Economics Department Undergraduate Handbook 2006-2007

Econ Student Services Office
Sequoyah Hall 245
Fax (858) 534-9795

Undergraduate Advisors
Kimberley Newmark
knewmark@ucsd.edu / (858) 534-3385

Marisol Nierva-Magnano
mniervamagnano@ucsd.edu/ ( 858) 534-3386

Contents

• Welcome and First Assignment
• Introductory Courses
• The Majors
• Planning a Major
• Business Versus Economics
• Grade Rules in the Majors
• Department Honors
• Minors and Programs of Concentration
• Education Abroad
• Other Items. Prerequisites. Getting into courses. Declaring a major. Forms requiring departmental approval. Declaring a minor or program of concentration. Requesting transfer credits or variances from rules. Undergraduate teaching assistants. Advanced placement credits. Disallowed overlaps. Internships. University Extension. Visiting instructors.
• After Graduation
• Course Descriptions
• Faculty

Welcome and First Assignment

Welcome to the department. Economics is the study of how individuals, organizations, and societies deal with scarcity - the fact that resources are not sufficient to satisfy everyone's wants. Because scarcity requires choice among alternative uses of resources, economists study both the technology by which resources are turned into the products people want and the preferences through which people choose among alternatives. Further, since society is composed of many individuals and groups, economists study markets, governments, and other institutions through which a society might gain the advantages of cooperation and resolve the conflicts due to competing goals.

Your first assignment is to read this handbook. You need the information to make good course selections. Think of the trade-offs. Suppose, by failing to read the handbook, you misunderstand the rules and have to take one more course than you planned. That will cost you about 120 hours. If you have to take one more quarter, that will cost you thousands of hours. Reading this handbook, in contrast, will cost you a mere half hour. A bargain. Please read the handbook.

Introductory Courses

Econ 1 is an introduction to microeconomics, Econ 2 is microeconomic applications, and Econ 3 is an introduction to macroeconomics. All threee courses are required for all Economics Department majors and minors. Econ 1-2-3 must be taken in sequential order.

Econ 4 is an introductory accounting course.  It has no prerequisites and is thus open to all UCSD students.  It is required for the Management Science major or minor.

The Majors

The Economics major is a standard one.  It emphasizes the tools of economic analysis and their applications to contemporary problems and to government policy.

The Management Science major is a quantitative major in applied economics with a management focus.  It builds on a set of related quantitative methods for optimal allocation of scarce resources in private and public enterprises.  The major covers some of the functional fields of business management, but it is more tightly focused and more quantitative than a traditional business administration major.  See the section below on Business Versus Economics.

The Joint Mathematics-Economics major provides an opportunity for students strong in mathematics to build on that strength through economic applications.  The major is excellent preparation for graduate study in economics and business.

Requirements for the majors are listed on the next two pages.  Study these lists carefully.  A few points to note:  The majors differ substantially in mathematical emphasis, with Economics the least mathematical, and Joint Mathematics-Economics the most.  The Economics and Joint Mathematics-Economics majors lead to Bachelor of Arts degrees; the Management Science major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree.  The Management Science major is closest to a business major, though all three majors are good preparation for a business career or for graduate study in business.
 

18 courses total (6 LD and 12 UD). BA Degree. Major code EN25.

Requirements for a Management Science Major - For Students Entering Before Fall 2007

Requirements for a Math-Econ Major - For Students Entering Before Fall 2007

Planning a Major

You might group electives into a package of related topics, such as international economics or public policy.  Or you might sample widely across topics.  This is a matter of taste.  Unfortunately, the availability of electives is hard to predict even one year in advance.  Electives are the first to adjust as budgets rise and fall, and as instructors come and go.

Prerequisites are a major source of planning pitfalls.  Since more advanced topics build on less advanced ones, economics courses involve an elaborate structure of prerequisites.  The course descriptions in the UCSD General Catalog list the prerequisites for every course.  Note that, with only rare exception, upper division sequences such as Econ 120A-B-C must be taken in ABC order.  Please be very careful about prerequisites.  On rare occasion, a prerequisite may be relaxed for a student who has learned the prerequisite material in a nonstandard way, but only by explicit permission of both the instructor and the undergraduate adviser.  If you think you have good reason for a relaxation, by all means ask.  However, don’t presume.  EVEN IF YOU OUTSMART THE BUREAUCRACY BY GETTING ON A COURSE ROSTER, YOU CAN BE DROPPED LATER IF A MISSING PREREQUISITE IS DISCOVERED.

