HSS
California Institute of Technology
Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Economics Option

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Current Economics Courses
Economics Option Requirements
Typical Course Schedule

Option Representative: Kim C. Border.

The economics option provides students with an understanding of the basic priciples underlying the functioning of economic institutions. It offers a modern and quantitative approach to economics seldom available to undergraduates. The emphasis on economic principles and modern methodology provides sudents with an excellent preparation for graduate study in economics or for professional study in the fields of business or law and economics.

The option is sufficiently flexible that students can combine their pursuit of economics with studies in other areas, such as engineering, physics, or mathematics. The core of the option consists of Introduction to Economics, EC 11; Theory of Value, Ec 121; Econometrics, Ec 122; and Macroeconomics, Ec 123. Students will supplement this core with additional electives in economics, political science, and mathematics.

Current Economics Courses

Economics Option Requirements

  1. Ec 11, Ec 121 ab, and Ec 122, Ec/SS 20.
  2. Ma 112 a.
  3. Ec 161 or Ec 162.
  4. Ec 105 or Ec 145.
  5. 54 additional units of advanced economics and social science courses. (Courses that are used to fulfill the Institute upperclass social science requirement [courses numbered 100 and above] will also count toward the 54 additional units required under the economic and social science options.) Students may take BEM 104 or BEM 1005 (or BEM 110 with the consent of the option) in partial fulfillment of this requirement.
  6. 45 additional units of science, mathematics and engineering courses. The requirement cannot be satisfied by courses listed as satisfying the introductory laboratory requirement or by any course with a number less than 10.
  7. Passing grades must be earned in a total of 486 units, including all courses used to satisfy the above requirements

Typical Course Schedule

Units per term
1st 2nd 3rd
Second Year
Ma 2 ab Sophomore Mathematics (4-0-5) 9 9 -
Ph 2 ab Sophomore Physics (4-0-5) 9 9 -
Menu Course - - 9
Ec 11 Introduction to Economics (3-0-6) 9 - -
Ps 12 Introduction to Political Science (3-0-6) 9 - -
Electives1 18 27 27
45 45 45
Third Year
Ec 105 Industrial Organization (3-0-6) 9 - -
Ec 121 ab Theory of Value (3-0-6) 9 9 -
Ec 122 Econometrics (3-0-6) - 9 -
Ec 162 Monetary Theory (3-0-6) - 9 -
Ma 112 a Statistics (3-0-6) 9 - -
Electives1 27 27 27
54 54 27
Fourth Year
Electives1 45 45 45
1See requirements 6 and 7 above