Mathematics and Economics (BS) [CAS/ECON]

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Offered jointly by the Department of Economics and Department of Mathematics and Statistics , College of Arts and Sciences , this program is recommended for students interested in social science applications of mathematical concepts and for those interested in preparing for admissions to PhD programs in Economics.

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in the gateway courses and approval of the program coordinator.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

66 credit hours with a grade point average of 3.00
- No more than 6 of the 66 credit hours may be fulfilled by Washington Economic Policy Semester courses or economics courses from study abroad programs.
- No more than 3 credit hours of independent reading and study courses or internships may be applied to the major.

Course Requirements

Gateway Courses (18 credit hours)

CSC-280 Introduction to Computer Science I (4)
ECON-100 Macroeconomics FA4 (3)
ECON-200 Microeconomics FA4 (3)
MATH-221 Calculus I (4)
STAT-203 Basic Statistics with Calculus (4)
or
STAT-202 Basic Statistics (4) (with permission of department)

Core Courses (39 credit hours)

Electives (9 credit hours)

9 credit hours of additional Economics courses (ECON-xxx) at the 300-level or above, excluding ECON-370 International Economics

University Honors Program

To graduate with University Honors in the major through the University Honors Program, students must meet the requirements detailed on the Honors website and have been enrolled as either a first-year student between Fall 1989 and Spring 2014, or as a transfer or self-nominated student through Spring 2015. The University Honors Program should not be confused with the AU Honors Program, which begins in Fall 2014 and has separate requirements, also detailed on the Honors website.

Combined BS in Mathematics and Economics and MA in Economics

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. For more information, see Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree of this catalog.

This program enables qualified students to earn, in a continuous plan of study, both the BS in Mathematics and Economics and the MA in Economics.

Requirements

Interested students should apply to the program in their junior year. Students in this program will not be required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students will be admitted formally to MA status only after they have completed all requirements for the BA or BS in Economics with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher.
All requirements for the BS in Mathematics and Economics
- Undergraduate students may apply up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework in economics to satisfy the requirements of both degrees.
All requirements for the MA in Economics, including a minimum of 18 credit hours completed in residence in graduate status after the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.