In broad terms, you need to know whether requirements, prerequisites, grading rules, and so on are real or merely the start of negotiations.  They are real.  Please believe it.  Waivers are not given as graduation presents.  To avoid unpleasant surprises, study the major requirements carefully, read the whole handbook, write down a plan for yourself, ask questions, and pay special attention to prerequisites.
 

Business Versus Economics

Consider the required lower and upper division courses for Berkeley’s business major.  About half overlap with required courses for our Economics major here – calculus, economics, statistics, and computer use.  About a fourth overlap with electives here – accounting, financial management, and marketing.  And about a fourth concern subjects not available here – business administration, business communication, further accounting, organizational behavior, and the social environment of business.

Consider business electives at Berkeley.  There are three dozen or so, of which about seven correspond to elective courses here – in operations research, forecasting, human resources, and public sector management.  Thus, many business topics from Berkeley are not available here – in such areas as accounting, general management, information technology, retailing, and organizational behavior.

Overall, a student majoring in Economics here could, by picking electives carefully, put together a package of courses which somewhat closely resembled – perhaps three fourths overlap – a Berkeley major in business administration.  A student majoring in management science here would automatically overlap a Berkeley business major to roughly this degree, and would be much stronger in quantitative techniques.  Nonetheless, many business topics available at Berkeley are not available here.
 

Grade Rules in the Majors

What if you take and pass a required course on a P-NP basis?  Well, university rules would not allow you to take the course over.  Thus, the department’s usual penalty would be a requirement that you take an extra course.  For example, if you completed Math 21C on a P-NP basis, you might be required to take an extra math course or an extra economics upper division elective. If you have taken a major requirement on a P-NP basis, please contact one of the undergraduate advisors about filing a petition and what your options might be.

There is an exception to this basic rule.  Courses for which P-NP grading is mandatory (such as Econ 195 & 199) must, of course, be taken P-NP.  However, no more than 12 units on Econ 195 and Econ 199 may be counted towards a major.
 

Department Honors

I.  Complete either a Management Science major or the honors track of the Economics major, both of which require 15 upper division courses.  The honors track of the Economics major consists of the course work of a regular Economics major plus one advanced microeconomics course, one advanced macroeconomics course, and one advanced econometrics course (totaling 15 upper division courses).  Typically, a course will qualify as “advanced” if it has the corresponding core courses as prerequisites.  For example, a course with an Econ 100A-B prerequisite will typically qualify as an advanced microeconomics course.  Check with the Undergraduate Adviser about which courses qualify.

II.  Have an upper division GPA in your major equal to or exceeding the maximum of 3.5.  Typically, this GPA will exclude grades for courses taken at universities other than those in the UC system.

III.  Take the honors versions of at least two upper division core courses, and take the Senior Essay Seminar.  Your GPA across these four or more courses must be 3.5 or above.  Currently, core courses with honors versions are Econ 100AH-BH, 110AH-BH, 120AH-BH-CH,  and 170AH-BH.  The Senior Essay Seminar is Econ 191A-B.  Admission to these courses is by special permission; check at the Econ Student Services Office (Sequoyah Hall 245).

Minors and Programs of Concentration

A Management Science minor (EN 26), or program of concentration, requires nine courses: an introductory microeconomics course (Econ 1), a microeconomic application course (Econ 2), an introductory macroeconomics course (Econ 3), financial accounting (Econ 4), and five upper division courses from the sequence Econ 100A-B-C, Econ 120A-B-C and/or from the courses numbered Econ 171 to Econ 179.

To declare a minor or a program of concentration, obtain the proper form from your college advising office and follow instructions.  Be very careful about prerequisites.  You shouldn’t list a course as part of a minor unless you are committed to taking all the prerequisites to that course.  You are not allowed to take both a major and a minor within the department.  Grades of D or P are acceptable to the department in a minor.
 

Education Abroad

As part of the meeting, you and the Undergraduate Director will complete the Academic Planning Form from the EAP application packet.  Thus, be sure to bring that form, along with the course descriptions, to the meeting.  Usually, the Undergraduate Director will suggest that core courses be taken here in the department and that courses abroad be used as electives.

