Yale Department of Economics

Frequently Asked Questions

Admissions Inquiries from Students outside Yale University
Distinction in the Major / Senior Essay
Freshmen Questions
Math Requirement
Seminars
Courses Taken Outside the Department for Credit Toward the Major
Syllabus Requests
 

Admission Inquiries from Students outside Yale University

Q.  I would like to be admitted to Yale and major in economics. Can you send me some information?

A.  The Office of Undergraduate Admissions makes the decision on admissions to Yale College, not individual departments.   Please refer to their website address: http://www.yale.edu/admit/ for more information.  Once you are admitted to Yale College, you can major in whatever subject(s) you like.

Distinction in the Major / Senior Essay

Seniors who wish to be considered for distinction in the economics major must meet the grade standards for distinction and submit a senior essay in April of their senior year written in Econ 491a ( a one-term essay), Econ 491a and 492b (a two-term essay), or a fall-term seminar (wherein with additional work, the seminar paper has been developed with the help of the seminar instructor to senior essay status). All senior essays must be done with the help of an advisor and submission of an approved senior essay prospectus in October.

It is a good idea (but not required) to try to choose a senior-essay topic and to find an advisor during the spring of your junior year.  This allows you to start research over the summer.

Please attend one of the senior essay informational meetings in the first week of classes for more details. (Consult your bluebook for days and times.)

Also please refer to the Senior Essay Guidelines, posted in the Forms & Documents section of this website.  

Freshmen Questions

Q.  Can I omit introductory economics if I got an AP score of 5 in Economics and Calculus BC?

A.  You need permission of the DUS.

Q.  Can I omit introductory economics if I did not get an AP scores of 5?

A.  No.

Q.  I am an international student with a background in economics who could not take the AP test,  and I want to be exempted from introductory economics. Is that possible?

A.  Please see the DUS during his walk-in office hours during the first days of the term.

Q.  I took an economics college course in high school.  How can I get credit for it?

A.  If you scored a 5 on the AP Economics microeconomics and/or macroeconomics ­and a 5 on the AP Calculus-BC then you can petition the DUS to skip introductory economics and enroll directly in intermediate economics.  You earn acceleration credit(s) by getting a B- or better in the intermediate course(s) if you enroll in these courses in your freshman year.  Your residential college dean will advise you on acceleration credits. You can also refer to the “Freshman Placement and Acceleration” section in the Yale College Program of Study for an explanation of this policy.

Q.  What is Econ 108?

A.  Econ 108 covers the same areas of economics as Econ 110 and Econ 115, namely introductory microeconomics, but with a greater emphasis on quantitative methods and examples. It is intended for students with limited or no experience with calculus. Enrollment will be limited and will be by permission of the DUS.

Q.  What is the difference between Econ 110/111 and Econ 115/116?

A.  The course content is the same, but the teaching style is different. 

Econ 110 and 111 are introductory economics courses for freshmen only.  Each section has about 30 students and they are taught by experienced instructors. 

Econ 115 and 116 are introductory lecture courses open to all class years.  A faculty member lectures twice a week, and sections of 20 students meet once a week. 

Some freshmen prefer a smaller class-size as in 110/111, but other students prefer to be taught by a faculty member via lectures, with small sections for review.

Econ 108 covers the same areas of economics as Econ 110 and Econ 115, namely introductory microeconomics, but with a greater emphasis on quantitative methods and examples. It is intended for students with limited or no experience with calculus. Enrollment will be limited and will be by permission of the DUS.

Math Requirement of the Major

Q.  How do I meet the math prerequisite requirement?

A.  You must complete for credit one of the following Yale courses: Math 112, 115, 118, 120 or higher. Math 118, Introduction to Functions of Several Variables, is recommended for social sciences and especially economics students.

Seminars

Q.  How is seminar placement done?

A.  Declared economics, economics & math and EP&E majors, who have taken 2 of the 3 core courses and met all   of the "prerequisites" are placed into seminars according to the following priority:

        1. Seniors who have not yet met the seminar requirement
        2. Juniors

If you have met the seminar requirement after the fall of your senior year, you will not be placed into a seminar during preregistration for the spring.  You can however, go to seminars with open spaces and after the first or second class meeting we will be able to determine if we can admit you. Priority for open spaces goes to 4th year seniors first, then down the scale (see Q & A below). The seminar preregistration lists, posted at 28 Hillhouse Ave. and on the webpage here, will note if a seminar is open or closed.

Q.  How will acceleration/deceleration affect my priority?

A. Seniors in their 4th year are placed before accelerated seniors in their 3rd year. Juniors in their 3rd year are placed before accelerated juniors in their 2nd year.

We have found that most economics accelerated students (94%) decelerate, so only a handful of students who accelerate actually graduate early and need the seminars early. We will honor your accelerated status based on the priority system outlined above.

Q.  Why can't I take the place of someone who drops out of a seminar? Take a different seminar from the one I was placed in?  Why can't I shop seminars?

A.  Seminar spaces are limited and enrollment is kept low to ensure the character of small seminars.

You can switch to a different seminar if there are open spaces in that seminar and you have an academic a conflict, but we keep switching to a minimum.

Closed seminars are overenrolled in preregistration so attrition is accounted for. Unfortunately, for closed seminars, there is little room to maneuver.

Q.  Should I meet the seminar requirement in my senior year?

A.  We recommend that you try to take one of the two required seminars in your junior year.

Q.  If I have already met the seminar requirement in my junior year, do I have to take another seminar?

A.  Yes. In all cases students must enroll in one seminar during their senior year.

Please note however, that if you want to be considered for distinction in the major, you must do a senior essay (which counts as a seminar if you enroll in Econ 491a or 491a/492b) or alternatively a senior essay done in a seminar in your senior year. 

Courses Taken in Yale but Outside the Department for Credit toward the Major

Q. Can I get credit toward the economics major for Yale courses in related fields.

A. At most one course outside of economics but in a related field can count toward the requirements for the economics major. Granting related credit for a particular student in a particular course is at the discretion of the DUS.  Typical examples of related-credit courses are advanced math or statistics classes.

Q. How do I apply for "related course credit" for a non-economics Yale course?

A.  Related course credit is only given for Yale courses taken by declared majors, and only if requested and granted in the semester they are taking the course. Fill out the “Request for Related Course Credit” form (available in the "Forms & Documents section of our website or in the Undergraduate Studies office at 28 Hillhouse Ave.) and bring it to the DUS for approval and authorized signature by the midterm date on the Yale College Calendar.  Late submissions will not be accepted.

Courses Taken Outside of Yale

Please consult the separate tab at http://www.econ.yale.edu/undergrad/ugrad.htm


Q.  Can I count Credit/D/Fail courses for credit towards the major?

A. No.

Syllabus

Q.  How can I get a copy of the syllabus for a course I took some time ago?

A.  The instructor owns the copyright to the course syllabus and therefore it must be requested from him/her.