Program Overview

Economics and Data Science BS

The STEM-designated Economics and Data Science is an interdisciplinary major that prepares students to work in an economy that has been transformed by the emergence of digital commerce and massive amounts of data. Coursework in data science teaches students how to manage, manipulate, and parse data to extract knowledge and insight.

Through the study of economics, students learn how the design of platforms shapes incentives, drives behavior, and determines social and economic outcomes including equity and efficiency. Students also learn how data may be used for predictive or causal analysis to inform business decisions or public policy.

The program provides excellent training for careers in the digital economy, including areas such as insurance, consulting, finance, retailing, and government. It also provides outstanding preparation for graduate study in business, data science, public health, economics, or other social sciences.

Degree Requirements

• University Requirements:
  • UNIV B101: The Drexel Experience (1.0)
  • or UNIV CI101: The Drexel Experience
  • CIVC 101: Introduction to Civic Engagement (1.0)
  • COOP 101: Career Management and Professional Development (1.0)
  • UNIV B201: Career Management (1.0)
• General Education Requirements:
  • English Requirements:
    • ENGL 101: Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research (3.0)
    • or ENGL 111: English Composition I
    • ENGL 102: Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing (3.0)
    • or ENGL 112: English Composition II
    • ENGL 103: Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres (3.0)
    • or ENGL 113: English Composition III
  • Communications Requirement:
    • COM 230: Techniques of Speaking (3.0)
  • Mathematics and Statistics:
    • Select one of the following sequences:
      • MATH 101 & MATH 102 & MATH 180 & MATH 201: Introduction to Analysis I and Introduction to Analysis II and Discrete Computational Structures and Linear Algebra (16.0-18.0)
      • or MATH 105 & MATH 121 & MATH 180 & MATH 201: Algebra, Functions, and Trigonometry and Calculus I and Discrete Computational Structures and Linear Algebra
      • or MATH 116 & MATH 117 & MATH 180 & MATH 201: Calculus and Functions I and Calculus and Functions II and Discrete Computational Structures and Linear Algebra
    • STAT 201: Introduction to Business Statistics (4.0)
    • or MATH 311: Probability and Statistics I
    • STAT 202: Business Statistics II (4.0)
    • or MATH 312: Probability and Statistics II
• Computer Science:
  • CS 150: Computer Science Principles (3.0)
  • or CS 164: Introduction to Computer Science
  • CS 171: Computer Programming I (3.0)
  • CS 172: Computer Programming II (3.0)
• Economics Requirements:
  • ECON 201: Principles of Microeconomics (4.0)
  • ECON 202: Principles of Macroeconomics (4.0)
  • ECON 250: Game Theory and Applications (4.0)
  • ECON 270: Using Big Data to Solve Economic and Social Problems (4.0)
  • ECON 301: Microeconomics (4.0)
  • ECON 321: Macroeconomics (4.0)
  • ECON 322: Economics Seminar (4.0)
  • ECON 350: Applied Econometrics (4.0)
  • ECON 360: Time Series Econometrics (4.0)
  • or ECON 370: Experiments and Causality in Economics
• Data Science Requirements:
  • CS 260: Data Structures (4.0)
  • CS 265: Advanced Programming Tools and Techniques (3.0)
  • DSCI 351: Recommender Systems (3.0)
  • DSCI 471: Applied Deep Learning (3.0)
  • INFO 101: Introduction to Computing and Security Technology (3.0)
  • INFO 103: Introduction to Data Science (3.0)
  • INFO 210: Database Management Systems (3.0)
  • INFO 212: Data Science Programming I (3.0)
  • INFO 213: Data Science Programming II (3.0)
  • INFO 250: Information Visualization (3.0)
  • INFO 323: Cloud Computing and Big Data (3.0)
  • INFO 332: Exploratory Data Analytics (3.0)
  • INFO 440: Social Media Data Analysis (3.0)
  • INFO 442: Data Science Projects (3.0)
• Economics Electives:
  • Select 12 credits from the following:
    • ECON 203: Survey of Economic Policy
    • ECON 248: Mathematical Models in Economics
    • ECON 260: Economics of Small Business
    • ECON 324: Economics of Happiness
    • ECON 326: Economic Ideas
    • ECON 330: Managerial Economics
    • ECON 331: International Macroeconomics
    • ECON 334: Public Finance
    • ECON 336: Labor Economics
    • ECON 338: Industrial Organization
    • ECON 342: Economic Development
    • ECON 344: Comparative Economic Systems
    • ECON 348: Mathematical Economics
    • ECON 351: Resource and Environmental Economics
    • ECON 354: Money and Banking
    • ECON 360: Time Series Econometrics
    • ECON 361: Health Economics
    • ECON 365: Behavioral Economics
    • ECON 366: Topics in Behavioral Economics
    • ECON 370: Experiments and Causality in Economics
    • ECON 380: Economic Crises: The American Experience
    • ECON T280: Special Topics in Economics
    • ECON T380: Special Topics in Economics
    • ECON T480: Special Topics in Economics
    • INTB 332: Multinational Corporations
    • INTB 334: International Trade
    • INTB 336: International Money and Finance
    • INTB 338: Regional Studies in Economic Policies and International Business
    • INTB 440: Seminar in International Business
    • SMT 320: Sport Economics
• Data Science Electives:
  • Select 6 credits from the following courses:
    • CS 270: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science
    • CS 380: Artificial Intelligence
    • CS 383: Machine Learning
    • INFO 315: Advanced Database Management Systems
    • INFO 371: Data Mining Applications
    • INFO 432: Advanced Data Analytics
• Free Electives: 34.0
• Total Credits: 180.0-182.0

