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Undergraduate Coursework in Economics: A Survey Perspective

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  • John J. Siegfried
  • William B. Walstad

Abstract

Survey results from a large sample of economics departments describe offerings for principles courses, coursework requirements for economics majors, and program augmentations such as capstone courses, senior seminars, and honors programs. Findings are reported for all institutions, and institutions are subdivided into six different categories based on public or private control and the highest economics degree offered. The coursework required for the economics major typically consists of ten courses, five in a required core and five electives. The most conspicuous curriculum change over the past 30 years is the rise of econometrics as a required course, now mandatory at about half of major programs. The authors estimate that about 40 percent of students who matriculate as first-year undergraduates take at least one economics course before they leave.

Suggested Citation

  • John J. Siegfried & William B. Walstad, 2014. "Undergraduate Coursework in Economics: A Survey Perspective," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 147-158, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jeduce:v:45:y:2014:i:2:p:147-158
    DOI: 10.1080/00220485.2014.889965
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William Bosshardt & Michael Watts & William E. Becker, 2013. "Course Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees in Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 643-647, May.
    2. KimMarie McGoldrick, 2008. "Writing Requirements and Economic Research Opportunities in the Undergraduate Curriculum: Results from a Survey of Departmental Practices," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 287-296, July.
    3. Marie Petkus & John J. Perry & Bruce K. Johnson, 2014. "Core Requirements for the Economics Major," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 56-62, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos J. Asarta & Frank G. Mixon Jr., 2019. "Publishing and Scholarship in Economic Education: A Catalog and Assessment," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 64(2), pages 269-281, October.
    2. Teresa Ghilarducci & Zachary Knauss & Richard McGahey & William Milberg & Drew Landes & Edward Nilaj, 2021. "The Future of Heterodox Economics," SCEPA working paper series. 2021-01, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA), The New School.
    3. Jane E. Ihrig & Scott A. Wolla, 2020. "Let's Close the Gap: Revising Teaching Materials to Reflect How the Federal Reserve Implements Monetary Policy," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-092, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Johnson, Marianne & Kovzik, Alexander, 2016. "Teaching comparative economic systems 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 23-33.
    5. Kiran Gajwani & Jeffrey Miron, 2015. "Engaging Undergraduates in Economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(2), pages 200-206, April.
    6. Carlos J. Asarta & Austin S. Jennings & Paul W. Grimes, 2017. "Economic Education Retrospective," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 62(1), pages 102-117, March.
    7. Konow, James, 2019. "Can ethics instruction make economics students more pro-social?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 724-734.
    8. Ifcher, John & Zarghamee, Homa, 2018. "The rapid evolution of homo economicus: Brief exposure to neoclassical assumptions increases self-interested behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 55-65.
    9. Li, Ishuan & Simonson, Robert D., 2016. "The value of a redesigned program and capstone course in economics," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 48-58.
    10. Tisha L. N. Emerson & KimMarie McGoldrick & John J. Siegfried, 2018. "The Gender Gap in Economics Degrees: An Investigation of the Role Model and Quantitative Requirements Hypotheses," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(3), pages 898-911, January.
    11. Cladera, Magdalena, 2021. "Assessing the attitudes of economics students towards econometrics," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    12. Brad R. Humphreys & Joshua C. Hall & Hyunwoong Pyun, 2015. "An Inventory of Sports Economics Courses in the US," Working Papers 15-49, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    13. Ishuan Li & Robert Simonson, 2016. "Capstone senior research course in economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(2), pages 161-167, April.
    14. John Chung-En Liu & Yoram Bauman & Yating Chuang, 2019. "Climate Change and Economics 101: Teaching the Greatest Market Failure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-12, March.
    15. Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick, 2017. "Promoting Undergraduate Research in Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 655-659, May.
    16. Depro, Brooks & Rouse, Kathryn, 2022. "Adapting the case method in an economics capstone research course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    17. Samuel Bowles & Wendy Carlin, 2020. "What Students Learn in Economics 101: Time for a Change," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 58(1), pages 176-214, March.
    18. Vincenzo Andrietti & Carlos Velasco, 2015. "Lecture Attendance, Study Time, and Academic Performance: A Panel Data Study," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 239-259, July.

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