Bachelor of Science: Economics
VCU
Economics is the science of human choice, the study of how individuals and businesses allocate scarce resources among competing uses. As an economics major, you’ll gain an understanding of markets and incentives, and learn to evaluate current events and assess public policy. From our gateway course to our capstone programs, you’ll develop the analytical and communication skills valued by employers. Our curriculum focuses on applying quantitative and data analysis expertise to address business, public policy, and socioeconomic concerns. We also help you build and refine your communication skills, preparing you to present your work professionally with confidence.
Undergraduate work in economics is excellent preparation for careers in business, government, and teaching, as well as for graduate work in economics and professional schools such as law, public administration, and medicine. Specialization in economics prepares students for careers that emphasize analytical thinking, a broad understanding of the economy and business organizations, and the impact firm/government decisions have upon consumers, firms, and the economy as a whole. Because of their analytical, quantitative and decision-making skills, students who major in economics are sought after for a wide array of positions. In particular, the specific skills economics majors acquire provide employment opportunities in large organizations that forecast business conditions and analyze economic data.
- Budget, Financial, or Public Policy Analyst
- Economist
- Information Scientist
- Journalist
- Loan Officer
- Personal Financial Advisor
- Research Assistant
- Statistician
- Underwriter
- Urban Planner
- College Professor
- Economic Consultant
- Financial Manager
- Policy Advisor
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
- MATH 200 or SCMA 212 or BUSN 212
- Core only
- No
- Yes
- 2.5+ cumulative GPA to declare major, 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate, and 2.0+ major GPA to graduate
Bachelor of Science: Economics
Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts and Sciences: Business Administration)
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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Explore | Year 1 |
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Experience | Year 2 |
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MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Register for SDV 100.
- Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester to discuss progress in your degree program.
- Find and connect with a faculty mentor.
- Develop strong Excel skills by completing ITE 115.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Consider work opportunities on campus.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create Linkedln profile.
- Get involved with an organization.
- Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
- Browse careers related to economics through the career coach.
- Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take a career assessment through the career coach.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
- Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Work with career services to build resume.
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Reflect on your academic preparation for VCU by completing the MINDSET Inventory.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing for next year.
- Join a professional organization related to economics: American Economic Association, OmicronDeltaEpsilon.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
- Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
- Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- Run for leadership in your student organization.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Bachelor of Science: Economics
Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts and Sciences: Business Administration)
Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
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SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
MTH 161 | Precalculus I | MATH 141 | 3 | General education |
BUS 100 | Introduction to Business | BUSN 201 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
ITE 115 | Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts | INFO 160, 161, 162 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
HIS | History elective (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 | HIST | 3 | General education |
ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
ECO 201 | Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics | ECON 211 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
HLT/PED | Health/Physical Education | VCU equivalent | 2 | Elective |
Laboratory Science | Laboratory Science (select two-semester sequence): BIO 101-102, CHM 101-102, GOL 105-106, PHY 201-202. | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
CST 100 | Public Speaking (or CST 110 or CST 126) | BUSN 225 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
ACC 211 | Principles of Accounting I | ACCT 203 | 4 | Major (Business Foundation) |
MTH 261 | Applied Calculus | BUSN 212 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
ECO 202 | Principles of Economics: Microeconomics | ECON 210 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
MTH 261 | Applied Calculus | BUSN 212 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
ECO 202 | Principles of Economics: Microeconomics | ECON 210 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
Humanities | Humanities elective (select 1): ART 101, 102, CST 151, MUS 121, PHI 101, 220, REL 231 | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
Humanities | Humanities elective (select 1): ART 101, 102, CST 151, MUS 121, PHI 101, 220, REL 231 | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
Laboratory Science | Laboratory Science (select two-semester sequence): BIO 101-102, CHM 101-102, GOL 105-106, PHY 201-202. | VCU equivalent | 4 | General education |
ENG | Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1): ENG 241, 242, 243, 244, 251, 252 | ENGL | 3 | General education |
ACC 212 | Principles of Accounting II | ACCT 204 | 3 | Major (Business Foundation) |
HIS | History elective (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 | HIST | 3 | General education |
Transfer elective | Transfer elective | VCU equivalent | 3 | Elective |
Germanna credits transferred to VCU | 63 |
Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Science: Economics (School of Business) | |||
INFO 165 | Digital Literacy: Spreadsheet Skills II | 1 | Major (Business Foundation) |
BUSN 325 | Organizational Communication | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 | Major (Advanced Business Major) |
FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
MGMT 434 | Strategic Management (capstone) | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 | Major (Advanced Business Core) |
BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 | Major |
ECON 300 | Contemporary Economics Issues | 3 | Major |
ECON 403 or SCMA 320 | Introduction to Mathematical Economics or Production/Operations Management | 3 | Major |
ECON 501 or SCMA 302 | Introduction to Econometrics or Business Statistics II | 3 | Major |
INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 | Major |
ECON 301 | Microeconomic Theory | 3 | Major |
ECON 302 | Macroeconomic Theory | 3 | Major |
Select one: ECON 431, ECON 441, ECON 461 or ECON 489 | 3 | Major | |
ECON electives (select five 300- or 400-level ECON courses). NOTE: ECON 501 may be used as an elective if SCMA 302 is taken as a required course. ECON 403 may be used as an elective if SCMA 320 is taken as a required course. BUSN 400+401 may be used as electives for students enrolled in the International Consulting Program. | 15 | Major | |
Credits Completed at VCU | 61 | ||
Bachelor's degree total | 124 | ||
Bachelor of Science: Economics (College of Humanities and Sciences) | |||
Foreign language through the 102 level (by course or placement). (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) | 0 to 8 | General education (not waived by completion of associate degree) | |
STAT 210 or SCMA 301 | Basic Practice of Statistics or Business Statistics I | 3 | Major |
ECON 300 | Contemporary Economics Issues | 3 | Major |
ECON 301 | Microeconomic Theory | 3 | Major |
ECON 302 | Macroeconomic Theory | 3 | Major |
Select one: ECON 431, ECON 441, ECON 461 or ECON 489 | 3 | Major | |
ECON electives (select five 300- or 400-level ECON courses). | 15 | Major | |
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor in General Business or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 18 | Elective | |
Open electives | 9 | Elective | |
Credits Completed at VCU | 57 | ||
Bachelor's degree total | 120 |