Economics and Finance (B.A., B.S.)
Economists study how people make choices in life when scarcity limits
what is available. They look at a society’s financial, industrial,
and labor organizations; its distribution of income and ownership rights;
its governmental activities; and its political and economic philosophies,
and analyze how these and other factors influence the goods an economy
produces, the resources it uses in production, and the distribution
of its output. They also look at how incentives affect decisions relating
to human behavior, such as whether to obey the law, get married, or
have children.
Economic analysis leads to explanations, predictions, and policy suggestions.
How are wages and prices set? Why do some cities boom while others decline?
Why do we have an energy crisis? How should we use our exhaustible resources?
How will consumers and corporations react to a tax cut? How can the
crime rate be reduced? If we are to use our resources efficiently, what
antitrust and government regulations should be enforced? What can be
done to reduce inflation and unemployment? To prevent excess pollution?
To achieve economic growth? To distribute income more equitably? In
examining these sorts of questions, economics helps us to understand
more clearly the choices available to us and the consequences of our
decisions.
One option of specialization offered by the Economics and Finance program
to students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree is the Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA®) track. The CFA® program, administered by the
Association for Investment Management and Research, is a globally recognized
standard for measuring the competence and integrity of financial analysts.
Three levels of examination measure a candidate’s ability to apply
the fundamental knowledge of investment principles at a professional
level. The CFA® examinations are administered annually in more than
70 nations worldwide. For information about registering in the CFA®
program, see the AIMR web site at http://www.aimr.org/. The Economics
and Finance Program offers a number of courses that help prepare for
these examinations. Specific information is provided in the section
on requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance
below.
Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Finance
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
I. Core Curriculum Requirements1:
42 hours
A. Communication (6 hours)
3 hours Communication
(RHET 1302)
3 hours Communication
Elective ( ECO 4346 or ECO
4382)2
B. Social and Behavioral Sciences (15 hours)
6 hours Government (GOVT
2301 and 2302)
6 hours American History
3 hours Social and Behavioral
Sciences Elective (SOC 1301, SOC
2319, CJS 1301, or CJS
1307)2
C. Humanities and Fine Arts (6 hours)
3 hours Fine Arts (ARTS
1301)
3 hours Humanities (HUMA
1301)
D. Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (6
hours)3
3 hours Mathematics
(at or above the level of College Algebra)
3 hours Quantitative
Reasoning (SOCS 3305)2
E. Science (9 hours including at least one course
with a substantial laboratory component)
II. Major Requirements: 46 hours
Major Preparatory Courses (6 hours)
ECO
2301 Principles of Macroeconomics*
ECO
2302 Principles of Microeconomics*
Major Core Courses (22 hours)
ECO
3304 Basic Techniques for Economic Research
ECO
3310 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
ECO
3311 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
SOCS
3105 Social Statistics Laboratory
SOCS
3305 Introduction to Social Statistics2
One of the following:
ECO
4346 Technology, Society and Economy
ECO
4382 International Finance
One of the following:
CJS
3301 Theories of Justice
ECO
4320/PA 4313 Public Sector Economics
And one of the following:
ECO
3370 The Global Economy
ECO
4360 International Trade
ECO
4362 Development Economics
ECO
4382 International Finance
Major Related Courses (24 hours)
24 hours Economics and Finance upper-division ECO courses
III. Elective Requirements: 32 hours
Advanced Electives (6 hours)
All students are required
to take at least six hours of advanced electives outside their major
field of study. These
must be either upper-division classes or lower-division classes that
have prerequisites.
Free Electives (26 hours)
This requirement may
be satisfied with lower- and upper-division courses from any field of
study. Students must
complete at least 51 hours of upper-division credit to qualify for
graduation.
Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
I. Core Curriculum Requirements1:
42 hours
A. Communication (6 hours)
3 hours Communication
(RHET 1302)
3 hours Communication
Elective ( recommended ECO 4346 or ECO
4382)2
B. Social and Behavioral Sciences (15 hours)
6 hours Government (GOVT
2301 and 2302)
6 hours American History
3 hours Social and Behavioral
Sciences Elective (SOC 1301, SOC
2319, CJS 1301, or CJS
1307)2
C. Humanities and Fine Arts (6 hours)
3 hours Fine Arts (ARTS
1301)
3 hours Humanities (HUMA
1301)
D. Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (6
hours)3
3 hours Mathematics
(at or above the level of College Algebra)
3 hours Quantitative
Reasoning (SOCS 3305)2
E. Science (9 hours including at least one course
with a substantial laboratory component)
II. Major Requirements: 52 hours
Major Preparatory Courses (6 hours)
ECO
2301 Principles of Macroeconomics*
ECO
2302 Principles of Microeconomics*
Major Core Courses ( 28 hours)
ECO
3304 Basic Techniques for Economic Research
ECO
3310 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
ECO
3311 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
ECO
4351 Mathematical Economics
ECO
4355 Econometrics
SOCS
3105 Social Statistics Laboratory
SOCS
3305 Introduction to Social Statistics2
One of the following: 2
ECO
4346 Technology, Society and Economy
ECO
4382 International Finance
One of the following:
CJS
3301 Theories of Justice
ECO
4320/PA 4313 Public Sector Economics
And one of the following:
ECO
3370 The Global Economy
ECO
4360 International Trade
ECO
4362 Development Economics
ECO
4382 International Finance
Major Related Courses (24 hours)
24 hours Economics and Finance upper-division ECO courses
III. Elective Requirements: 26 hours
Advanced Electives (6 hours)
All students are required
to take at least six hours of advanced electives outside their major
field of study. These
must be either upper-division classes or lower-division classes that
have prerequisites.
Free Electives (20 hours)
This requirement may
be satisfied with lower- and upper-division courses from any field of
study. Students must
complete at least 51 hours of upper-division credit to qualify for
graduation.
Bachelor of Science with a Chartered Financial
Analyst® emphasis
Students wishing to follow the Chartered Financial Analyst Track are
recommended to take:
ECO 5301 Microeconomic
Theory I
ECO 6321 Financial
Economics I
ECO 6322 Financial
Economics II
as well as:
ECO
4382 International Finance, which is listed under a “one of
the following” groups listed
above;
and among their electives:
AIM
2301 Introductory Financial Accounting
AIM
3320 Financial Information Management
AIM
3331 Intermediate Financial Accounting I
AIM
3332 Intermediate Financial Accounting II
BA
4346 Investment Management
Minor in Economics and Finance (18 hours)
For a minor in Economics and Finance, students must take ECO
2301, ECO 2302, either ECO
3310 or ECO 3311, and nine hours of
ECO electives. Electives may be any upper-division course with the ECO
prefix with the exception of ECO 4V97, ECO
4V98, and ECO 4V99.
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