and must include twelve upper-level (300/400-level) credit hours. ECO 406 Topics in Microeconomics must be included in these by students who wish to be considered for Honors in the Economics major. A maximum of 3 credit hours may be from ECO 498 Undergraduate Research or from ECO 499 Independent Study. ECO 495 Undergraduate Supervised Teaching and ECO 496 Internship in Economics cannot be used to satisfy the upper-level economics course requirement, but a maximum of 3 credits from either ECO 495 or ECO 496 can be used toward the remaining 11 elective credits.

MTH 121 or MTH 131 or MTH 141 and MTH 122 or MTH 142 are prerequisites for 300/400-level economics courses.

Students interested in a joint major program or combined degree program should consult the director of undergraduate studies in economics as early as possible in their academic career.

Prerequisite Courses

MTH 121 Survey of Calculus and Its Applications I or MTH 131 Math Analysis for Management or MTH 141 College Calculus I.
Any two economics courses (ECO 181 and ECO 182 are highly recommended)

Required Courses

ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory
ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory
ECO 480 Econometrics I (may substitute MTH 411-STA 302 or GEO 211- GEO 411 or EAS 305)
11 credits of economics electives at any level
Four 300/400-level economics electives, excluding ECO 495 and ECO 496
One of the following: MTH 122 Survey of Calculus and Its Applications II, MTH 142 College Calculus II

Undergraduate Credit Requirements Chart
Credits Required for Major 41
Additional Credits Required for UB Curriculum 39
Additional Credits Required for Electives 40
Total Credits Required for Degree 120

Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine how any transfer or exam credit might be utilized in meeting general education, prerequisite, or major requirements.

See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (UB Curriculum) for general education and remaining university requirements.

Learning Outcomes

Writing, mathematics and foreign language courses are subject to placement. Alternate exam credit or transfer credits may change placement. For ECO majors the math, depth and social science requirements are fulfilled by major courses.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have knowledge of:
  • How to demonstrate a good working knowledge of the basic principles and terminology of microeconomics and macroeconomics
  • How to demonstrate the ability to read, evaluate and interpret general economic information
  • How to demonstrate the ability to understand and use basic statistics
  • How to demonstrate a sound knowledge of the subject areas covered by the elective courses
  • Math proficiency through calculus I and II
  • Ability to communicate effectively both in written and oral form

    • Recommended Sequence of Program Requirements

    View the Finish in Four Curricular Plan for the Economics BA which is a recommended sequence of courses to help achieve this degree in four years.

    Economics - B.A./M.A.

    Acceptance Criteria

    Students must apply for and be accepted into both the undergraduate economics major and the M.A. in economics program.

    Advising Notes

    135 credit hours are required for the combined BA/MA degree: 105 credits at the undergraduate level, including 18 credits in economics and all university requirements, and 30 credits in economics at the graduate level. An additional 15 graduate credit hours are required to also obtain an Advanced Certificate in a specialization within economics.

    Students should consult the directors of the undergraduate and M.A. programs as early as possible in their decision-making process, in order to develop a sequence of coursework that is appropriate to their interests and objectives.

    Prerequisite Courses

    One of the following: MTH 121, MTH 131, MTH 141
    Any two economics courses (ECO 181 and EC0 182 are highly recommended)

    Required Courses

    ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory*
    ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory*
    ECO 480 Econometrics I* (may substitute MTH 411-STA 302 or GEO 211- GEO 411 or EAS 305)
    ECO 505 Microeconomic Theory
    ECO 507 Macroeconomic Theory
    ECO 576 Topics in Microeconomics
    ECO 580 Econometrics I
    ECO 581 Econometrics II
    Minimum of 8 undergraduate credits of economics electives at any level, excluding ECO 495 and ECO 496
    One of the following: MTH 122, MTH 142
    Five M.A. electives

    * ECO 505, ECO 507 and ECO 576 may be substituted for ECO 405, ECO 407, and ECO 406 respectively with permission of the Director of the M.A. program. A waiver exam may be taken for ECO 580 and ECO 581; please contact the Assistant Director of the M.A. program for details. However, a total of 18 undergraduate Economics credits and 30 M.A. level credits are still required for the degree, even with specific course waivers.

