ECON-BS - Economics (BS)
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Program Overview
The undergraduate program in Economics aims to acquaint students with the economic aspects of modern society, familiarize them with techniques for analyzing contemporary economic problems, and develop an ability to exercise judgment in evaluating public policy. The program introduces students to macro- and microeconomic theory, teaches them to think and write clearly about economic problems and policy issues and apply essential economic analysis tools. The undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree provides an excellent background for those who plan to pursue PhD degrees in Economics or related disciplines, or technical careers in fields such as finance and data analytics.
Preparing for the Major
Students will be need to complete course (or equivalent) to be eligible to enroll in some upper level ECON Core and Elective Courses. Students should plan to complete the MATH prerequisites early in their academic career.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
*CS106B must be taken for 5 units to be counted towards the ECON BS.
All Core courses must be taken for a letter grade. In Fall 24 and onward, students must earn a C or better in all courses completed for the ECON Core.
any 200-level course with permission of DUS and course instructor. Students should contact the department Student Services Officer once a course is approved.
All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Completing ECON 101 (5 units) or at least 5 units of ECON 199D will meet the WIM requirement for the ECON BS.
These courses also complete the Capstone Requirement. See Capstone section below for more information.
NOTE: course is only open for enrollment by students accepted to the ECON Honors Program. course must be taken at Stanford in California. This course is only open to students in the final year of coursework, and should be taken only after completing course Economic Analysis II and course Economic Analysis III, course Applied Econometrics, and at least two field courses. See Capstone section for more information.
Economics capstone experience will consist of two components:
To be completed in fall quarter of junior year: All students must submit an electronic portfolio of their work in the major. Submissions will be graded for completeness by the Economics Major Faculty Advisor. Students must be declared Econ BS Majors BEFORE completing this requirement.
During their senior year, students may choose 1 of two paths to complete the second half of the economics Capstone requirement. Both options also fulfill the Writing in the Major (WIM) requirement for the major (students choosing to complete an honors thesis must complete at least 5 units of course to fulfill their WIM requirement).
Graduating seniors may request permission to enroll in the Economic Policy Seminar Course, course, during the Fall, Winter, or Spring quarter of their final year of coursework.
course is only available to students completing their final year of coursework, and enrollment is limited by application at the start of each school year. Student placement notifications will be sent out before the term starts. course must be taken at Stanford California and may only be taken after completing course, course, course, and at least two field courses.
Research and write an honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty advisor.
Students wishing to apply for the Economics Honors Thesis program must meet the following requirements by the fall quarter of their senior year:
Achieve a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 for the units required for the Economics major. Units of course or course do not count in the computation of the GPA requirement for honors. The GPA will be calculated at two points: (1) when the student applies to the honors program, and (2) at the end of the quarter in which the student graduates. If the GPA is below 3.5 at the end of the quarter in which the student graduates, the student will have to drop honors in order to graduate.
Complete course (a core program requirement) and at least two Econ upper division courses relevant to the proposed topic of the honors thesis by the end of junior year.
More information about program requirements and expectations can be found at: https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/honors-program
NOTE: Students must complete at least 5 units of 199D to meet their Writing in the Major (WIM) Requirement. See Writing in the Major section above for more information.
The honors program offers independent research, creativity, and achievement opportunities. It is designed to encourage a more intensive study of economics than is required for the typical major, with course and research work of exceptional quality. Honors students submit their theses in writing and present them during the Honors Research Symposium during spring quarter. The honors program requires:
Completing all requirements for the ECON BS major plus five additional units, bringing the total to 90 units.
Achieving a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 for the required courses of the Economics BS major (excluding course Directed Reading and course Honors Thesis Research). See details in the Information Book for Economics Majors.
Complete course Applied Econometrics (a core program requirement) and at least two Econ upper-division courses most relevant to the proposed topic of the honors thesis by the end of the junior year. (These can be included in the basic 85 units.)
Candidates must write and present an honors thesis in their senior year for one to nine credit units in their thesis advisor’s section of Econ 199D. Additionally, winter registration for one unit of Honors Thesis Research under the Director of the Honors Program section number (199D-20) is mandatory for all honors students. The thesis must be of very high quality and written under the direction of a member of the department or its affiliated faculty.
Application Details:
Prospective candidates should communicate with the Director of the Honors Program as soon as possible.
During the start of fall quarter of senior year, prospective candidates for the honors program must submit the following items to the Honors Program Application Form:
A one-page description of the proposed thesis topic and research question
A one-page proposed timeline
Other information requested in the application form. For example, some courses taken, student information.
After you submit your application, your thesis advisor and the Director of the Honors Program will review it and (if everything is satisfactory) approve it. After you are given the go-ahead, you can declare the Econ BSH in Axess and register in course units.
See https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/honors-program for application deadlines and more information.