Academic Program

Economics

Professors Choo, Riera-Crichton, and Shea; Associate Professors Goff, He (co-chair), and Smith (co-chair); Assistant Professors Bird, Chakraborty, Lindsay, Sen, and Subramanian; Visiting Assistant Professors Morrill, Sallah, Stelnicki, and Wang.

An understanding of economics can help foster intelligent citizenship. Decision makers in business, government, and the nonprofit sector frequently evaluate complex economic issues. The goal of the economics curriculum is to educate students, both majors and nonmajors, about the ideas of economics and how they apply to today’s world.

The Economics Department offers a set of introductory courses numbered between ECON 151-199. Each offering covers a common set of economic concepts, such as tradeoffs, supply & demand, and opportunity cost, but in the context of a field within economics. These introductory courses are not part of the economics major but are appropriate for students deciding whether to pursue economics, students preparing for the economics major, and non-majors just looking to take an economics class.

Courses numbered between 250 and 270 cover intermediate economic theory and introduce students to the methods of empirical analysis. Three-hundred-level courses integrate practical economic issues with empirical and theoretical analyses, enabling students to develop sophisticated insight into both contemporary and historical economic problems.

More information is available on the Economics department website.
Curriculum

Our course catalog may include more information on Economics, its programs, courses, and requirements.

Full Catalog Listing

Pre-Major Courses

  • Introductory Courses: Most students begin with an introductory course (ECON 150-169), which covers fundamental concepts like supply and demand and trade-offs within different fields of economics (e.g., environmental economics, macroeconomic policy). These courses are not part of the major requirements, and students may take more than one, though they may overlap. Students with a strong background in economics and math may start with ECON 260 or 270.
  • Math Requirement: Complete MATH 105, 106, or 206. This is a prerequisite for ECON 255, 260, and 270.

Major Requirements

1) Four Core Courses – ECON 250, 255, 260, and 270

At least three of these core courses must be taken at Bates. Students who have failed a core economics course at Bates must retake the course at Bates, i.e., they cannot receive the major credit for an equivalent course taken elsewhere.

At least three of these must be completed prior to senior year. The following statistics courses may be substituted for ECON 250 (Statistics):

  • BIO 244. Biostatistics.
  • MATH 215. Statistics.
  • NRSC 205. Statistical Methods.
2) Three 300-level Electives in Economics

All 300-level electives require ECON 255 and one of ECON 260 or 270.

At least two of the three 300-level electives must be taken at Bates. To transfer a course from off campus study or study abroad, please see department policy and procedure on Transfer Credit and Off Campus Study.

3) One Additional Elective in Economics

Take one additional 200- or 300-level economics course that doesn’t fulfill any other major requirement. The following courses may also satisfy this requirement:

  • PLTC 222. International Political Economy.
  • SOC 260. Economic Sociology.
4) One Thesis Course

Most students meet the W3 requirement through a thesis seminar (ECON 456). Each year, a handful of students pursue the year-long Honors thesis.

Additional Notes:
  • Students cannot declare the economics major in their senior year.
  • Economics majors cannot use Applying Mathematical Methods (C006) to fulfill General Education requirements.
  • Students planning to study abroad should first consult the department website on Transfer Credit and Off Campus Study for information on study-abroad requirements, then discuss specific courses with the department chair.

Because of the numerous, vital, and constantly developing interconnections between economics and other social sciences, economics majors are urged to take as many courses as possible in related disciplines such as anthropology, history, politics, psychology, and sociology.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the major.

Non-Bates Credit

AP Credit: a score of 4 or 5 on the Macroeconomics or Microeconomics AP exams grants credit for ECON 150. A score of 4 or 5 on the Statistics AP exam grants credit for ECON 250.

A-Level Credit: a grade of A or B on A-Level Economics exams grants credit for ECON 150. No credit is given for O-Level exams.

IB Credit: a grade of 6 or 7 in the IB Higher Level (HL) program grants credit for ECON 150. No credit is given for the Standard Level (SL) program.