    Combined Degree Credit Requirement Chart
    Credits Required for Major (Undergraduate) 26
    Credits Required for Major (Graduate) 30
    Additional Credits Required for UB Curriculum 39
    Additional Credits Required for Electives 40
    Total Credits Required for Degree 135

    Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine how any transfer or exam credit might be utilized in meeting general education, prerequisite, or major requirements.

    See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (UB Curriculum) for general education and remaining university requirements.

    Recommended Sequence of Program Requirements

    View the Curricular Plan for the Economics BA/MA which is a recommended sequence of courses to help achieve this degree in five years.

    Refer to the Graduate School's policies and procedures manual for requirements for master's candidates.

    Economics - B.A./M.S.

    Acceptance Criteria

    Students must apply for and be accepted into both the undergraduate economics major and the M.S. program in Economics.

    Advising Notes

    150 credits are required for the combined B.A./M.S. degree: 105 credits at the undergraduate level, including a minimum of 18 credits in economics and all university requirements, and 45 credits in economics at the graduate level.

    Students should consult the directors of the undergraduate and M.A. programs as early as possible in their decision-making process, in order to develop a sequence of coursework that is appropriate to their interests and objectives.

    Prerequisite Courses

    One of the following: MTH 121, MTH 131, MTH 141
    Any two economics courses (ECO 181 and ECO 182 are highly recommended)

    Required Courses

    ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory*
    ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory*
    ECO 480 Econometrics I* (may substitute MTH 411-MTH 412 or GEO 211- GEO 411 or EAS 305)
    ECO 505 Microeconomic Theory
    ECO 507 Macroeconomic Theory
    ECO 580 Econometrics I
    ECO 581 Econometrics II
    ECO 582 Computational Econometrics
    ECO 526 Financial Economics I
    ECO 561 Economics of Fluctuation and Forecasting

    Minimum of 8 undergraduate credits of economics electives at any level, excluding ECO 495 and ECO 496
    One of the following: MTH 122, MTH 142
    Eight M.A. electives. Of these, each track(Financial Economics, International Economics, Applied Micro-Econometrics)entails 5 specific courses and 3 free electives

    * ECO 505 and ECO 507 may be substituted for ECO 405 and ECO 407 respectively with permission of the Director of the M.A. program. A waiver exam may be taken for ECO 580 and ECO 581; please contact the Assistant Director of the M.A. program for details. However, a total of 18 undergraduate Economics credits and 45 M.S. level credits are still required for the degree, even with specific course waivers.

    Combined Degree Credit Requirements Chart
    Credits Required for Major (Undergraduate) 26
    Credits Required for Major (Graduate) 45
    Additional Credits Required for UB Curriculum 39
    Additional Credits Required for Electives 45
    Total Credits Required for Degree 150

    Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine how any transfer or exam credit might be utilized in meeting general education, prerequisite, or major requirements.

    See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (UB Curriculum) for general education and remaining university requirements.

    Recommended Sequence of Program Requirements

    View the Finish in Four Curricular Plan for the Economics BA/MS which is a recommended sequence of courses to help achieve this degree in five years.

    Refer to the Graduate School's policies and procedures manual for requirements for master's candidates.

    Economics - Minor

    Acceptance Criteria

    Same as for major.

    Prerequisite Courses

    MTH 121 Survey of Calculus and its Applications I or MTH 131 Math Analysis for Management or MTH 141 College Calculus I
    Any two economics courses (ECO 181 and ECO 182 are highly recommended)

    Required Courses

    ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory
    ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory
    ECO 480 Econometrics I (may substitute MTH 411-STA 302 or GEO 211- GEO 411 or EAS 305)
    A minimum of 6 additional credit hours of 300/400-level economics courses, excluding ECO 495, ECO 496, ECO 498, and ECO 499.
    One of the following: MTH 122, MTH 142, MTH 306.

    Note: The calculus sequence is a prerequisite for 300/400-level economics courses. It is recommended that students also take ECO 181 and ECO 182 before taking the 400-level economics courses.

    Minor Credit Requirement Chart
    Total Credits Required for Minor/Certificate 16

    Minors and certificates must be completed in conjunction with a major and all university degree requirements must be met.

    Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine how any transfer or exam credit might be utilized in meeting general education, prerequisite, or major requirements.

    Last updated: November 22 2021 21:01:55