A 2 + 2 Plan Leading to a Bachelor of Arts
or a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics

All degree requirements are subject to the provisions and notices in the Undergraduate Catalog. Information is valid through August 2013.

B.A. or B.S. Degree in Economics

About Economics

Economics is the study of how individuals, businesses, and governments allocate scarce resources to best achieve their goals.  It is concerned both with the ways in which individuals and firms make decisions and with the behavior of the national and international economy.  Economics consists of a number of subfields, such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, labor economics, monetary policy, urban economics, health economics, government finance and taxation, environmental economics, econometrics, industrial organization, urban and regional economics, international economics, and the economics of developing countries.

Economics at NIU

Because the department offers strong graduate programs at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels, it has distinguished faculty members who teach in a variety of specialized fields. These faculty members devote most of their teaching time to undergraduate classes, which enables a close and important connection between professor and student at NIU.

Careers in Economics

Students who major in economics possess important skills that are highly valued in today's job market. Hence, majors in economics have a wide and varying array of employment choices, including opportunities in administration, marketing research, consulting, financial services, sales, management, insurance, real estate, public and social service, as well as many other exciting fields.

Suggested Semester Plans

Students who pursue studies within economics need a broad preparation in their first two years of study at the community college level. Students considering economics as a major at NIU should follow the 2+2 course sequence as a general outline.

For the Bachelor of Arts

At your community college, include in your course of study:

• One year principles-level economics course work, encompassing both micro and macro theory
• Course work needed to fulfill the foreign language requirement
• Fulfill as many general education requirements as possible

At NIU during your junior year, include:

• ECON 360 and ECON 361
• Three economics electives at the upper-­division level (300/400 level)
• STAT 208 or STAT 301 or UBUS 223
• Remaining general education or B.A. requirements not completed at the community college level
• Course work in minor or electives

At NIU during your senior year, include:

• Four economics electives at the upper-­division level (300/400 level)
• Remaining course work in minor or electives
• Capstone research paper

For the Bachelor of Science

At your community college, include in your course of study:

• One year principles-­level economics course work encompassing both micro and macro theory
• One year of math (NIU equivalents MATH 210 and MATH 211, or MATH 229 and MATH 230)
• Students who take the MATH 210, MATH 211 sequence should also take a one semester computer science course (NIU equivalent CSCI 210 or CSCI 230)
• Fulfill as many general education requirements as possible.

At NIU during your junior year, include:

• ECON 360 and ECON 361
• Three economics electives at the upper-­division level (300/400 level)
• STAT 301 or STAT 350
• Remaining general education or B.S. requirements not completed at the community college level
• Course work in minor or electives

At NIU during your senior year, include:

• Three economics electives at the upper-­division level (300/400 level)
• ECON 390/390A or ECON 393/393A
• Remaining course work in minor or electives
• Capstone research paper

The sequence of courses suggested above provides an outline of what a typical student should follow upon entering NIU for his or her last two years of undergraduate work with a major in economics. The plan assumes that the student has received an A.A. or A.S. degree from an Illinois public community college or has completed the IAI transferable General Education Core Curriculum. If not, not all general education credits may be transferable.

Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a major comprehensive university with over 25,000 students. It offers 54 undergraduate majors and 74 graduate programs in the Colleges of Business, Education, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts.

The 786-­acre main campus of Northern Illinois University is located in the city of DeKalb, a community of about 42,500 located 65 miles west of Chicago's Loop, on the East-­West Tollway (I-88).

The campus, which features two lagoons and a wooded area, has grown from a single building in 1895 to a modern, 63-­building campus. The first building, Altgeld Hall, originally known as "the Castle on the Hill" still stands and houses administrative offices.  The Holmes Student Center, 16 stories tall, is located in the central campus area.

For More Information

For additional information, please contact:

Undergraduate Adviser
Department of Economics
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2828
(815) 753-1031
www.niu.edu/econ

For a current NIU Undergraduate Catalog and application materials, please contact:

Office of Admissions
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115-­2857
(800) 892-3050 (toll-­free in Illinois)
or (815) 753-­0446
www.niu.edu/admissions 

Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, status based on the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA), or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran. Further, the Constitution and Bylaws of Northern Illinois University provides for equal treatment regardless of political views or affiliation, and sexual orientation.