Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics is a program designed for students interested in economics applied to topics beyond business. This program is ideal for students who wish to work in policy or pursue an advanced degree in economics, law, public administration, or other social sciences.

About

Economics is the study of how to allocate scarce resources to meet unlimited wants. Students in this program will build analytical skills by grappling with topics like cost-benefit analysis, constrained optimization, efficiency, trade-offs, and unintended consequences. The program focuses on applied math, graphs of real data, and graphs of theoretical models, making it suitable for students who enjoy analyzing complex problems from multiple angles.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Use supply and demand analysis
• Apply the concept of opportunity cost
• Use marginal analysis
• Use models to explain the behavior of economic agents in different market structures
• Explain the causes of short-run fluctuations in macroeconomic variables
• Explain the determinants of long-run economic growth
• Predict the effects of various micro and macroeconomic policies using appropriate models
• Gather, analyze, and interpret economic data
• Describe the role and function of financial markets, institutions, and policies
• Analyze global economic issues

Career Possibilities

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics prepares students for jobs in businesses, financial firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, as well as for advanced degrees in business, economics, law, public administration, and other social sciences.

Requirements

General Education Requirements

• First-Year Seminar: 2-3 credits
• English Composition: 6 credits
  • ENG 101 - Composition I
  • ENG 102 - Composition II
• Second-Year Seminar: 3 credits
• Constitutions: 3-6 credits
• Mathematics: 3 credits
  • MATH 124 - College Algebra or higher
• Distribution Requirements: 18-19 credits
  • Humanities and Fine Arts: 9 credits
    • Humanities: 6 credits from two different areas
    • Fine Arts: 3 credits
  • Social Science: automatically satisfied by economics requirements
  • Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking: 9-10 credits
    • Life and Physical Sciences: 6-7 credits
      • One science course with a lab
      • One non-lab science course
    • Analytical Thinking: 3 credits
• Multicultural and International Requirement
  • Multicultural: one three-credit course
  • International: one three-credit course

Foreign Language/Foreign Culture

• Two courses in the same foreign language at the university level or the equivalent
• Or two courses (at least six credits) in a foreign culture

Pre-major and Major Requirements

• IS 101 - Introduction to Information Systems or Microsoft Office proficiency or equivalent
• ECON 102 - Principles of Microeconomics
• ECON 103 - Principles of Macroeconomics
• ECON 261 - Principles of Statistics I
• ECON 262 - Principles of Statistics II
• Or ECON 441 - Introduction to Econometrics
• ECON 302 - Intermediate Microeconomics
• ECON 303 - Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ECON 495 - Seminar in Economic Research
• And four three-credit upper-division (300-400 level) economics electives

General Electives

• The number of general electives necessary for each student varies based on how many credits a student uses to satisfy the requirements identified above.
• The minimum credits required to earn a degree from Lee Business School is 120.

Advanced Track

Accomplished UNLV undergraduates must meet specific criteria to be eligible for the Advanced Program Track, including a minimum GPA, completion of specific courses with a minimum GPA, and department chair or graduate coordinator's recommendation.

Notes

1. If students' ACT or SAT test scores place them directly into ENG 102, then the number of general education credits will be reduced by 3.
2. Students planning to pursue graduate studies in economics are encouraged to take the Advanced Track.
3. All courses in the major requirements section must be completed with a grade of C or better.
4. Any course that is included as a prerequisite for a Lee Business School course requires a minimum grade of C or better.
5. ECON 302 and BUS 321 are Milestone Experiences for Economics B.A.
6. ECON 495 is a Culminating Experience course for Economics B.A.