2025-2026 Edition

Academic Catalog

Economics Minor

Minor Description

The Minor in Economics provides students with a solid historical, theoretical, and analytical basis for understanding the ways goods and services are produced, allocated, and distributed within societal structures. Numerous fields value the skills and knowledge gained from studying economics, including research, quantitative and statistical analysis, strategic problem-solving, and understanding the dynamics of human behavior, markets, and institutions.  

Admission to the Minor

Students intending to minor in Economics must complete Introduction to Economic Theory (ECON110). The prerequisite for ECON110 is calculus. The calculus requirement can be fulfilled by completing ECON102, MATH120, or MATH121. It can also be fulfilled by a score of 4 or higher in AP Calculus (AB or BC), by receiving a 5 or higher on the IB Higher Math test, or by placing into MATH122 or higher according to the Wesleyan Math Placement test. Students can be exempted from the ECON110 course requirement if they have a score of 4 or higher on both AP Micro and AP Macro or equivalent IB scores. Students who are exempted from ECON110 must meet the math prerequisite and complete a 200-level Economics elective before continuing into the core courses (ECON300, ECON301, and ECON302).

Students who are exempted from ECON110 must meet the math pre-requisite and complete a 200-level Economics elective before continuing into the core courses (ECON300, ECON301, and ECON302).

Through spring 2026: to be accepted into the minor, students must also have completed or be enrolled in Introductory Econometrics (ECON300), Microeconomic Analysis (ECON301), or Macroeconomic Analysis (ECON302). All of these classes require students to have completed ECON110 or the bypass route (scores of 4 or higher on both AP Micro and AP Macro or equivalent IB scores, completion of a 200-level Economics elective, and the math requirement for ECON110).

From fall 2026: to be accepted into the minor, students must also have either completed or be enrolled in Microeconomic Analysis (ECON301), or Macroeconomic Analysis (ECON302). All of these classes require students to have completed ECON110 or the bypass route (scores of 4 or higher on both AP Micro and AP Macro or equivalent IB scores, completion of a 200-level Economics elective, and the math requirement for ECON110). From fall 2026 ECON300 will be replaced with ECON303 which will require both ECON301 and ECON302 as prerequisites.

Through spring 2026: a student who fails to obtain a grade of C+ or better in ECON110 may be admitted to the minor only after obtaining a grade of C+ or better in one of ECON300, ECON301, or ECON302 and a student who has the ECON110 bypass must obtain a grade of C+ or better in one of ECON300, ECON301, or ECON302.

From fall 2026: a student who fails to obtain a grade of C+ or better in ECON110 may be admitted to the minor only after obtaining a grade of C+ or better in ECON301 or ECON302.

In addition, there is a probability and statistics pre-requisite for ECON300 and ECON302. The probability and statistics prerequisite can be fulfilled by completing ECON103, MATH132, or PSYC200, or by receiving a score of 4 or higher on AP Statistics or a 5 or higher on the IB Higher Math test.

Prospective economics minors are strongly encouraged to complete ECON301 and ECON302 by the end of sophomore year, and to have completed ECON300 by the end of junior year.

Minor Requirements

The Economics Minor curriculum consists of three types of courses: Introductory, Core, and Electives. All students minoring in economics must complete five courses (three core courses and two electives) in addition to completing or passing out of ECON110 . All courses counted toward the economics minor must be taken for a letter grade.  All core courses must be taken at Wesleyan. 

  • The elective courses are numbered 201 and higher. 

  • One of the two electives must be an upper-tier elective, numbered 303 to 399. 

  • No courses numbered 401 or higher may count toward the minor. 

  • No courses in other departments, including CSS, may count toward the minor. 

One elective course in economics taken at another institution may count toward the minor as the lower-tier elective only, subject to the department chair’s approval