Sample Plan of Study

5 Year 3 Coop

• First Year:
  • Fall: CIVC 101 (1.0), ECON 201 (4.0), ENGL 101 or 111 (3.0), INFO 101 (3.0), MATH 101, 105, 116, or 121 (4.0-6.0), UNIV B101 or CI101 (1.0)
  • Winter: COOP 101 (1.0), ECON 202 (4.0), ENGL 102 or 112 (3.0), ECON 270 (4.0), MATH 102, 121, 117, or 201 (4.0)
  • Spring: CS 150 or 164 (3.0), ENGL 103 or 113 (3.0), INFO 103 (3.0), MATH 201 or 180 (4.0)
• Second Year:
  • Fall: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Winter: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Spring: CS 171 (3.0), CS 172 (3.0), ECON 250 (4.0), ECON 301 (4.0), STAT 201 or MATH 311 (4.0), STAT 202 or MATH 312 (4.0)
• Third Year:
  • Fall: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Winter: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Spring: CS 265 (3.0), ECON 321 (4.0), ECON 350 (4.0), INFO 212 (3.0), INFO 213 (3.0), INFO 250 (3.0)
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Winter: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Spring: DSCI 351 (3.0), DSCI 471 (3.0), INFO 323 (3.0), INFO 332 (3.0), ECON Elective (4.0), Free Elective (8.0)
• Fifth Year:
  • Fall: ECON 360 or 370 (4.0), Free Electives (7.0), Data Science Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: UNIV B201 (1.0), Data Science Elective (3.0), ECON Elective (4.0), Free Elective (7.0)
  • Spring: ECON 322 (4.0), INFO 442 (3.0), Free Elective (8.0)

4 Year 1 Coop

• First Year:
  • Fall: UNIV B101 or CI101 (1.0), CIVC 101 (1.0), ENGL 101 or 111 (3.0), ECON 201 (4.0), INFO 101 (3.0), MATH 101, 105, 116, or 121 (4.0-6.0)
  • Winter: ENGL 102 or 112 (3.0), ECON 202 (4.0), MATH 102, 121, 117, or 201 (4.0), ECON 270 (4.0)
  • Spring: ENGL 103 or 113 (3.0), CS 150 or 164 (3.0), MATH 201 or 180 (4.0), INFO 103 (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
• Second Year:
  • Fall: CS 171 (3.0), STAT 201 or MATH 311 (4.0), ECON 301 (4.0), INFO 210 (3.0), MATH 180 (4.0)
  • Winter: CS 172 (3.0), ECON 321 (4.0), STAT 202 or MATH 312 (4.0), COOP 101 (1.0)
  • Spring: ECON 350 (4.0), COM 230 (3.0), INFO 212 (3.0), CS 265 (3.0), INFO 213 (3.0), CS 260 (4.0), Free Electives (6.0)
• Third Year:
  • Fall: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Winter: COOP EXPERIENCE
  • Spring: ECON 370 or 360 (4.0), INFO 323 (3.0), INFO 332 (3.0), ECON 250 (4.0), Free Electives (7.0)
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: UNIV B201 (1.0), ECON 322 (4.0), ECON Elective (4.0), Data Science Elective (3.0), Free Elective (3.0)
  • Winter: DSCI 351 (3.0), Data Science Elective (3.0), ECON Elective (4.0), Free Electives (6.0)
  • Spring: DSCI 471 (3.0), INFO 442 (3.0), Free Electives (9.0)

Writing-Intensive Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid "clustering" these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.