Economics BA-Methods and Models Concentration
Exploring the Major— Students considering Economics as a major should begin exploring the discipline through the Department’s introductory courses—ECO 101 and ECO 102, and through various Special Topics courses offered during regular or summer terms. Also, because mathematics is a significant component of the Economics major with a Concentration in Methods and Models, prospective students are encouraged to explore math courses as well.
Admission to the Major— No special curricular requirements must be met for admission into this major.
Course Sequencing Considerations (in order to complete degree requirements within eight terms)— Prospective Economics majors should: 1) Complete the Developmental Mathematics requirement, if applicable, as soon as possible because this is a prerequisite for both ECO 101 and ECO 102, which are the foundational courses for Economics, and one or both are therefore required for any 300-level ECO course. 2) Continue on with the Mathematics sequence, completing or waiving MAT 115, MAT 125, and MAT 135, the latter of which is a required collateral course. These Mathematics courses serve as prerequisites for core courses required of Economics majors. In addition, they serve as prerequisites for two additional required math collaterals. MAT 115 also serves as one of the prerequisites for ECO 250, one of the core courses in the major, which must be taken prior to ECO 350, also a core course. It is also vital to complete or waive MAT 135 as early as possible because it is a prerequisite for the other three core courses in the Economics major. Junior standing is preferred for ECO 310 and senior standing for ECO 410. Students may enroll in up to two departmental Internship experiences for a maximum of three credits. However, no more than one credit from Internships may be counted toward the major requirements.
Proficiency Requirements for Retention in and Completion of the Major— In addition to completing specified course requirements, each student must satisfy departmental standards for written and oral communication. For more about these standards, please see the Department’s website. Opportunities to do so are provided in a number of courses throughout the curriculum. The Department also requires that a majority of courses taken to satisfy major and minor degree requirements must be taken at Berea College.
Other Considerations and Recommendations— The selection of collateral courses in Mathematics depends to some extent on the intended graduate-school emphasis. For those students interested in an applied program or a program with a policy emphasis, such as urban studies or public administration, MAT 135 should be supplemented by MAT 225 and MAT 312. For graduate programs that are more theoretical, MAT 135 (or waiver), MAT 214, MAT 225, and MAT 311 are a minimum; and MAT 330, MAT 437, and MAT 438 are strongly recommended.