Honors Program

Entry requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Undergraduate Economics Honors Program, you must:

• Complete Intermediate Micro Theory (Econ 30010), Intermediate Macro Theory (Econ 30020), and Econometrics (Econ 30331) with a minimum grade point average of an A- (3.667).  For example, a B+ (3.333) in Int. Micro, an A- (3.667) in Int. Macro, and an A (4) in Econometrics would satisfy this requirement. 

OR

• You can also satisfy the GPA requirement if you have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and a minimum GPA of an A- (3.667) in Principles of Microeconomics (Econ 10010/20010), Principles of Macroeconomics (Econ 10020/20020), Intermediate Micro Theory (Econ 30010), Intermediate Macro Theory (Econ 30020), Statistics for Economists (Econ 30340), and Econometrics (Econ 30331)

It is recommended that you complete at least one 40000-level elective by the end of junior year to help develop research skills.  Students pursuing the Honors Program must take five total electives, one of which being at the 43000 level (i.e., a minimum of three electives – one of which is at the 43000 level – plus the two thesis courses).

Senior Honors Thesis

The senior honors thesis involves two elements:

1. Completion, with a grade of B+ or higher, of the Senior Honors Workshop (Econ 43962) Fall semester of senior year . These credits can be counted as economics electives toward the major and can be used to satisfy the major’s writing intensive requirement.
2. Completion, with a grade B+ or higher, of the Senior Honors Thesis (Econ 48600) Spring semester of senior year, under the direction or co-direction of an economics faculty member. These credits can be counted as economics electives toward the major and can be used to satisfy the major’s writing intensive requirement.

Planning ahead

In preparation for writing a senior honors thesis, students should consider the following:

1. Taking a 43000-level writing-intensive elective in sophomore or junior year. 
2. Working as a Research Assistant for a faculty member for early exposure to research, and to acquire research skills and experience
3.  Applying for funding for data, software, skill acquisition, etc. A key source of support for undergraduate research is the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (*ISLA).
4. Reviewing the senior thesis process

Application process

Applications are accepted Spring of junior year and are due by Wednesday, Apr. 24th, 2024.  You can complete the application using this form. 

 

"Entering college, I wanted my field of study to enable me to develop a quantitative and qualitative toolkit to aid in understanding the driving forces behind human behavior, social impact, and policy decisions. Studying Economics empowered me to approach new kinds of problems with a logical framework, a desire to dig deeper into the 'why?' and provided me with the opportunity to apply my major to my passion for social impact through research with LEO and writing a senior thesis on the performance of socially responsible mutual funds. As a consultant, I use the skills I learned in the Economics major every day to approach complex client challenges with a logical methodology, data-driven decision-making, and an ability to effectively communicate results to a variety of audiences."