Undergraduate Program

College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Economics Undergraduate Admission Requirements

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA.
Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

Completion of General Education Curriculum: Communication.
Completion of General Education Curriculum: Mathematics and Statistics.
Completion of General Education Curriculum: Second Language.

Completion of Department of Economics admission coursework with grades of "C" or better:

ECON 2110.
ECON 2120.

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Arts in Economics (B.A.)

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs

The Department of Economics offers a Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program for undergraduate economics majors. The Program allows the completion of a B.A. and an M.A. in Economics in five years of study. See the “Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program” section of this page for specific admission information and requirements.

The Department of Economics and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies offer a Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. The Program enables completion of the B.A. in Economics (with one of three undergraduate minors from Geography and Environmental Studies), and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Geography in five years of study. See the "Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs" section of this page for specific admission information and requirements.

Undergraduate students in the B.A. in Economics program may seek admission to the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. See the "Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs" section of this page for specific admission information and requirements.

Major Study Requirements

A major in Economics consists of a minimum of 33 credit hours in Economics courses. Eighteen credit hours must be taken at UNM to satisfy the residency requirement. See the checklist below for specific course requirements.

The Major and Minor requirements are but a small percentage of the overall degree requirements to be satisfied. It is the responsibility of the student to satisfy all University degree requirements. It is highly recommended that students meet with their advisors two to three times a year (once per semester) to ensure they are on track to complete all requirements (department, college, and University) and for the purpose of applying to graduate.

A major in Economics requires a common core consisting of five courses:

ECON 2110 Macroeconomic Principles
ECON 2120 Microeconomic Principles
ECON 300 Intermediate Microeconomics I
ECON 303 Intermediate Macroeconomics I
ECON **309 Introductory Statistics and Econometrics

See course descriptions for prerequisite and corequisite requirements.

Additionally, students must complete 18 credit hours of electives in Economics courses with a maximum of 3 credit hours from 2000-level courses and a minimum of 3 credit hours from the following courses: ECON *403, *407, *408, *409, *410, *424, *427, *442, *466, and *478.

Potential Minors for Economics Majors

An interdisciplinary approach is useful in the study of economics. Economics majors are encouraged to seek a minor in disciplines such as Computer Science, History, Geography, International Studies, Mathematics, Management, Political Science, Sociology or Sustainability Studies. Students should discuss the selection of a minor with the Economics Undergraduate Director. Students with specialized interests may design a distributed minor and petition the Department Chairperson for approval.

Suggested areas of focus

Pre-graduate: For students considering a Ph.D., a course in Linear Algebra or Matrices is strongly recommended (e.g. MATH **314 or MATH **321). Students should also consult with the Economics Undergraduate Director for additional recommendations. Suggested electives include:

ECON **315, *320, 342, *343, *350, *403, *407, *409, *424, *442 and *466.

Pre-law: Suggested electives include:

ECON *320, *330, *332, *333, *335, 342, and *350.

The Economics Department offers a variety of elective course topics such as the following:

International and Latin American Economics: ECON *321, and *424.
Natural Resources and Environmental Economics: ECON 342, *343 and *442.
Labor and Human Resources: ECON *320, *335, *410 and *427.
Public Finance: ECON *350 and.
Economic Modeling, Forecasting and Policy Analysis: ECON *407, *408, and *409.

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Programs

B.A./M.A. in Economics Shared-Credit Degrees Program

I. Program Requirements

1. The Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program is available to UNM Economics students with junior-year academic standing.
2. Students must have a cumulative overall GPA of 3.20 or higher and a cumulative GPA in economics courses of 3.50 or higher in order to accepted into the Shared-Credits Program.
3. Students must apply to the program by February 15th of the year in which they are eligible. A complete application includes a letter of intent, a CV or resume, an unofficial transcript, GRE scores from within the last three years, and two letters of recommendation if they are from tenure or tenure track faculty or lecturers from economics. If not, three letters of recommendation are required.
4. All other requirements for admission to UNM graduate studies must be met in order to qualify for and pursue the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program in Economics.

II. Undergraduate Requirements

1. Completion of all B.A. Economics requirements, including all General Education, lower- and upper-division, and Economics major coursework.
2. Upper-division courses must include a minimum of three starred 400-level courses, including at least two from ECON* 407 (Mathematical Methods in Economics), ECON* 408 (Economic Forecasting Methods: A Time Series Approach), and ECON* 409 (Intermediate Econometrics).
3. During their senior year, all students must complete ECON 502 (Applied Economic Theory and Analysis).

