Economics
ECONOMICS STUDENT SERVICES:
245 Sequoyah Hall
http://www.econ.ucsd.edu
Professors
Courses
Introduction
Economics is the study of how individuals, organizations, and societies
deal with scarcitythe fact that resources are not sufficient
to satisfy everyones 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. The economics curriculum develops
tools and uses them to analyze a wide range of societal problems,
and also to study the role of the government in solving these problems.
Economics is a different discipline from business administration.
However, there are substantial overlaps. Both disciplines study
the behavior of people and firms within the context of market, legal,
and other institutions. In evaluating economic institutions, economists
tend to emphasize the viewpoint of the larger society, and business
scholars tend to emphasize the viewpoint of firms. A more complete
discussion is available in the department Undergraduate Handbook,
which contains a comparison between the economics major at UCSD
and a business administration major at UC Berkeley.
The department Undergraduate Handbook is available on the
Internet at the department Web site at http://www.econ.ucsd.edu/.
The handbook contains answers to frequently asked questions, gives
practical tips for avoiding problems, and provides a more detailed
discussion of the departments majors than is possible in the
general catalog. It is important for students contemplating a major
in the department to be familiar with the handbook and the prerequisite
requirements listed therein. Time-sensitive information, job and
internship announcements, and other important information are sent
to all declared majors and minors through campus email.
Students interested in the Education Abroad Program (EAP) are encouraged
to check out the brochure Opportunities in Business and Economics
that is available at the EAP office.
The Undergraduate Program
Lower-Division Economic Courses
Microeconomics and macroeconomicsECONOMICS 1-2-3
The department offers three lower-division economics classes,
Economics 1-2-3. Economics 1 introduces microeconomics: supply and
demand, markets, income distribution, perfect and imperfect competition,
and the role of government. Modern economics is somewhat mathematical,
and calculus is the standard working tool. Econo-mics 2, therefore,
introduces basic mathematical concepts used in conjunction with
basic micro and macro principles to expose students to standard
tools of economic analysis: mathematical foundations of marginal
analysis, basics of graphical, algebraic and statistical modeling,
policy analysis, discounting, and strategic interaction. Economics
3 introduces macroeconomics: unemployment, inflation, business cycles,
and monetary and fiscal policy.
The courses are to be taken in sequential order.
Accounting Course
The department offers an accounting course, Economics 4. Economics
4 is a lower-division requirement for the B.S. in management science
and the management science minor. The course is a prerequisite for
Economics 173, Corporate Finance. Economics 4 can be used as an
optional part of an economics major or minor; and the course is
open to students who take no other courses from the department.
Upper-Division Economics Courses
The upper-division economics core courses are offered according
to the following academic schedule:
Fall100A, 110A, 120A-B-C, 170A, 171, 172A, and 172C;
Winter100A-B, 110A-B, 120A-B-C, 170A-B, and 172A-B;
Spring100B, 110B, 120A-B-C, 170B, 171, and 172B-C.
The 100, 110, 120 and 170 core courses are sequential. That is,
A must be taken before B before C.
Economics 172A must be taken first, but 172B and 172C may be taken
in either order or concurrently.
Entry to the Majors
Any student in good standing may declare a major in the department
by filling out a form at the Office of the Registrar. The major
codes are as follows: Economics, EN 25; Management Science, EN 26;
and Joint Mathematics-Economics, EN 28.
The Economics Major (B.A.)
The economics B.A. program is designed to provide a broad understanding
of resource- allocation and income-determination mechanisms. Both
the development of the tools of economic analysis and their application
to contemporary problems and public policy are stressed.
A student majoring in economics must meet the following requirements:
- Calculus. Mathematics 10A-B-C or Mathematics 20A-B and 20C/21C.
- Lower-division economics. Economics 1-2-3.
- Upper-division core. Economics 100A-B (microeconomics), Economics
110A-B (macroeconomics), and Economics 120A-B-C (econometrics).
- Upper-division electives. Five more economics courses at the
upper-division level.
Majors are strongly encouraged to complete the lower-division requirements
(1 and 2) before beginning the upper-division requirements (3 and
4). Further, majors are strongly encouraged to take Economics 100A-B
and either 110A-B or 120A-B-C prior to the senior year, since numerous
upper-division electives have core-course prerequisites.
The following schedule, though not the only possibility, is a well-constructed
one for majoring in economics.
FRESHMAN YEAR
Economics 1-2-3
Mathematics 10A-B-C or
Mathematics 20A-B and 20C/21C
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Economics 100A-B
Economics 120A-B-C
JUNIOR YEAR
Economics 110A-B
Economics Electives
SENIOR YEAR
Remaining Economics Electives
A detailed description of the economics major is contained in the
Undergraduate Handbook, available in the Undergraduate Program
section of the department Web site.
The Management Science Major (B.Sc.)
