Economics
College of Business
Dean: Linda Oubre
Department of Economics
HSS 142
Phone: 415-338-1839
Website: http://cob.sfsu.edu/cob/economics
Chair: Don Mar
Graduate Coordinator: Lisa Takeyama
Faculty
Professors: Chattopadhyay, Mar
Associate Professors: Bar, Chaudhuri, Chernomaz, King, Potepan, Takeyama
Assistant Professors: Janko, Kakar
Programs
Program Scope
The Bachelor of Arts in Economics provides students with a foundation in economic theory while allowing them to apply what they have learned in real world settings. The program fully exposes students to the primary methods of economic inquiry and analysis. Courses in the program call on students to use both quantitative and qualitative reasoning to analyze and explain economic events and problems. Students also develop practical skills in collecting and statistically analyzing economic data to reach conclusions about economic issues. The undergraduate program in economics provides an excellent preparation for students planning to enter careers in business, government, and in non-profit organizations. It can also serve to fully prepare students for advanced graduate and professional studies in economics, business, public policy, urban and regional planning, law, and other related fields.
The Master of Arts in Economics allows students to pursue advanced study in economics and focuses on theoretical foundations and real world applications. The program requires students to develop skills in the mathematical modeling of economic theory and statistical analysis of economic data, as well as in the writing and communicating of economic ideas. The M.A. program provides excellent advanced training for students wishing to obtain professional positions as researchers or administrators in private businesses, governmental agencies, or non-profit organizations. The program also offers a solid foundation for students interested in continuing their graduate studies in Ph.D. programs elsewhere.
Career Outlook
Both the undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for a wide variety of careers in business, government, and non-profit organizations. Practical orientation and strong emphasis on quantitative reasoning allow graduates of these programs to move into interesting and promising careers in a number of fields. Undergraduate students majoring in economics, particularly those who have supplemented their program with additional course work in accounting, finance, and computer programming, are very attractive job candidates. Graduate students in the master's program develop advanced theoretical, statistical, and data analytic skills, which allow them to compete successfully for more advanced positions. Economics majors from SF State have recently been placed in entry level positions in business management, marketing, financial services, research consulting firms, public policy analysis, teaching, and many other fields. The undergraduate major also provides excellent preparation for advanced graduate and professional studies in economics and related disciplines. SF State graduates of the M.A. program have recently been placed in advanced positions with public utilities, economics consulting firms, the research divisions of large companies, and local and state governmental agencies, while other SF State M.A. graduates have been admitted to top Ph.D granting institutions.
Complementary Studies
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least twelve units of complementary studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.)
Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the complementary studies requirement. Alternatively, students in the Economics major can meet with a major advisor to determine which courses will satisfy the complementary studies requirement. Consult with your major advisor for assistance.
Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.
Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Declaring the Major and Undergraduate Advising
Students can declare economics as a major at the economics department office in HSS 142. The department requires that all majors meet with an advisor each spring. Advisors counsel students on the selection of economics courses, as well as G.E. requirements and other courses in the University. Students who do not see an advisor will not be able to register for the fall semester.
- Majors must take the core courses for a letter grade and earn a minimum grade of C in each. (CR/NC grading is not allowed for core courses.)
- ECON 690 GW is the capstone course and must be taken in the senior year.
Economics (B.A.) — 43 units
Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.
Core Courses (25 units)
- ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomic Analysis
- ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomic Analysis (formerly ECON 100)
- MATH 226 Calculus I (4)
- ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
- ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
- ECON 311 Statistical Methods and Interpretation
- ECON 312 Introduction to Econometrics
- ECON 690 GW Senior Seminar: Economic Inquiry and Analysis - GWAR
Upper Division Electives (18 units)
Economics majors are required to take six upper division elective courses in economics. There are over twenty elective courses, including some cross-listed courses with other programs, offered each year on such subjects as money and banking, international economics, labor economics, industrial organization, experimental economics and game theory, health economics, public finance, law and economics, economic history, urban economics, environmental economics, and economic development.
Upon prior advisement, a maximum of two courses may be taken from another department in a related discipline.
