Economics Major

This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2026-27.

Major Requirements

The major in economics consists of nine courses in economics and two mathematics prerequisites.

Prospective majors should aim to complete , , , statistics, and calculus by the end of sophomore year, especially if they plan to study abroad during their junior year, and they should aim to complete  by the end of junior year. 

The economics major meets the classification as a STEM discipline according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) so that international students are eligible for a 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension.

The major requirements consist of the following:

Required Courses

  • ECON 151 - Introduction to Economics (prerequisite to all advanced ECON courses at the 200-400 level)
  • ECON 251 - Intermediate Microeconomics (must earn a grade of C or better)
  • ECON 252 - Intermediate Macroeconomics (must earn a grade of C or better)
    ​Students are encouraged to take ECON 251 before ECON 252
  • ECON 375 - Applied Econometrics (must earn a grade of C or better)
    ECON 375 has two mathematics prerequisites, each of which can be satisfied in multiple ways:, or , or ; or the equivalent AP credit. Students with an equivalent international exam transfer credit (e.g., A-Levels, International Baccalaureate) or other transfer credit may be eligible for an exemption for MATH 161, per approval by the department chair., , , or . Students who have taken an equivalent course (such as  or ) may petition the department chair for an exemption. Students with an equivalent international exam transfer credit (e.g., A-Levels, International Baccalaureate) or other transfer credit may be eligible for an exemption for MATH 105, per approval by the department chair. 

Electives

  • Four economics electives
    • At least two of these electives must be numbered above 300
    • Seniors are generally not eligible to register for 200-level electives

Senior Seminar

  • A senior-level seminar, at the 410 level or above, is required of all majors.
    •  cannot be used satisfy the seminar requirement except in unusual circumstances and with the permission of the department chair.

GPA Requirement

Satisfactory completion requires a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the economics courses counting towards the major.

Honors and High Honors

To be eligible to participate in the honors program, students need a minimum average GPA of 3.33 in the following three courses: , , and  

To qualify for departmental honors, a student must enroll in the year-long honors seminar  and  in which each student writes an honors thesis. Students also present their projects to the seminar and act as discussants of other projects. Certification of honors and high honors will be based mainly on the quality of the honors paper. In addition, honors candidates must have, at graduation, a B+ average (A– for high honors) in the nine economics courses taken for major credit, and must receive a satisfactory grade in . 

Major Declaration

In order to declare the major, students must have first earned a grade of C or better in either  or . Students who declare a major while enrolled in one of these courses may file "provisional" major declarations.

Economics Department

For more information about the department, including Faculty, transfer credit, awards, etc., please visit the  catalog page.