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Department of Economics

BS in Economics

Career Options

The undergraduate program in economics provides practical preparation for a variety of careers as well as for graduate study in

  • economics
  • business administration
  • public policy
  • law

The B.S. curriculum is recommended for students interested in a liberal arts economics education with greater stress on business and quantitative skills.

Choose either Track A (55 or more credits) or Track B (57 or more credits); both tracks have the same major prerequisites, major requirements and other requirements. Track A is recommended for students interested in
a economics education with a quantitative business emphasis. Track B is recommended for students interested in graduate study in economics or related policy fields. All 100-level Economics courses satisfy a second-tier Core curriculum requirement.

Major Prerequisites (6 credits)
     ECO 101 Introduction to Macroeconomics
     ECO 102 Introduction to Microeconomics

Major Requirements (9 credits)
     ECO 301 Intermediate Macroeconomics
     ECO 302 Intermediate Microeconomics
     ECO 303 Political Economy

Other Requirements (22 or more credits)
     Select three of the following courses:
     BUS 260 Marketing
     BUS 335 International Business
     BUS 340 Managing Organizational Behavior
     BUS 361 International Marketing
     BUS 365 Consumer Behavior
          or BUS 165 Consumer Studies
     BUS 385 Entrepreneurship and Venture Formation
     FIN 320 Basic Financial Management
     FIN 327 Investment Management
     FIN 328 Financial Institutions and Markets
     FIN 330 International Financial Management

Track A:

     ACC 110 Financial Accounting Information for Decision Making
     MAT 210 Business Statistics
     BUS 275 Applied Business Analysis

Select one of the following courses:
     BUS 370 Management Science
     BUS 375 Production/Operations Management
     ECO 305 Research Methods in Economics

Students who select ECO 305 under Track A cannot also use that course to satisfy a major elective requirement.

Track B:

     ACC 110 Financial Accounting Information for Decision Making
     MAT 152 Calculus A
     MAT 153 Calculus B
     MAT 380 Probability and Statistics

Major Electives Track A and Track B (18 or more credits)

Select any four economics elective courses numbered 200 or above (excluding those ECO courses taken to fulfill requirements listed above. See complete economics major electives listing above). Take two additional economics electives from the above list of economics electives, or up to two courses from the following list of acceptable courses offered by other departments:
     CRM 216 White-Collar Crime
     GEO 303 Economic Geography
     MAT 252 Calculus C
     MAT 290 Foundations of Mathematics
     MAT 295 Linear Algebra
     POS 340 The Politics of Developing Nations
     POS 365 Environmental Politics and Policy
     SWO 350 Social Welfare Policy
     WST 365 Topics in Women, Gender, and Institutions II
     WST 465 Topics in Women, Gender, and Institutions III

Chair of the Department: Vaishali Mamgain, 11 Chamberlain Avenue, Portland

Professors: Feiner, Hillard, Roberts; Associate Professors: Bouvier, Mamgain, Medley

Economics is a social science and as such is best studied in the context of broader exposure to the liberal arts and sciences.

The Department offers two different undergraduate degree programs (bachelor of arts, bachelor of science), which allow students to choose the combination of courses most appropriate for their future plans.

To be eligible for a degree, a student must complete 120 credit hours fulfilling the University's Core curriculum requirements and all requirements for the major.

Note that only one course carrying the prefix ECO can be used to satisfy both Core curriculum and economics major requirements.

All 100-level Economics courses satisfy a second-tier Core curriculum requirement.

Note to incoming and/or current USM students

The specific USM Economics BS Requirements listed within the Requirements tab above are valid only if:

  1. You are presently considering applying to USM for admission to pursue a baccalaureate degree in Economics
    OR 
  2. You are/were a newly matriculated USM Economics major during this current academic year catalog edition
    OR 
  3. You are currently a matriculated USM student, you have declared the Economics major, and you have formally elected this current academic year catalog edition (or intend to) by offically notifying the USM Registrar of your intention.

OTHERWISE, please refer to the USM undergraduate catalog edition that corresponds with your USM "Requirement Term."  You may access previous USM catalog editions online at the following URL address:
http://usm.maine.edu/catalogs
and you may also access USM Department of Economics BA and BS curriculum "Worksheets" that correspond to your USM "Requirement Term" for use in tracking your academic progress in the Economics major at the following URL address:
http://www.usm.maine.edu/eco/academic-advisement-worksheets