III. Graduate Requirements

1. The beginning of academic year four undergraduate marks the beginning of the time-to-degree for the graduate portion of the program.
2. After the student’s undergraduate degree is awarded and full admission to the graduate portion of the program is granted, ECON 502 and the nine hours of 400-level approved electives are transferred to the graduate-level transcript towards the M.A. (Plan III). These credit hours are transcripted as undergraduate-level until the undergraduate degree is awarded, and full admission to the graduate portion of the program is granted.
3. Students must complete two semesters of ECON 538 (Topics in Applied Economics) in the Department of Economics.
4. In addition, students will choose to complete one of the four available tracks:

Quantitative Analysis: ECON 508 (Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics and ECON 509 (Econometrics I),
Policy: Two semesters of PUBP 502 (Policy and Evaluation Lab) - offered by the Master of Public Policy Program and cross-listed in the Department of Economics as ECON 538,
Resources: ECON 546 (Water Resources I: Contemporary Issues) and ECON 545 (Water Resources II Models) – offered by the Water Resources Program and cross-listed in the Department of Economics, or
Self-directed: A minimum of six hours of relevant courses approved by the graduate advisor.

3. All students must complete six additional hours of graduate course work to fulfill the minimum required 30 hours of course work.
4. All other requirements for the M.A. (Plan III) in Economics apply.

IV. General Terms

1. The B.A. in Economics is awarded when all requirements are completed. It is not contingent upon completion of the Shared-Credit Program.
2. Shared credit courses (including starred 300-level and 400-level courses) must be completed with a B or better to count toward the graduate degree.
3. Shared-credit coursework will count towards the completion of the undergraduate degree whether or not the student gains access or chooses to attend the graduate portion of the program, provided the student earns a “C” or better in those courses.
4. See the Economics Graduate Program section of this Catalog for graduate degree and course information.
5. Students who choose not to complete the graduate portion of the program are still awarded the undergraduate degree when all undergraduate requirements are met.

B.A. in Economics/M.S. in Geography Shared-Credit Degrees Program

Program Requirements

I. General Requirements

1. The Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program is available to UNM Economics students with junior-year academic standing.
2. Students must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in their Economics major in order to be accepted into the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program.
3. Admission to the program is conditional until the B.A. degree is awarded.
4. All other requirements for admission to UNM graduate studies must be met in order to qualify for and pursue the M.S. in Geography under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program.
5. In order to participate in the program, students must follow the usual graduate admission process to the M.S. in Geography prior to the beginning of the fourth-year of undergraduate study.

II. Undergraduate Requirements in the Department of Economics

1. Completion of all B.A. Economics requirements, including all General Education, lower- and upper-division, and Economics major coursework.
2. Completion of at least 12 credit hours of 300- and 400-level coursework that is complementary to the M.S. in Geography, including:

At least two of the following 400-level courses:
• ECON *407
• ECON *408 or ECON *409
• ECON *442
• ECON *466
The remaining 6 credit hours may be completed from the following 300-level courses:
• ECON 342
• ECON *343

III. Undergraduate Requirements in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

Students must complete one of the three undergraduate minors in Geography and Environmental Studies:

Minor in Geographic Information Science
• Required: GEOG 181, **381L. (7 credit hours)
• Upper-Level Electives: GEOG 380L, *481L, 483L, 484L, 485L, 486L, 487L, 488L. (12 credit hours)

Minor in Geography
• Required: GEOG 1160, 1160L, 1165. (7 credit hours)
• Upper-Level Electives: GEOG 380L, 461, 462, 463, 464, 466, 483L, 484L, 485L, 486L, 487L, 488L. (6 credit hours. Additional courses beyond the required total may be applied to general electives.)
• General Electives: 9 additional credit hours of Geography coursework.

Minor in Law, Environment, and Geography
• Required: GEOG 1160, 1160L, 1165, 364. (10 credit hours)
• Upper-Level Electives: GEOG 461, 462, 463, 464, 466. (6 credit hours. Additional courses beyond the required total may be applied to general electives.)
• General Electives: GEOG 1150, **360, 365. (6 credit hours)

After the admission to the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program, GEOG 501 and 502 must be taken during the student’s fourth undergraduate year for undergraduate credit. In addition, another approved graduate course must be taken during the fourth undergraduate year. These credit hours are transcripted as undergraduate-level until the undergraduate degree is awarded, and full admission to the graduate portion of the program is granted.

IV. Graduate Requirements in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

1. The beginning of undergraduate Year Four marks the beginning of the time-to-degree for the graduate portion of the program.
2. After the student’s undergraduate degree is awarded and full admission to the graduate portion of the program is granted, GEOG 501 and 502, the three credit hours of approved graduate coursework from the fourth undergraduate year, and another three credit hours of 400-level electives from the minor are then transferred to the graduate-level transcript towards the M.S. To be transferred to the graduate-level transcript, a 400-level elective must be available for graduate credit or offered as a 400- or 500-level course.
3. During Year Five, students in the program must take 6 credit hours of thesis and 12 additional credit hours.
4. Additional credit hours must be from the student’s choice of the M.S. concentration in Environmental Studies or the M.S. concentration in Geographic Information Science.
5. All other requirements of the M.S. in Geography apply.

