Economics (BA)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2026-Spring 2027 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Arts in Economics 
Unit: College of Business (BU)
Department: Economics 
Academic Plan Code(s): EC_ _BA

Program Information

The Department of Economics provides a thorough education in economics to UofL undergraduate students with majors and minors in the department as well as students from other academic programs. A primary departmental objective is promoting the understanding of the economy through economic analysis of industry, non-profit institutions, and government at the micro- and macroeconomic levels. Students develop comprehension, reasoning, and quantitative skills through their study of domestic and global economic issues.

Degree Summary

¹

To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements will require additional hours to complete the degree requirements (or decrease the indicated electives). See the Degree Requirements tab for specific coursework.

²

College/School Requirements total includes 6 hours of required courses that also satisfy General Education hours requirements.

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Departmental Admission Requirements

New Students and Transfer Students

Admission to the College of Business ensures admission to the BA in Economics.

Current Students - Admission in Good Standing

Students must have both:

1. Earned a 2.8 cumulative GPA (students with an established UofL GPA may not include grades for coursework at another institution in consideration for admission); and
2. Completion of MATH 111 College Algebra - QR (or equivalent) or completion of MATH 180 Elements of Calculus - QR 

General Education Requirements

All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed on the Overview tab, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program.

College/School Requirements

Total of 53 includes 3 credit hours of ECON and 3 credit hours of MATH that are also counted in the 31 General Education hours above. See notes.

Program/Major Requirements

Six hours of US & global perspectives courses are required and may be incorporated within the degree program.

All prerequisites must be followed. 

¹

College/School Requirements satisfy 6 hours of the General Education (3 hours Quantitative Reasoning and 3 hours Social & Behavioral Sciences).

²

Prerequisites for MATH 205 or MATH 180  may be used as General Electives.

³

Also completes the Quantitative Reasoning General Education requirement. Student who take MATH 205 to satisfy the program Math requirement will reduce the number of general electives required to reach the minimum number of hours for the degree by one (1).

⁴

ECON 202  completes 3 hours of General Education Social & Behavioral Sciences.

⁵

The following courses will also meet the statistics requirement: MATH 109, PSYC 301, SOC 301, ISE 360, MATH 360, PHST 302, POLS 390 or equivalent. 

⁶

Completion of three semesters of Foreign Language (9-12 hours). Languages with three semesters but less than 12 hours must be made up as elective hours. 

⁷

Either PPE 300 or FIN 301 may be taken as 3 hours of Economics electives.  ECON 290 may also be taken as 3 hours of Economics electives.

⁸

To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements will require additional hours to complete the degree requirements (or decrease the listed electives).

Flight Plan

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "What-if Advisement Report."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report or create a What-if report.