Economics Degree Requirements

Major Sequence

A minimum of 10 courses to include:

1. ECON 100* Introduction to Economics
2. ECON 227 Statistics for Business and Economics
3. ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomics
4. ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics
5. ECON 401 Senior Capstone Project
6. MATH 176 Calculus or show equivalent proficiency
7. Five additional Economics courses, at least four at the 300 level or above. 

The department also offers students the opportunity to complete one of two concentrations in the Economics major: International Economics or Financial Economics. Each concentration requires the completion of five core courses:

1. ECON 100* Introduction to Economics
2. ECON 227 Statistics for Business and Economics
3. ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomics
4. ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics
5. ECON 401 Senior Capstone Project
6. Five electives in the discipline, as follows:

International Economics Concentration

1. ECON 351 International Trade
2. ECON 352 International Finance
3. ECON 355 Economics of Developing Countries
4. Two additional Economics courses, at least one at the 300 level or above

Financial Economics Concentration

1. Three courses from:
   1. ECON 311 Money and Banking
   2. ECON 328 Applied Econometrics
   3. ECON 338 Time Series Analysis,  or
   4. ECON 352 International Finance
2. Two additional Economics courses, at least one at the 300 level or above

 

Minor Sequence

A minimum of six courses to include:

1. ECON 100* Introduction to Economics
2. ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomics
3. ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics
4. Three additional economics courses, at least two at the 300 level or above. Economics 227 does not count towards the minor.

The department also offers students the opportunity to complete one of two concentrations in the Economics minor:  International Economics or Financial Economics. Each minor requires the completion of three core courses— ECON 100*, ECON 301, and ECON 302—and three electives in the discipline, as follows:

International Economics Minor
ECON 351 International Trade, ECON 352 International Finance , and ECON 355 Economics of Developing Countries

Financial Economics Minor
Three courses from ECON 311 Money and Banking, ECON 328 Applied Econometrics, ECON 338 Time Series Analysis, or ECON 352 International Finance

All courses in the major and minor sequences should be taken at Illinois Wesleyan University. Any exceptions are subject to the approval of the Department of Economics. 

 

Credit by Examination

* Credit towards ECON 100, Introduction to Economics, is granted for either:

1. Advanced Placement (AP) examinations with scores of 4 or 5 in both the Economics-Microeconomics and Economics-Macroeconomics tests
   or
2. International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations with scores of 6 or 7 in the Economics Higher Level (HL) test

Students in the major can show the required calculus proficiency through either:

1. Advanced Placement (AP) examinations with scores of 4 or 5 in either the Calculus AB test or Calculus BC test
   or
2. International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations with scores of 6 or 7 in the Mathematics Higher Level (HL) test