Management science builds on a set of related quantitative methods
commonly used to solve problems arising in the private (business
and finance) and public (government) sectors. While students will
gain some familiarity with the traditional functional fields of
business management, this program is more tightly focused and more
quantitative than a traditional business administration major. It
is not, however, a program in applied mathematics or operational
research, since the economic interpretation and application of the
tools are continually stressed. Rather, it is a quantitative major
in applied economics with a management focus. Before beginning upper-
division work, a major must complete Economics 1-2-3, Mathematics
20A-B and 20C/21C, and Mathematics 20F. These courses provide both
the understanding of basic principles and the mathematical maturity
needed to understand the quantitative techniques of management science.
The management science major requires a total of 15 upper-division
courses. Nine of these are specified: Economics 170A-B (Management
Science Microeconomics), Economics 120A-B-C (Econometrics), Economics
171 (Decisions Under Uncertainty), and Economics 172A-B-C (Introduction
to Operations Research). The 170 sequence concerns the nature and
interdependence of managerial resource allocation decisions. Economics
120A-B-C teaches the theory and use of statistics and econometrics.
The 172 sequence provides a general survey of optimization and problem-solving
techniques employed by management scientists.
Of the six management science electives, three from the following
“restricted” list must be taken: Economics 109 (Game
Theory), Economics 121 (Applied Econometrics), Economics 125 (Economics
of Population Growth), Economics 173 (Corporate Finance), Economics
174 (Insurance, Economics, and Finance), Economics 175 (Financial
Investments), Economics 176 (Marketing), Economics 178 (Economic
and Business Forecasting), or Economics 179 (Decisions in the Public
Sector). At least one restricted elective must be either Economics
173 or 175. Each of these courses focuses on an important set of
managerial problems. The remaining three electives may be chosen
from among other upper-division economics courses.. Each of these
courses focuses on an important set of managerial problems. The
remaining three electives may be chosen from among other upper-division
economics courses.
The following schedule, though not the only possibility, is a well-constructed
one for a student majoring in Management Science.
FRESHMAN YEAR
Economics 1-2-3
Mathematics 20A-B and 20C/21C
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Economics 120A-B-C
Economics 170A-B
Mathematics 20F
JUNIOR YEAR
Economics 4 (taken in quarter prior to Econ 173)
Economics 171
Economics 172A-B-C
Economics Electives
SENIOR YEAR
Remaining Economics Electives
A detailed description of the management science major is contained
in the Undergraduate Handbook, available on the department Web site.
Joint Major in Mathematics and Economics (B.A.)
Majors in mathematics and the natural sciences often feel the need
for a more formal introduction to issues involving business applications
of science and mathematics. Extending their studies into economics
provides this application and can provide a bridge to successful
careers or advanced study. Majors in economics generally recognize
the importance of mathematics to their discipline. Undergraduate
students who plan to pursue doctoral study in economics or business
need the more advanced mathematics training prescribed in this major.
This major is considered to be excellent preparation for Ph.D.
study in economics and business administration, as well as for graduate
studies for professional management degrees, including the MBA.
The major provides a formal framework making it easier to combine
study in the two fields.
Course requirements of the Joint Major in Mathematics and Economics
consist principally of the required courses of the mathematics major
and the economics/management science majors:
Lower-Division Requirements:
- Calculus and Linear Algebra. Mathematics 20A-B, 20C/21C, 20D,
and 20F
- Introductory Economics. Economics 1-2-3
Upper-Division Requirements:
Fifteen upper-division courses in mathematics and economics, with
a minimum of seven courses in each department, chosen from the courses
listed below (prerequisites are strictly enforced):
- Mathematical Reasoning. Mathematics 109 (formerly Math. 89)
- One of the following:
- Applied Linear Algebra. Mathematics 102
- Numerical Linear Algebra. Mathematics 170A
- Linear Algebra. Mathematics 100A and B
- One of the following:
- Foundations of Analysis. Mathematics 140A
- Advanced Calculus. Mathematics 142A
- One of the following:
- a. Ordinary Differential Equations. Mathematics 130A
- b. Foundations of Analysis. Mathematics 140B
- c. Advanced Calculus. Mathematics 142B
- One of the following:
- Microeconomics. Economics 100AB
- Management Science Microeconomics. Economics 170AB
- Econometrics/Statistics. One of the following:
- Economics 120A-B-C
- Mathematics 180A and Economics 120B-C
- Mathematics 180A and 181A and Economics 120C
- One of the following:
- Macroeconomics. Economics 110AB
- Mathematical Programming: Numerical Optimization. Mathematics
171AB or
Two of the following:
- Decisions Under Uncertainty. Economics 171
- Introduction to Operations Research. Economics 172A-B-C
(Note: 172A is a prerequisite for 172BC)
Other courses which are strongly recommended are: Mathematics 130B,
131, 181B, 190, and 193A-B and Economics 109, 113,175, and 178.
Further information may be obtained in the mathematics and economics
undergraduate offices.
Honors
Currently, honors programs exist for the economics major and for
the management science major. There are two levels of honors. For
the lower level, indicated by the phrase with distinction
on the diploma, you must satisfy the first two of the following
three requirements. For the higher level, indicated by the phrase
with highest distinction on the diploma, you must satisfy
all three requirements. There is no application to the honors program.
