Degree Requirements for the Major in Economics: Students Matriculating in Fall 2010 or Thereafter
1. All economics majors must present a minimum of 12 courses with a grade point average of at least 2.0. When
students repeat courses or complete more than the minimally required number of courses, the departmental GPA
will be based on the set of courses that (i) satisfies all requirements for the degree and (ii) results in the highest
GPA for the student.
2. The 12 courses presented for the major in economics must include the following:
(a) 2 courses in mathematics and statistics:
- MATH 101 Single Variable Calculus I or the combination of MATH 111 Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and MATH 112 Calculus and Its Applications
- STAT 280 Elementary Applied Statistics or (ECON 307/STAT 310 Probability and Statistics)
(b) 4 core courses in economics and econometrics:
- ECON 201 Microeconomics I
- ECON 301 Microeconomics II
- ECON 309 Applied Econometrics or ECON 409 Econometrics
c) 6 electives selected from the following list (or an approved alternative). At least 3 of the chosen electives
must be at the 400 level.
ECON 205 Introduction to Game Theory
ECON 239 Business, Law, and Economics
ECON 243 Corporate Finance
ECON 284 Foundations of Public Sector Economics
ECON 307 Probability and Statistics
ECON 309 Applied Econometrics
ECON 348 Organizational Design
ECON 355 Financial Markets
ECON 399 Independent Research
ECON 401 Mathematical Structure of Economic Theory
ECON 405 Game Theory and Economic Behavior
ECON 409 Econometrics
ECON 415 Labor Economics
ECON 420 International Economics
ECON 421 International Finance
ECON 435 Industrial Organization
ECON 436 Economics of Regulation
ECON 437 Energy Economics
ECON 439 Torts, Property, and Contracts
ECON 443 Financial Economics
ECON 445 Managerial Economics
ECON 447 Advanced Topics in Energy Economics
ECON 450 World Economic and Social Development
ECON 451 The Political Economy of Latin America
ECON 452 Religion, Ethics, and Economics
ECON 455 Money and Financial Markets
ECON 460 International Development
ECON 461 Urban Economics
ECON 479 Economic Modeling and Public Policy
ECON 480 Environmental Economics
ECON 481 Health Economics
ECON 482 Social Welfare and Distributive Justice
ECON 483 Public Finance: Tax Policy
ECON 484 Public Goods and Public Expenditure Theory
ECON 485/486 Special Topics in Economics
Transfer Credit
In some cases, transfer credit may be awarded for courses completed at other schools after the student has matriculated at Rice. Students may present a maximum of 3 such transfer courses in fulfilling item (2). (Additional transfer courses may count toward meeting university graduation requirements, but not toward fulfillment of requirements for the major.) Credits awarded to transfer students for courses taken prior to matriculation at Rice are not counted against the limit on transfer courses, but all students must complete more than half of their upper-level major work at Rice. Transfer credit for ECON 201 will not be awarded for courses taken during high school. In order to receive transfer credit for ECON 201, students must earn a grade no lower than B- in an approved course at another university and also must pass a qualifying examination. Students wishing to take the ECON 201 qualifying examination should apply to the economics department office in Baker Hall 255. For additional information on transfer credits, consult “Procedures for Transfer Credit,” available on the economics department’s Web site at http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~econ/undergrad.html .