Lang’s General Degree Requirements
In addition to the requirements outlined here, Lang has specific requirements, including a minimum number of credits in liberal arts courses as well as college residency requirements. All students should read Lang’s General Degree Requirements and consult with both their Student Success advisor and their departmental faculty advisor each semester to ensure that they are on track to graduate.
Degree Works
Students should make sure that their Degree Works account reflects the information in this worksheet by forwarding any approved exemptions from the following requirements to their Student Success advisor.
Bachelor’s-Master’s Program
Undergraduates in the BA/MA program can earn up to 18 credits (depending on the master's program) in New School master's courses and apply those graduate credits to both their BA and their MA. Submission of the Bachelor’s-Master’s application is required
(members of the direct-entry cohort do not have to submit an application but do have to declare the Bachelor's-Master's combination they wish to pursue). Students should consult their departmental faculty advisor and their Student Success advisor
if they are pursuing a BA/MA, including those offered in Economics:
- BA Economics—MA Economics
Requirements for the BA in Economics at Lang
As of fall 2020, students declaring the major in Economics must take 12 courses, outlined as follows. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses to meet the requirements for the major in Economics. Declare your major by following the process
outlined in Declaring Your Major. Students who have declared the major in Economics before
fall 2020 but wish to follow the fall 2020 curriculum can consult their Student Success Advisor about submitting a Change of Catalog Year request.
Only specific courses, including electives, satisfy the requirements for the major in Economics at Lang. BPATS students interested in studying economics should consult their core faculty advisor.
Lang students should select courses carefully, in consultation with the Departmental Faculty Advisor and their Student Success advisor. Track your progress using the program worksheet (below). See the university course catalog for spring 2026 Economics courses that fulfill these requirements and consult our 4-Year Lang Career Pathways Map (PDF)
for helpful steps and resources to link your academic journey to your future plans.
How to Major in Economics at Lang
Only specific courses satisfy the major requirements, including electives. The introductory course, ULEC 2231, serves as a point of entry for all other courses in the department. ULEC 2231, LECO 3877, and LECO 3823 together constitute the theoretical
core of the Economics curriculum. LECO 3877 and LECO 3823 are different from other 3000-level courses, which generally presume some familiarity with the contents of LECO 3877 and/or LECO 3823. Students who major in Economics should complete LECO 3877
and LECO 3823 as soon as possible after they have completed ULEC 2231 to ensure that they develop a sufficiently strong appreciation of the economic theory that they will be expected to apply in 3000-level elective courses.
Major Requirements
Introductory courses (9–11 credits)
- ULEC 2231 Introduction to Political Economy (3 credits)
- 1 Integrative course chosen from courses in related fields—e.g., social sciences, philosophy, or history—and approved by the departmental faculty advisor (3–4 credits)
Other required courses in economic theory and its applications (23–32 credits)
- LECO 3877 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3–4 credits)
- LECO 3823 Intermediate Microeconomics (3–4 credits)
- LECO 3101 History of Economic Thought (3–4 credits)
- 3 LECO electives, 2 of which must be at the 3000 level or higher. With the approval of the departmental faculty advisor, students can substitute courses in related fields at equivalent levels for one of these electives (9–12 credits)
- Choose 1 introductory statistics or applied statistics course (3–4 credits):
- LMTH 2025 Statistics for the Social Sciences (3–4 credits)
- LMTH 2030 Statistics with SPSS (3–4 credits)
- An approved introductory statistics course (3–4 credits)
- LECO 3010 Introduction to Econometric Methods and Applications (students must complete LMTH 2025 Statistics for the Social Sciences, LMTH 2030 Statistics with SPSS, or the equivalent before enrolling in this course) (3-4 credits)
- Choose one mathematics or applied mathematics course* (3–4 credits):
- LMTH 2041 Calculus 1 or an approved equivalent (3–4 credits)
- LMTH 3006 Math Tools for Social and Natural Sciences or an approved equivalent (3–4 credits)
*Students planning to pursue the BA/MA program in Economics or to continue in related graduate studies are strongly encouraged to take LMTH 3006 Math Tools for Social and Natural Sciences. See below for typical BA/MA swing courses.†
Senior Capstone (3–4 credits)
- Review the Senior Capstone Guidelines for Economics Majors and select one of the following options
in consultation with your departmental faculty advisor (3–4 credits):
- Graduate-level Economics course
- LECO 4990 Independent Senior Thesis
- LECO 4200 Senior Seminar (when offered)
Total credits: 36–47
† Typical BA/MA Swing Courses:
GECO 5104 Historical Foundations of Political Economy
GECO 5108 World Political Economy
GECO 6140 Financial Markets and Valuation
GECO 6181 Introductory Econometrics
GECO 6190
Graduate Microeconomics
GECO 6191 Graduate Macroeconomics