V. General Terms

1. The B.A. in Economics is awarded when all requirements are completed and is not contingent upon completion of the full Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program.
2. Standard Graduate Studies Leave of Absence policy and readmission procedure applies to students in Shared-Credit Degrees Programs. However, upon readmission, the student is no longer eligible for the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program, and courses taken while an undergraduate are not applicable to a graduate degree.
3. Admission to the graduate portion of the program is provisional until the undergraduate degree is awarded.
4. Students who choose not to complete the graduate portion of the program are still awarded the undergraduate degree when all undergraduate requirements are met. Completed graduate-level courses may be applied to either an undergraduate major or minor, as per existing policy.
5. Where the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies chooses not to advance a student to the graduate portion of the program, completed graduate-level courses may be applied to either an undergraduate major or minor, as per existing policy.

Refer to the Geography and Environmental Studies: Graduate Program section of this Catalog for graduate degree and course information.

B.A. in Economics/M.P.A. Public Administration Shared-Credit Degrees Program

The Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program offers B.A. in Economics students an accelerated route to earning both the B.A. (with a minor in Public Administration) and Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degrees. The Program allows students to earn graduate credit during their senior academic year, thereby reducing time and costs for completing both degrees.

Through the B.A. in Economics/M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program, students complete a minimum of 120 credit hours for the B.A. and 42 credit hours for the M.P.A.

Progression

Step 1: Application typically occurs at the end of a student's first semester of junior year. However, since student schedules vary, academic records for all Economics students are reviewed at the end of each academic semester in order to identify students who have satisfied the Shared-Credit degrees program criteria. Invitations are sent to qualifying Economics students. Students wishing to participate in Shared-Credit degrees program may then apply for admission to the School of Public Administration and, upon acceptance, into the Shared-Credit degrees program.
Step 2: Student completes B.A. in Economics requirements, including all General Education curriculum, lower- and upper-division, Economics major coursework, and the Public Administration shared-credit minor. The Economics Department and the College of Arts and Sciences determine that all B.A. degree requirements have been met.
Step 3: Student completes selected M.P.A. 500-level courses. Upon completion of all the undergraduate requirements, the student will receive a B.A. in Economics. The student will then be formally admitted into the M.P.A. program.
Step 4: The student prepares a M.P.A. Study Plan Worksheet with the Student Advisor, which documents coursework to be completed during the M.P.A. program. The M.P.A. Study Plan Worksheet will be updated at the end of each academic term during the M.P.A. program.
Step 5: The student will complete a Program of Studies to be filed with Graduate Studies.
Step 6: Once M.P.A. coursework is completed, the student completes the M.P.A. capstone component. The component may be a Thesis or Professional Paper.
Step 7: The final step is graduation with the Master of Public Administration.

Admission Requirements

This Shared-Credit Degrees Program is available only to B.A. in Economics students who have achieved junior-year academic standing or higher. Invitation is based on academic performance; only students with an overall cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher and a GPA of 3.0 in the following Economics courses are considered: ECON 300, 303, 309, (315 or *320 or *335 or *350).

Admission to the graduate portion of the program is provisional until completion and award of the undergraduate degree.

Undergraduate Year Requirements

Once accepted into the Shared-Credit degrees program, the undergraduate student must complete the Public Administration shared-credit minor as part of the bachelor's degree requirements. Required courses are as follows:

ECON *408 Economic Forecasting Methods: A Time Series Approach -or- ECON *409 Intermediate Econometrics
An additional 400-level ECON course, with department approval
PADM 500 Public Management and Policy
PADM 521 Institutional Development and Behavior
PADM 525 Human Resources Management in the Public Sector
PADM 544 Public Budgeting

Graduate Year Requirements

After the student is awarded the undergraduate degree and is admitted into the M.P.A. program, the following courses are required:

PADM 553
PADM 597
Six PADM elective courses

Should an admitted student choose not to complete the graduate portion of the program, the B.A. in Sociology is awarded on completion of all undergraduate requirements. Refer to the School of Public Administration: Graduate Program section of this Catalog for graduate degree and course information.

Minor Study Requirements

Economics is an excellent minor for students pursuing majors such as Biology, Business Administration, Geography, History, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Political Science, and for those building a pre-professional bachelor’s degree such as pre-law, pre-M.B.A. or pre-M.P.A.

A minor in Economics requires a total of 18 credit hours consisting of:

9 credit hours in required courses: ECON 2110, 2120 and either 300 or 303.
9 credit hours from elective courses with a maximum of 3 credit hours at the 200-level.

Departmental Honors

The departmental honors program is open to outstanding economics majors, typically in their junior year. After consulting with a faculty member willing to supervise their research, students must enroll in ECON 498 Reading for Honors and ECON 499 Senior Honors Thesis. These courses are in addition to those required for the major. University requirements for graduating with departmental honors include an overall grade point average of 3.20 and at least 7 credit hours in departmental honors courses. Interested students should contact the Economics Undergraduate Director for further information.

Keys and Symbols Reference