Minor in Economics
Economics is highly complementary with a number of other disciplines and some students may choose to minor in economics while pursuing a major in another field. Students often decide to minor in economics after having already taken several economics courses and realizing that a few more courses will satisfy the minor requirements.
- Minors must earn a minimum grade of C in each core course (CR/NC grading is permitted for core courses).
Economics, Minor — 21 units
Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.
Required Courses (9 units)
- ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomic Analysis
- ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomic Analysis (formerly ECON 100)
-
ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
or
ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
Electives (12 units)
Four courses selected from upper division elective economics courses
Upon prior advisement, two of these four courses may be from another department in a related discipline.
Master of Arts in Economics
Graduate Coordinator: Takeyama
Admission to Program
For admission to the graduate program in economics, a student must meet, at minimum, the general University requirements as stated in this Bulletin. To qualify for classified status, a student must satisfy the following criteria:
- Earn a 3.0 grade point average in an undergraduate major in economics (or equivalent);
- Complete courses in intermediate macro and micro theory (ECON 301 and 302 or equivalents) with grades of B or better;
- Complete a semester of calculus (MATH 226 or equivalent) with a grade of B or better;
- Complete a semester-length course in Statistics (Econ 311 or equivalent)and in Econometrics (ECON 312 or equivalent) with a grade of B or better in each.
Students who do not have B grades in all of the above four courses, or who did not major in economics but earned an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better, may be admitted conditionally. Students admitted conditionally cannot apply courses taken to satisfy the program prerequisites toward their graduate program.
Students applying to the graduate program must submit the following materials to the department's graduate coordinator and to the Division of Graduate Studies, as indicated below.
- Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (submit to both Graduate Studies and the economics department graduate coordinator).
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the general test (submit only to Graduate Studies).
- Two or more letters of recommendation, preferably from professors the applicant has taken courses with or worked with in some capacity (submit only to the economics department graduate coordinator).
The deadlines for submission of the above materials to the Division of Graduate Studies and the department's graduate coordinator are determined by the University. These deadlines are available at grad.sfsu.edu/grad/program-deadline.
Written English Proficiency Requirements
The University requires that graduate students must demonstrate both initial English proficiency (level one) upon entrance to graduate study and an advanced English proficiency (level two) prior to graduating.
Level One: Prior to admission, students must satisfy at least one of the following: an undergraduate degree from an institution located within a country in which the native language is English; a score of at least 4.0/6.0 on the GRE or GMAT Analytic Writing Assessment; a minimum score of 24/30 on the Writing section of the Internet-based test (IBT) TOEFL; or a score of at least 6.5/9.0 on the IELTS writing test, or a concordant score on the Pearson Test of English. Students not meeting this requirement may be admitted conditional upon completion of an appropriate English writing class during their first semester
Level Two: Demonstration of advanced level proficiency is an integral part of the Written Comprehensive Exam.
Advancement to Candidacy
Besides meeting all general requirements for advancement to candidacy, students must earn a minimum of a B in ECON 715, 731, 701, 702, 825, and 830 and earn an overall minimum of 3.0 grade point average in all courses combined. No course taken toward degree completion may be taken on a CR/NC basis.
Economics (M.A.) — 30 units
Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.
Core Requirements (18 units)
- ECON 715 Mathematical Economics
- ECON 731 Econometric Theory
- ECON 701 Seminar: Microeconomic Theory
- ECON 702 Seminar: Macroeconomic Theory
- ECON 825 Applied Time Series Econometrics
- ECON 830 Advanced Econometric Methods and Applications
Other Requirements (12 units)
Students opting for Written Comprehensive Examination
A maximum of two courses may be taken outside the economics department in an applied field or interdisciplinary study upon advisement. No more than two electives may be pure undergraduate courses, and at least one elective must be a pure graduate course. All electives require prior approval from an advisor.
Students opting for Master’s Thesis and Oral Defense
Six units of graduate economics electives in addition to Thesis and Oral Defense.
Written Comprehensive Examination: A three-hour comprehensive written examination is required of all candidates not opting for the Master’s Thesis. Examinations are conducted during the spring semester. No student is permitted to take the examination until they have completed, by the end of the spring semester during which the exam is taken, 24 units of the Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) with a B (3.0) average. ECON 715, 731, 701, and 702 must be included in these 24 units.
