Quantitative Dimension Political Economy Track

Students may complete the mathematics requirement in the Political Economy track by completing ECON BC1007 Mathematical Methods for Economics. Students may substitute MATH UN1101 Calculus I to complete the mathematics requirement. Learn more about it with the Calculus AP credit and Math sequence table in FAQs

We have found it necessary to institute a mathematics requirement in order to prepare majors for Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, ECON BC3035, and in certain upper-level electives. ECON BC3035 is a core course for the major. It has Math Methods or one semester of Calculus as a prerequisite and it is the basis for many upper-level electives.

A grade of C- or better is required to fulfill the major requirement.  Note also that students who have already taken Econ BC3035 Intermediate Micro Theory, or the equivalent, cannot then take Math Methods Econ BC1007.  Students in this circumstance should instead take Calculus.

Statistics and Econometrics for Political Economy track majors:

Political Economy track majors can use Econ BC2411 Statistics for Economics, or the equivalent* as either a) an open interdisciplinary elective or b) an open economics elective.  They can also count Econ BC3018 Econometrics (or the equivalent Columbia course) as an upper-level economics elective.  However, if they want to count both courses for the major, Econ BC2411 must be used as an open interdisciplinary elective.  [NOTE: Beginning with the Class of 2021, Econ BC2411 Statistics for Economics, or the equivalent*, will be required for Political Economy Track majors.  This will replace the open (non-linked) interdisciplinary elective]

*Stat UN1101, Stat UN1102, or Psyc BC1101 are acceptable substitutes for Econ BC2411.