Economics minor
The economics minor in the Department of Economics at Western Michigan University consists of a minimum of 15 credit hours of economics courses:
- Can be taken fully online.
- Six credit hours of Principles of Economics (ECON 2010 and 2020).
- Nine credit hours of upper-level electives, 3000 level and above (excluding 5910, 5920 and 5980) which can be chosen from the large number of courses listed below.
Many departments and colleges require ECON 2010 and/or ECON 2020 for their major. Therefore, students in these majors are already part-way to an economics minor. Finishing out your economics minor will be easy. For example:
- Aviation – Flight science requires ECON 2010, while Aviation Management & Operations requires ECON 2010, ECON 2020 and one 3000-level course from this list (ECON 3040, ECON 3100, ECON 3200, ECON 3240, ECON 3450).
- Business – All business students are required to take ECON 2010 and ECON 2020. Finance/commercial law students are required to take a third course above the 3000 level, and accounting majors are required to take a third course from this list (ECON 3200, ECON 3240, ECON 3400, ECON 3450, ECON 4030, ECON 4060).
- Engineering – most departments require ECON 2010 for Area V requirements. Chemical engineering lists ECON 3190 as an elective if students are pursuing the pollution prevention option. Paper engineering lists ECON 3190 as an elective for their environmental engineering & sustainable processes elective core.
- Freshwater Science & Sustainability – Two courses are required: ECON 2010 or ECON 2020, and ECON 3190.
- Geography – Community & Regional Planning requires ECON 2010 and ECON 2020.
- Sustainable Brewing - ECON 2010, ECON 2020, and ECON 3400 are all electives in this program.
While any course in the list below can be used as an upper-level elective, there are many courses that pair well with your major(s) or broad areas of interest:
- Accounting – ECON 3200, ECON 3240, ECON 3400, ECON 3450, ECON 4030, ECON 4060
- Biomedical Studies – ECON 3180, ECON 3190, ECON 3210, ECON 3390
- Data Analysis – ECON 3390, ECON 4020, ECON 4090
- Finance - ECON 3200, ECON 3240, ECON 3390, ECON 3400
- Gender Studies – ECON 3090, ECON 3100
- International – ECON 3210, ECON 3800, ECON 3840, ECON 3870, ECON 3880, ECON 3890
- Mathematics - Applied Mathematics Option - Students in this major are required to take a minor, of which economics is a suggested option. ECON 3390, ECON 3400, ECON 4020, ECON 4031, ECON 4191
- Medical Profession – ECON 3180, ECON 3390, ECON 3450
- Political Science/Pre-Law – ECON 3040, ECON 3190, ECON 3240, ECON 3450
Courses
Courses that address this wide array of interests and count toward the minor include:
- ECON 2190 - Economics of Sustainability
- ECON 3040–The Organization of Industries
- ECON 3050–History of Economic Thought (writing intensive course)
- ECON 3090–Economics of Gender and Race
- ECON 3100–Labor Economics
- ECON 3150–Sports Economics
- ECON 3180–The Economics of Medical Care
- ECON 3190–Environmental Economics
- ECON 3200–Money and Banking
- ECON 3210–The Economics of Immigration
- ECON 3240–Public Finance
- ECON 3390–Exploring Economic Data
- ECON 3400-Managerial Economics
- ECON 3450–Business, Government and Society
- ECON 3800–International Economics
- ECON 3840–Economic Development
- ECON 3870–Studies in Asian Economies
- ECON 3880–African Economies
- ECON 3890–Latin American Economies
- ECON 4030–Intermediate Microeconomics
- ECON 4031–Intermediate Microeconomics w/Calculus
- ECON 4041–Organization of Industries w/Calculus
- ECON 4191–Economics Policy Analysis w/Calculus
- ECON 4840–Comparative Economic Systems (writing intensive course)
Minor form
Meet with your advisor to complete a minor form. The economics undergraduate advisor can help you tailor your minor to suit your particular interests and career plans.
Questions
Contact College of Arts and Sciences advising for more information.