The business management economics major provides students who are interested in careers in business or management with a foundation in economics and a selection of applied fields related to business management. This course of study prepares students for entrance into the business world or admission to graduate programs.

Study and Research Opportunities

• B.A.
• Opportunities to take business courses in English in Europe, Mexico, or Hong Kong through the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP)
• Applied Economics and Finance B.A./M.S. five-year dual-degree program available.
  

BME09.pdf

High School Preparation
High school students planning to major in economics at UC Santa Cruz need no special preparation other than the courses required for UC admission. However, they are encouraged to develop a strong background in mathematics.

Transfer Preparation
Students must take the equivalent of the following two courses prior to petitioning for entry to an Economics major: Economics 1 (introductory microeconomics), and Economics 2 (introductory macroeconomics), and must achieve a combined grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 in these two courses to be eligible to declare the major. Equivalent courses may be taken at other universities or at community colleges. Transfer students may have these requests reviewed by the department prior to matriculation at UCSC. This GPA requirement applies to the economics/mathematics combined major, and will apply to the environmental studies/economics combined major (currently under review), but does not apply to the Latin American and Latino studies/global economics combined major.

In addition, students transferring to UC Santa Cruz may fulfill additional requirements for the major by completing equivalent courses, with a grade of C or better, at another recognized institution.

Transfer students must present their course syllabi or descriptions to an Economics Department adviser. The department approves courses applicable for economics prerequisites and major requirements. All transfer students must complete the comprehensive requirement at UC Santa Cruz.

UC Santa Cruz lower-division requirements in business management economics are:

• Applied Mathematics and Statistics 5, Statistics

• Economics 1, Introductory Microeconomics: Resource Allocation and Market Structure

• Economics 2, Introductory Macroeconomics: Aggregate Economic Activity

• Economics 10A-B, Economics of Accounting (two quarters) (or equivalent)

• Economics 11A-B, Mathematical Methods for Economists (two quarters) (or equivalent)

While it is not a condition of admission, students from California community colleges may complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) in preparation for transfer to UC Santa Cruz.

Transfer course agreements and articulation between the University of California and California community colleges can be accessed on the ASSIST web site.

Careers

Accounting
Advertising management
Banking
Business management
Economic forecasting
Industrial relations
Market analysis
Marketing
Public administration
Research
Teaching

These are only samples of the field’s many possibilities.

Combined Economics/Mathematics Major
Beginning fall 2009, the Economics Department is offering a new combined B.A. major in economics/mathematics. The major is designed to meet the needs of undergraduate students who plan to pursue doctoral study in economics or business, or who wish to pursue a career as an actuary or other professional requiring a sophisticated understanding of economics and mathematics. It combines the main undergraduate content of both economics and mathematics within a programmatic structure that joins the two disciplines. The major also provides a course work combination required to prepare for a modern economics Ph.D. program, or for a group of technically demanding professional careers.

In addition to completing the university’s general education requirements, students in the economics/mathematics combined major must complete 17 courses: 12 required (60 units) and 5 electives (25 units).

Computer Literacy Requirement
Students must complete a minimum of two courses from the following list (with department approval, a student may substitute other computing courses):

Computer Engineering 12/L, Computer Organization
Computer Engineering 80N, Introduction to Networking and the Internet
Computer Science 10, Introduction to Computer Science
Computer Science 12A/L, Introduction to Programming
Computer Science 5C, Introduction to Programming in C/C++ (formerly Computer Science 60G/N)
Computer Science 5J , Introduction to Programming in Java (formerly Computer Science 60G/N)
Computer Science 5P, Introduction to Programming in Python (formerly Computer Science 60G/N)
Computer Science 80B, Systems and Simulation
Information Systems Management 50, Business Information Systems
Information Systems Management 58, Systems Analysis and Design
Linguistics 80G, Introduction to Unix
Economics 216, Applied Econometric Analysis I (with permission of instructor)

Note: Computer Science 5J and Computer Science 11 are equivalent to Computer Science 12A/L. Computer Science 5J and 11 are the recommended route for students with no prior programming experience.

Education Abroad Program (EAP)
The Education Abroad Program (EAP) offers economics undergraduate students the opportunity to study at more than 100 host universities and colleges in 34 countries as part of their regular UC academic program. Students receiving financial aid can apply their award to a program abroad.

Economics Field-Study Program
The Economics Department offers its majors the opportunity to integrate their academic knowledge with career-related work. The field-study program places students in internships under the supervision of a faculty sponsor and a professional at the workplace. Students can select from a wide variety of field placements such as accounting firms, community non-profits, government agencies, brokerage firms, marketing agencies, banks, and businesses in Santa Cruz and beyond. Students apply and prepare for field study a quarter in advance. Acceptance into the field-study program is determined by academic standing, class level, and successful completion of Economics 100A, Intermediate Microeconomics, Economics 100B, Intermediate Macroeconomics, and Economics 113, Introduction to Econometrics. Students may earn a maximum of 10 academic credits and complete up to two quarters in a field placement.

Comprehensive Requirement
The comprehensive requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways: (1) by passing the three intermediate core courses with grades of C or better: Economics 100A (or 100M), Intermediate Microeconomics, Economics 100B (or 100N), Intermediate Macroeconomics, and Economics 113, Introduction to Econometrics; (2) with consent of an instructor, by completion of a senior thesis.

Note that item 2, senior thesis, is quite rare. Most students who write a senior thesis have already met the comprehensive requirement.