Economics
Department of Economics
College of Arts and Sciences

Chairperson: William Dawes
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Michael Zweig
Office: S-601 Social and Behavioral Sciences
Phone: (631) 632-7540
Web Address: www.sunysb.edu/economics

Minors of particular interest to students majoring in economics: applied mathematics and statistics (AMS), business management (BUS), computer science (CSE), international studies (LIS)

Economics is the study of production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services. It investigates such questions as price formation, degree of employment of labor and other resources, efficient use of scarce resources, and the basis and effects of government policies in the economy. Economics also analyzes, compares, and contrasts different economic systems in the world, and studies the international economic relations among countries.

The areas of study in the department fall into three broad classifications. The first of these, microeconomics, deals with the theoretical and empirical study of the behavior and interrelationships of individual economic agents, such as firms and individuals, and their interaction through markets. Next, macroeconomics examines the large sectors of the economy such as government, business, money and banking, and international trade. It also covers such topics as unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. Finally, econometrics uses statistics to estimate, test, and predict patterns of behavior of the various units and relationships that make up the economy.

The undergraduate economics program is designed to give students a beginning sense of what economists do as well as how they think. After taking the introductory combination of ECO 107 and 109, students acquire a more thorough background in economic theory by taking ECO 303 and ECO 305. The remaining economics courses used to satisfy the major requirements focus on particular aspects of economics (e.g., labor markets, industrial organization, money and banking, economic development, finance) showing how economists analyze the theoretical and empirical issues. Some upper-division courses apply statistical methods, which are taught (but not required) in the program.

Students with a degree in economics can pursue graduate studies leading to an M.A. or Ph.D. in economics, or to a Master of Business Administration degree. The major is also especially useful for students interested in graduate studies in such areas as law, human resources, public policy and health economics. The majority of graduating economics majors who continue their education either go to law school or pursue an M.B.A. A small number of graduates go to graduate school in economics. More than half the graduating seniors go directly into the job market. The great majority find entry-level positions in finance, marketing, sales, and various forms of business analysis and research. Many M.B.A. programs require applicants to have had work experience before applying to their program, so many students enter the job market temporarily and eventually return to school for an advanced degree.

Students are urged to consider enrolling in ECO 488, Internship. Internships provide opportunities for students to integrate work experience into the Economics major by doing related readings, keeping a daily journal, and writing an analytical paper under the supervision of a faculty member. In order to register for ECO 488, students must have the permission of the internship coordinator in the economics department and the internship manager in the Career Center. For further information, students should contact the Internship Coordinator in the department.

Courses Offered in Economics

Requirements for the Major in Economics (ECO)
The major in economics leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

Completion of the major requires 39 to 46 credits.
[Effective Spring 2002] Completion of the major requires 35 to 42 credits.

1. A minimum of 12 courses, at least 10 of them in economics, distributed as follows:
   1. Introductory economics courses:
      • ECO 107 Introduction to Economic Reasoning
      • ECO 109 Introduction to Analytical Economics
        (Note that one semester of calculus with a grade of C or higher is a prerequisite for ECO 109. See note 1.)
   Change in Requirement [Effective Spring 2002]
   1. Introductory economics courses:
      • ECO 107 Introduction to Economic Reasoning
      • or ECO 109 Introduction to Analytical Economics
      • or ECO 108 Introduction to Economic Analysis
   2. Intermediate economics courses:
      • ECO 303 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
      • ECO 305 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
   3. Six additional courses in economics at the 300 level and above. Each of these must be taken for a minimum of three credits.
   4. Two additional courses, either in economics or from a list of preapproved electives in other departments, each with a minimum of three credits.
   5. No more than two 400-level courses will count toward fulfillment of major requirements.
2. MAT 122 Overview of Calculus with Applications
   or MAT 123 Introduction to Calculus
   or AMS 151 Applied Calculus I
   or level 4 on the mathematics placement examination
   or any higher level calculus course (See Note 2.)
3. Upper-Division Writing Requirement:
   Students should meet the upper-division writing requirement before the end of the junior year, demonstrating their competence in writing for the discipline by obtaining a satisfactory evaluation of their writing from the faculty instructor of any upper-division ECO course except ECO 320. Where a term paper or other major writing assignment is a required part of the course, this work will form the basis of evaluation. When the course involves no major writing assignment, the instructor will assign a special paper for those students in the class seeking to satisfy the writing requirement. In these cases, the number of students who will be permitted to seek evaluation may be limited.
   Students must request permission from the instructor at the beginning of the semester to use the course for this evaluation. Only students with a declared major in economics or with an economics concentration in either the multidisciplinary studies major or the social sciences major may apply to have their writing evaluated. Students who fail to fulfill the requirement on their first effort must do so in a subsequent semester before graduation.

1. Students who need to take MAP 103 will be unable to take ECO 107 or 109 in the first semester of the freshman year and will have to adjust their schedule accordingly.
2. Economics is a quantitative social science. Students planning to use their background in economics for graduate studies or in their careers should take additional courses in mathematics and applied mathematics.
3. A maximum of four courses in economics taken at other institutions may be applied toward the major.

1. A grade point average of at lease 3.25 in the four required courses (A. 1., 2.), with no less than a B in any one of these courses.
2. A grade point average of at least 3.50 in any four electives in economics at the 300 level
3. Six credits in economics at the 400 level
4. An honors thesis, submitted to the director of undergraduate studies for honors evaluation.