Register for either major under the regular major code (EN25 for
economics, EN26 for management science). Your final degree check
will indicate which level of honors you receive.
- Complete either a management science major or the honors track
of the economics major, both of which require fifteen upper-division
courses. The honors track of the economics major consists of the
course work of a regular economics major (twelve upper-division
courses) plus one advanced microeconomics course (Economics 105,
107, 109, 113, 117, 150, 151, 155, or 179), one advanced macroeconomics
course (Economics 103 or 146), and one advanced econometrics course
(Economics 121, 125, 174, 175, 176, or 178). Typically, a course
will qualify as advanced if it has the corresponding
core courses as prerequisites. As an example, a course with an
Economics 100A-B prerequisite will typically qualify as an advanced
microeconomics course.
- Have an upper division GPA in your major greater than or equal
to 3.5. Typically, the upper-division major GPA will exclude grades
for courses taken at universities other than those in the UC system.
- Take the honors versions of at least two upper-division courses
(Economics 100AH-BH, 110AH-AH, 120AH-BH-CH, and 170AH-BH), and
take the senior essay seminar (Economics 191A-B). The GPA across
these four or more courses must be 3.5 or above. Admission to
these courses is by special permission; check with the undergraduate
adviser in the Economics Student Services Office.
Grade Rules for Majors
All courses used in meeting requirements for a departmental major
must be taken on a letter-grade basis, and must be passed with
a
grade of C (C minus) or better. These rules apply to lower-division
as well as upper-division courses, and to courses taken from other
departments (such as required mathematics courses). Exceptions
are courses such as Economics 195 and Economics 199, for which
P/NP
grading is mandatory. However, no more than twelve units of Economics
195 and Economics 199 taken P/NP may be counted toward a major.
Advanced Placement Credits
Because no high school economics course provides the kind of
background needed for upper-division economics and management
science, we are
strict on allowance of credits. The policy is as follows: If the
AP score is 5, accept AP Micro (AP Macro) as equivalent to Economics
1 (Economics 3) in meeting major or minor requirements. If the
score is 3 or 4, the student is required to take Economics 1 (Economics
3) for the
major or minor. There is not an advanced placement exam equivalent
to Economics 2.
Minors and Programs of Concentration
The economics minor or program of concen-tration consists of eight
courses: introductory microeconomics (Economics 1); microeconomic
applications (Economics 2); introductory macroeconomics (Economics
3); and five upper-division economics courses, which are otherwise
not restricted.
The management science minor, paralleling the economics minor,
consists of nine courses: introductory microeconomics (Economics
1); microeconomics applications (Economics 2); introductory macroeconomics
(Economics 3); financial accounting (Economics 4), and any five
from the following list (Caution: some courses have prerequisites):
Economics 170A |
Managerial Microeconomics |
Economics 170B |
Managerial Microeconomics |
Economics 120A |
Econometrics |
Economics 120B |
Econometrics |
Economics 120C |
Econometrics |
Economics 171 |
Decisions Under Uncertainty |
Economics 172A |
Operations Research |
Economics 172B |
Operations Research |
Economics 172C |
Operations Research |
Economics 173 |
Corporate Finance |
Economics 174 |
Insurance, Economics
and Finance |
Economics 175 |
Financial Investments |
Economics 176 |
Marketing |
Economics 178 |
Economic and Business
Forecasting |
Economics 179 |
Decisions in the Public
Sector |
Grades of P/NP are acceptable for minor courses. If courses are
taken for a letter grade, passing is considered with a D
or better. To declare a minor or program of concentration, obtain
a minor declaration form, fill it out, and turn it in to Sequoyah
Hall 245. Students should check with their colleges regarding area
of focus, programs of concentration, and project minors.
The Graduate Program
The department offers a Ph.D. degree in economics, designed to
provide a solid, analytically oriented training in microeconomics,
macroeconomics, econometrics, and advanced specialties. Since the
program is structured as a doctoral program, only students who
intend to pursue a doctorate should apply. The department also
offers the Ph.D. degree in economics and international affairs
jointly with the Graduate School of International Relations
and Pacific Studies.
The main economics Ph.D. requirements are that
a student pass qualifying exams in microeconomics, macroeconomics,
econometrics, and select courses of specialization,
and prepare an acceptable dissertation. The Ph.D. degree in economics and international
affairs also requires successful completion of a language requirement and additional
electives offered by IR/PS.
Detailed descriptions of the Ph.D. programs
are available on the Internet at the department Web site at http://www.econ.ucsd.edu.
Residence and other campus-wide regulations are described in the graduate
studies section of this catalog.
Departmental Ph.D. Time Limit Policies
Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of five years.
Total university support cannot exceed six years. Total registered
time at UCSD cannot exceed seven years. Students will not be permitted
to continue beyond the pre-candidacy and total registered time limits.
Students will not be permitted to receive UCSD administered financial
support beyond the support limit.
Economics
|