Completion of the Academic Planning Form is not a guarantee that courses abroad will count toward a major or minor.  Having completed courses abroad, you must bring back syllabi, exams, term papers, and other material to establish the content and rigor of what you took.  Soon after your return, you should bring these materials to the Undergraduate Director for approval.  If given, approval must be recorded on a general student petition.  There is seldom a problem, but you do need to get this chore done.  If complications arise while you are abroad, please feel free to call, email, or fax the department.

If you wish to study abroad at a university not covered by EAP, check the Opportunities Abroad Program at its campus office.
 

Other Items

Getting into courses.  For the best chance at the courses you want, register as soon as you are allowed (during the preceding quarter for continuing students and during orientation for new students).  Please see one of the Undergraduate Advisor BEFORE your registration appointment if you have had problems registering for classes in the past because of AP or transfer credit.  If a course is full when you try to register, start by putting yourself on the wait list.  Note, however, that the department does not automatically add people from wait lists into courses.  You must do more. For more information on adding closed courses, see the department’s undergraduate program web page.

Declaring a major.  To declare an Economics, Management Science, or Joint Mathematics-Economics major, simply fill out a form at the Registrar’s office.  Department approval is not required.

Forms requiring departmental approval.  Typically, you should submit these forms in Sequoyah Hall 245 to one of the Undergraduate Advisors, who will solicit needed signatures on your behalf and forward the signed forms to the appropriate university offices.

Declaring a minor or program of concentration.  Get an appropriate form from your college, fill it out, and present it to one of the Undergraduate Advisors, who will solicit approvals on your behalf.  If the forms involve courses from other institutions, you may be asked for syllabi or other course information.

Requesting transfer credits or variances from rules. Get a general petition form from Sequoyah Hall 245, fill it out, and present it to one of the Undergraduate Advisors.  Typical wording for a transfer petition might be:  “Please accept SDSU Economics XYZ as a substitute for UCSD Economics UVW.” You will likely be asked for syllabi and other supporting information.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistants.  To qualify for a teaching assistant position, you must (i) have completed at least six upper-division courses including the relevant core courses, (ii)  have a GPA of 3.5 or better in upper division economics courses, and (iii) be approved by the department.  The time to apply is around the seventh week of the preceding quarter.  If approved, you may sign up for Econ 195 for 4 units.  Econ 195 may be used as an elective toward your major.  However, you may not get course credit for assisting in the same course more than once, and you can cannot apply more than three 195 and 199 courses toward your major.  For more information, contact the Economics Graduate Advisor, at 858-534-1867.

Advanced placement credits.  For department requirements, AP micro will be accepted as equivalent to Econ 1 only if the AP score is 5, and likewise for AP macro and Econ 3. There is no AP exam equivalent for Econ 2.

Disallowed overlaps.  In general, you may not receive credit for two different courses that cover the same content.  For example, you may not receive credit for both Econ 120A and ECE 109 Math 180A, Math 183, and Math 186, or for both Econ 100A-B and Econ 170A-B.  There is no master list of improper overlaps.  You are expected to know and avoid them when you see them.  See the Economics course descriptions in the General Catalog.

Internships.  Some internships carry academic credit toward graduation, but only rarely will an internship be accepted as an elective toward departmental majors. The Associated Students Internship Office lists no-credit internships, and the Academic Internship Program lists internships that may carry credit under the course AIP 197.  To use an internship as a departmental elective, you would need a strong case and the strong backing of your faculty internship adviser.  You would make the request through a general petition form, with supporting letter from the Undergraduate Director.

University Extension.  If you are not a full time student, you can sometimes get a tuition break on a department-taught course by taking it through the University Extension’s concurrent enrollment program.  The department accepts this arrangement.  However, the department never accepts, for majors or minors, courses taught directly by any UC Extension.  Though worthwhile for many uses, Extension courses are judged to be of lesser difficulty.

Visiting instructors.  You are likely to have courses for which the instructors leave town right after grading finals, never to return.  Be sure to finish all business in a timely fashion.  For example, incompletes may be infeasible.
 

After Graduation

Graduate school.  The department’s three majors each provide excellent background for graduate work in economics, law, business, and public administration.  The advisers in the Career Services Center are the broad experts on graduate and professional schools.  Economists in the department are knowledgeable about graduate study in economics, and a few are knowledgeable about MBA programs.  The Political Science faculty is knowledgeable about law schools.  To get an idea of where the good graduate departments and schools are, browse the literature in the Career Services Center.  They have copies of the major graduate school guides.  Graduate study in Economics is quite mathematical.  If you plan such study, the more math you take the better off you will be.

Course Descriptions