Economics

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Professors: B. Baker, M. Foley, Kumar (Chair), Martin, Ross, F. Smith
Associate Professor: Gouri Suresh
Assistant Professors: Fitz, Sparling, Stroup
Lecturer: Kollme

Major Requirements

Ten economics courses that are distributed as follows:

Economics 101;
Economics 202, 203, 205, and 495 (All four courses must be completed at Davidson College);
a course from the 210 or 310 series;
a course from the 220 or 320 series;
a course from the 230 or 330 series; and
two other courses above Economics 101, with the exceptions of Economics 114, 122, 180-184, 195, 196, 199, and 401, and the exception that, of Economics 211, 212, and 213, only two of them may be counted toward the major.
At least one of the ten courses must be a 300-level course.
At least one of the ten courses must be an “S” course.

Courses taken Pass/Fail at Davidson may not be counted towards the major.

An “S” course contains a significant writing component. At least two of the department’s courses each semester are offered as “S” courses. Economics 402 will satisfy the “S” requirement; with the approval of the department, Economics 295, 296, 395, or 396 may satisfy the “S” requirement.

The department strongly recommends that students fulfill the core requirements of Economics 202, 203, and 205 early in the major. Some economics courses, including Economics 202 and 203, have a calculus prerequisite. Economics 205 has a prerequisite of Economics 105 (or permission of the instructor).

Minor Requirements

Students interested in an economics minor must take six economics courses that are distributed as follows:

Economics 101;
Economics 105 or 205;
Economics 202 and 203;
Two electives selected from Economics 122 and Economics courses numbered above 205, except Economics 401; at most one of Economics 211, 212, or 213 may be used.

Requirements (2), (3), and at least one of the electives in requirement (4) must be completed at Davidson College.

Courses taken Pass/Fail at Davidson College may not be counted towards the minor.

Honors Requirements

In the process of fulfilling the major requirements stated above, honors candidates must pass Economics 401, earn a grade of A- or better in Economics 402, and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the major and 3.2 or higher overall. Prospective honors candidates should apply in writing to the department chair in the spring semester of the junior year. Note that Economics 401 does not count towards the major because it is graded on a Pass/Fail basis; however, Economics 402 may be counted as an elective towards the major as well as counting as the “S” course required for the major.

Graduate School

A student who intends to study economics in graduate school should: (1) take at least Mathematics 150, 160, 230, 235, 330, and 340 (which is one version of a Minor in Mathematics); (2) take the Graduate Record Examination; and (3) conduct independent economic research through a summer research grant, independent study, or the economics department honors program.

Economics Courses

The Economics major is a highly structured major in which courses tend to build on the knowledge of economic methods, theory, and policy learned in prior courses. Consequently, the numbering sequence reflects hierarchical differences in the rigor, depth, and sophistication of courses. Economics courses at the 100-level have no prerequisite economics courses and are suitable for students with no prior knowledge of economics. Economics courses at the 200-level, with the exception of Economics 211, require and develop further knowledge of economics methods, theory, and policy; these courses have one prerequisite economics course, generally Economics 101. Likewise, economics courses at the 300-level have as prerequisites at least one 200-level economics course, generally Economics 202 or 203. The only 400-level courses in economics are honors research courses and Senior Session, the required capstone course for economics majors.