What are the differences between the Department of Economics degree paths?
The Department of Economics offers two undergraduate major degrees, BA and BS. Both degrees will prepare you for positions in business, finance, law school, graduate school, public service, and many more!
The BA program is designed for students who plan to pursue careers directly after graduation, double majors, or double degrees. It offers a broad mix of courses in economic theory and empirical analysis with flexibility that suits individual interests. The goal of BA degree program is to prepare students to enter a wide range of careers, having developed the necessary skills to understand and analyze many of the important questions facing us today. The BA degree complements studies in fields such as engineering, political science, psychology, mathematics, and many other social sciences.
The BS program is STEM-designated and emphasizes developing the mathematic and econometric skills that are increasingly in demand today. The required courses and all the elective courses focus on conducting economic and econometric analysis. Due to this quantitative focus and the slightly more rigorous course of study, the BS program is good preparation for entry into analytical positions right after graduation or various graduate programs including economics.
BA in Economics | BS in Economics | |
|---|---|---|
| Math Requirement | MTH 121, 131, or 141” | MTH 121, 131, or 141” |
| Required Courses | ECO 380 Economic Statistics and Data Analysis ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory 1 ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory ECO 480 Econometrics 1 | ECO 181 Introduction to Macroeconomics ECO 182 Introduction to Microeconomics ECO 380 Economic Statistics and Data Analysis ECO 405 Microeconomic Theory 1 ECO 406 Microeconomic Theory 2 ECO 407 Macroeconomic Theory ECO 426 Financial Economics ECO 443 Labor Economics ECO 451 Mathematics for Economists ECO 461 Econ. Forecasting and Fluctuations ECO 467 Economics and Game Theory ECO 469 Industrial Organization ECO 480 Econometrics 1 ECO 481 Econometrics 2 |
Economics Upper-Level Elective Requirements | Five additional 400-level ECO courses
These cannot include ECO 495 or 496. A maximum of 3 credits may be from ECO 498 or 499. | Five additional 400-level Economics courses selected from:
ECO 411 Health Economics ECO 412 Environmental Economics ECO 416 Economic Development ECO 421 Urban Economics ECO 434 International Finance ECO 435 International Economics ECO 440 Economics of Education ECO 455 Information and Internet Economics ECO 468 Economics of Sports ECO 464 Public Economics ECO 485 Big Data and Machine Learning ECO 493 Topics in International Economics |
Any-level Economics Electives | Eight credits of Economics at any level including ECO 495 and ECO 496 |
|
| Total Economics Credits | 35 | 59 |
All upper-level elective credits must be completed at the University at Buffalo.