Economics (CLAS)

Economics teaches students how to look at a complex world and make sense of the wide variety of behaviors they observe. Students majoring in economics will learn the analytical skills used to understand how households, firms and governments make economic decisions, comparing costs and benefits in an effort to maximize their objectives.

Overview

Students will learn the critical skills used to determine the implications of economic decisions for the allocation of society's scarce resources, the pricing of goods and services, the distribution of income, the behavior of macroeconomic variables and the effect of government intervention.

Classes within the economics major range from international trade, labor economics, law and economics, economics of sports, game theory, public choice and more. The analytical skills students develop are useful preparation for careers in business, government, public policy or academia. A degree in economics is also appropriate for students intending to pursue advanced degrees in the social sciences and in professional schools of management, law or public administration.

Coursework for the Major

Students must achieve minimum grades of C in each required preprofessional and economics course, including the economics electives and outside substitutes.

Required Coursework

Course prerequisites are strictly enforced; a current listing is available each term in 233 Bryan Hall.

• MAC 2233 Survey of Calculus or
  MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1
• STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1
• ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics
  ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics
  ECO 3101 Intermediate Microeconomics * and
  ECO 3203 Intermediate Macroeconomics
  * Complete ECO 3101 soon because it is a prerequisite for some economics electives.
• Four economics electives from
  ECO 3532 Public Choice
  ECO 3704 International Trade
  ECO 3713 International Macroeconomics
  ​ECO 4213 Monetary Economics
  ECO 4400 Game Theory and Applications
  ECO 4504 Public Economics
  ECO 4730 The Firm in the Global Economy
  ECO 4934 Special Topics
  ECO 4935 Empirical Research in Economics Seminar
  ECP 3006 Economics of Sports
  ECP 3113 Population Economics
  ECP 3203 Labor Economics
  ECP 3302 Environmental Economics and Research Policy
  ECP 3409 Global Telecommunications Strategy
  ECP 3510 Economics of Education
  ECP 3530 Health Care Economics
  ECP 4213 Public Utility Economics: International Infrastructure
  ECP 4330 Economics of Innovation, Science and Technical Change
  ECP 4403 Government Regulation of Business
  ECP 4451 Law and Economics
  ECS 3403 Economic Development of Latin America
  ECS 4013 Economic Development
• Students may substitute an approved course taught outside the department for one economics elective. Approved outside substitutes include:
  AEB 3450 Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
  AEB 4274 Natural Resource and Environmental Policy
  AEB 4931 Agricultural Macroeconomics
  ECO 4956 International Studies in Economics
  ECS 4110 Africa in the Global Economy
  ECS 4111 Africa in the Global Economy
  FIN 3403 Business Finance
  GEO 3502 Economic Geography
  This substitute cannot double count toward the CLAS 3000-level elective requirement.

Recommended Coursework

Students planning to pursue graduate study in economics should consider a minor in mathematics or statistics or take the following mathematics and statistics courses:

• MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1, MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2, and MAC 2313 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3
• MAP 2302 Differential Equations
• MAS 3114 Computational Linear Algebra or MAS 4105 Linear Algebra 1
• STA 4321 Introduction to Probability and STA 4322 Introduction to Statistics Theory.
  Students taking advanced statistics might not be required to take STA 2023.

Overseas Studies

Students are encouraged to spend a semester abroad. The Warrington College of Business Administration offers several excellent study abroad programs that allow students the opportunity to go abroad and still make progress toward their degree. Contact the advisers in the Warrington College for more information.

Research

Working on research can be a valuable part of an undergraduate education. There are a limited number of spots for undergraduates to work with a faculty member on research and/or assist with a class. Students should ask their professors about this possibility; however, before doing so, students should have completed ECO 3101 and at least one economics elective. Students selected for these limited positions must have very strong economics grades. More formally, ECO 4935 Honors Empirical Research, is available to honors students and seniors who have high grades and are interested in research and/or graduating with honors.

Critical Tracking

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements. For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 2

• Complete 1 of 4 courses from ECO 2013, ECO 2023, MAC 2233 and STA 2023 with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA, excluding ECO 3101
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

• Complete 1 additional course of the 4 with a 2.75 critical-tracking GPA, excluding ECO 3101
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

• Complete 2 additional courses of the 4 with a 3.0 critical-tracking GPA, excluding
  ECO 3101
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

• Complete ECO 3101 with a minimum grade of C
• Maintain a 3.0 critical-tracking GPA, excluding ECO 3101
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Recommended Semester Plan

Students are expected to complete the writing requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) and diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another general education course (typically, GE-C, H or S).