Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree With a Major in Economics

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Economics
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Economics, students will have:

• Learned the core principles of microeconomics, including supply and demand, utility maximization by consumers and profit maximization by firms, and equilibrium market structures.
• Learned the core principles of macroeconomics, including the effects of monetary and fiscal policy, business cycles, determinants of growth, and a variety of approaches to researching and critically analyzing the macroeconomy.
• Learned various statistical and econometric skills, and used statistical software to analyze economic data, interpret and communicate statistical results, both orally and in writing.

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Economics
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Economics must complete:

• A minimum of 14 or 15 courses (44-48 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
• A minimum of 120 hours to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above. 
• A maximum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit after matriculation at Rice may be applied towards specific major requirements. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Economics
Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the major in Economics should be aware of the following program restrictions:

• Students pursuing the major in Economics may not additionally declare the major in Managerial Economics and Organizational Sciences.
• Students pursuing the major in Economics may not additionally declare the major in Mathematical Economic Analysis.

Transfer Credit 

• For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content).

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Economics should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

• No more than 5 courses (15 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards specific major requirements after matriculation at Rice as follows:
• No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit may apply towards the Mathematics and Statistics Core Requirements;
• No more than 3 courses (9 credit hours) of transfer credit may apply towards the Economics/Econometrics Core Requirements and the Elective Requirements combined.

Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Economics
Academic Honors

• The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Requirements for Departmental Honors 

• To earn departmental honors in economics, students must earn a grade of B+ (3.33 grade points) or better in each semester of the department’s two-semester honors program, ECON 498 and ECON 499.
• The honors program is available to both ECON and MTEC majors. 

To be admitted to the honors program, students:

• Must have a GPA of 3.67 or better in all courses taken toward fulfilling their departmental major requirements at the beginning of the academic year in which they enter the honors program;
• Must have completed all of the core requirements for their major;
• Must have completed the 400-level course or courses most closely related to their area of research, and
• Must be accepted to the honors program by the professor supervising the program.