Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Economics, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

VCU

Community college:
A.A.&.S. or A.S. in Business Administration (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Program description

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.

Career opportunities

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.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Budget, Financial, or Public Policy Analyst
  • Economist
  • Information Scientist
  • Journalist
  • Loan Officer
  • Personal Financial Advisor
  • Research Assistant
  • Statistician
  • Underwriter
  • Urban Planner
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • College Professor
  • Economic Consultant
  • Financial Manager
  • Policy Advisor
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Highest level of math required
  • ECON 501 or SCMA 302 or STAT 314
  • MATH 200 or BUSN 212
Science required
  • Core only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5+ cumulative GPA to declare major, 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate, and 2.0+ major GPA to graduate

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Economics, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

Virginia Community College System (A.A.&.S. or A.S. in 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
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Complete your math and english requirements in your first year.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Explore the School of Business website.
  • Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience Year 2
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of Business, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of Business-related events.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Complete your math and english requirements in your first year.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Explore the School of Business website.
  • Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of Business, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of Business-related events.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • 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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Economics, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

Virginia Community College System (A.A.&.S. or A.S. in Business Administration)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements.
SDV 100 or 101 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 161 (or MTH 167) Precalculus I MATH 141 3 General education
MTH 261 or MTH 263 Applied Calculus or Calculus I Note: Students considering graduate-level education in Economics beyond the bachelor's degree should take Calculus I (MTH 263) BUSN 212 or MATH 200 3 to 4 Major (Ancillary)
ACC 211 Principles of Accounting I Acct 203 3 Major (Ancillary)
ACC 212 Principles of Accounting II ACCT 204 3 Major (Ancillary)
ECO 201 Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics ECON 211 3 Major (Ancillary)
ECO 202 Principles of Economics: Microeconomics ECON 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
BUS 100 Introduction to Business BUSN 201 3 Major (Ancillary)
CST 100 or 110 Public Speaking BUSN 225 3 Major (Ancillary)
Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 28 to 29 Elective
Community college credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU.
ECON 300 Contemporary Economic Issues 3 Major
ECON 301 Microeconomic Theory 3 Major
ECON 302 Macroeconomic Theory 3 Major
ECON Select one: ECON 431, ECON 441, ECON 442, ECON 461, ECON 489 3 Major
ECON 501 or SCMA 302 Introduction to Econometrics or Business Statistics II 3 Major
ECON ECON electives (300 or 400 level or 501) 15 Major
BUSN 301 Career and Professional Development 1 Major (Ancillary)
BUSN 323 Legal Environment of Business 3 Major (Ancillary)
BUSN 499 Business Knowledge Exam 0 Major (Ancillary)
FIRE 311 Financial Management 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 303 Creativity and Ideation 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 310 Managing People in Organizations 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 434 Strategic Management 3 Major (Ancillary)
MKTG 301 Marketing Principles 3 Major (Ancillary)
SCMA 301 Business Statistics I 3 Major (Ancillary)
SCMA 320 Production/Operations Management 3 Major (Ancillary)
INFO 360 or ACCT 307 Business Information Systems or Accounting Systems 3 Major (Ancillary)
Open elective 2 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120
The accelerated B.S. and M.A. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. and M.A. in economics in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 85 undergraduate credit hours including ECON 300, ECON 301 and ECON 302 ; an overall GPA of 3.25; and a GPA of 3.25 in economics and quantitative course work.