Declaration of the Economics major is admission-based and students must meet specific criteria in order to be admitted.
Current Application(Fall 2024)
Our Fall 2024 application is now open. The deadline to submit this application is Tuesday, October 2, 2024 at 4pm (PST). Regular review applicants will be notified in mid-January regarding their admission. Early review applicants will be notified regarding their admission in early-November.
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Declaration of the Economics Major
To declare the Economics major, students must meet the following requirements: grades/GPA, prerequisite courses completion, and apply within their eligibility window. Details below. Requirements differ for students who enter as Freshmen and students who enter as Transfers. Please also review those respective pages for further details.
GPA/Grade
| Four-Year Students | Transfer Students |
|---|---|
| Minimum C (2.0) grade in each prerequisite course | Minimum C (2.0) grade in each prerequisite course |
Prerequisite Courses
| Four-Year Students | Transfer Students |
|---|---|
Introduction to Economics - Econ 1 or Econ 2 Calculus - Math 1A or Math 16A [choose one] and - Math 1B or Math 16B [choose one] Introduction to Statistics - Stat 20, Stat 21, Stat W21, or Stat 88/Data C88S - Stat C131A, Stat 135, or Stat/Data C140 Intermediate Economics Theory (Core Courses) - Econ 100A or Econ 101A - Econ 100B or Econ 101B or UGBA 101B^ - Econ 140 or Econ 141 ^ UGBA 101B is considered outside the department. Economics majors are allowed to complete up to two courses from outside the department to count towards major requirements. | Introduction to Economics - Econ 1 or Econ 2 Calculus - Math 1A or Math 16A [choose one] and - Math 1B or Math 16B [choose one] Introduction to Statistics - Stat 20, Stat 21, Stat W21, or Stat 88/Data C88S - Stat C131A, Stat 135, or Stat/Data C140 Intermediate Economics Theory (Core Courses) - [Microeconomics] Econ 100A or Econ 101A - [Macroeconomics] Econ 100B or Econ 101B or UGBA 101B^ - [Econometrics] Econ 140 or Econ 141 ^ UGBA 101B is considered outside the department. Economics majors are allowed to complete up to two courses from outside the department to count towards major requirements. |
Eligibility Window
| Four-Year Students | Transfer Students |
|---|---|
| Must finish prerequisite courses & apply by the 5th term at Berkeley. Summer terms do not apply. | Must finish prerequisite courses & apply by the 1st term at Berkeley. Summer terms do not apply. |
Prerequisites for the Economics Major
There are six prerequisites for admission to the Economics major; all of which must be completed or in-progress at the time of application for admission. All prerequisites must be taken for a letter grade. Want to know how exam credit (AP/IB/A-Levels) fulfill these requirements? See the exam credit requirements at the bottom of this page.
GPA Requirement
Students must earn a minimum of a C (2.0) grade in each prerequisite in order to be admitted into the Economics major. All prerequisites must be taken for a letter grade. Exam credit and transfer coursework may be used to fulfill prerequisite course requirements.
Eligibility Window
Freshmen must apply for admission by the end of their fifth semester (does not include summers or withdrawn semesters) or prior to the accumulation of 80 units (does not include units earned in high school, but does include units in-progress at the time of application); whichever comes second. Transfers must apply for admission by the end of their first semester. Summer session prior to the academic year does not count as the first semester.
Admissions Notifications and Declaration Process
Admissions review is conducted after final grades are posted. Students are notified of their admission decision via email according to the schedule listed below.
- Fall applicants: notified mid-January
- Spring applicants: notified mid-June
- Summer applicants: notified mid-September
Students who meet the admission requirements as listed above are guaranteed admission into the major. Instructions for officially declaring the major will be provided in the admission notification.
Alternate Major
All students pursuing the Economics major are encouraged to plan for an alternate major. Information about majors can be found at http://guide.berkeley.edu/. We recommend meeting with an advisor in the College of Letters and Science to discuss alternate major options.
Have More Questions?
Please also review Freshmen Admissions, Transfer Admissions, FAQs, Economics Undergraduate Admissions Policies, New 2024 Admissions Policy FAQs, and/or email us at ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu or meet with our Advising Team.