Economics

Professors: B. Baker (Chair), M. Foley, Kumar, Martin, Ross, F. Smith
Associate Professor: Gouri Suresh
Assistant Professors: Jha, Stroup, Zurowski
Visiting Lecturer: Kollme (Spring 19)

Major Requirements (A.B. Degree)

To complete a major in economics, you must complete ten economics courses that are distributed as follows:

Economics 101
Economics 202 , Economics 203 , Economics 205 , and Economics 495 (all four of these courses must be completed at Davidson College)
Five other courses numbered above Economics 101, with the exceptions of Economics 180-184, 195, 199, and 494, and the exception that, of Economics 211-214, only two may be used.
At least one of the 10 courses must be a 300-level course.

Courses taken pass/fail at Davidson may not be counted towards the major.

The department strongly recommends that you 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 (or permission of the instructor). 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 Economics 205 ;
Economics 202 and Economics 203 ;
Two electives selected from Economics courses numbered above 205, except Economics 494; at most one of Economics 211-214 may be used.

The second and third requirement, as well as at least one of the two electives, must be completed at Davidson College.

Courses taken pass/fail at Davidson may not be counted towards the minor.

Honors Requirements

In the process of fulfilling the major requirements stated above, honors candidates must pass Economics 494 (section H), earn a grade of A- or better in Economics 495 (section H), and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the major and 3.2 or higher overall.

High honors will be granted when, based upon discernable criteria, three-fourths of the department approves a recommendation from the advising committee that High Honors should be granted. The advising committee will provide details explaining why a student’s work rises to the level of High Honors.

If you are a prospective Honors candidate, apply in writing by submitting an application form to the Economics department chair no later than April 1 of your junior year.

Please note that Economics 494 (section H) does not count towards the major because it is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

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.