Economics Major (political economy track)
The track in Political Economy emphasizes the roots of modern economics in the history of economic thought and the interconnections between social forces, political institutions, and economic power (Learn about Interdisciplinary Electives & Linking). This track constitutes an excellent preparation for a variety of professional schools and careers. See our FAQs page for How to Declare a Major in our department.
It is easiest to understand the requirements for the major in Economics (Political Economy Track) by reference to the Major Requirement Declaration Form. Take special note of the five dimensions of the major. Keeping these five dimensions in mind will help you to plan your program, and to avoid the most common missteps on the road to completion of the major. (See Tips and Caveats.)
Requirements
| Sequential Character | Common Core | Quantitative Dimension | Interdisciplinary Thematic Focus | Thematic Focus |
| Course Title | Course Number | When Taken |
|---|---|---|
| Intro to Economic Reasoning | ECON BC1003 | Year 1 |
| Math Methods for Economics 1 | ECON BC1007 | 1 |
| Intermediate Macroeconomics | ECON BC3033 | 2 |
| Intermediate Microeconomics | ECON BC3035 | 2 |
| Theoretical Foundations of Political Economy | ECON BC3041 | 2 |
| 1. Statistics for Economics* | (ECON BC2411*) | 2/3 |
| 2. Linked Interdisciplinary Elective | 2/3 | |
| 3. Linked Upper-Level Interdisciplinary Elective | 2/3 | |
| 1. Open Economics Elective | 2/3 | |
| 2. Upper-Level Economics Elective | 3 | |
| 3. Upper-Level Economics Elective | 3 | |
| Senior Thesis I or Senior Seminar | 4 | |
| Senior Thesis II or Upper-Level Elective | 4 |
* PSYC BC1101 may be substituted for ECON BC2411. [Note: If you minor or double major in Psychology and you take Psych BC1101, you must take an additional open economics elective in order to maintain the same total number of courses --Barnard does not allow you to double count courses from both departments.]
1 Calculus I (MATH UN1101) may be substituted for ECON BC1007 to satisfy the Math Methods requirement. Students who have previously completed either Intermediate Microeconomics or Calculus III are not permitted to enroll in Math Methods for Economics.
Economics majors cannot take any economics courses PDF. See our FAQ page for more details.