Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics, offered by the Department of Economics, teaches students the economic approach to social problems and behavior and helps students understand the economics behind current events and public policy.  It is excellent preparation for careers in law and business.

Campus Locations: Main and Japan

Program Code: LA-ECON-BA

Honors Society and Majors' Associations

The Temple Economics Society enables students to network with other students and with business leaders to learn more how economics applies to real world situations and to find internships and employment opportunities. Women in Economics facilitates an environment to empower women in the field of economics. Members of the Data Analytics Club engage in hands-on workshops and real-world projects to enhance their analytics skills. The Diversity in Economics Group ("DiE") welcomes all students, particularly BIPOC and LBGTQIA+ students, to explore achievements by and opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds in Economics. Students who have performed particularly well in Economics are invited to join Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international Economics Honors Society.

Distinction in Major

For distinction in Economics, students must have an overall GPA of 3.50 or higher and a GPA of 3.70 or higher in their Economics courses.

Workplace Preparation

Students may participate in an internship, gaining valuable work experience which can enhance their job market prospects upon graduation. By completing an academic research project under the guidance of a faculty member, student interns may earn credit for ECON 2585.

Cooperative Education Option

Through this program, students may earn income while gaining valuable work experience which can enhance their job market prospects upon graduation. By completing an academic research project under the guidance of a faculty member, co-op students will earn credit for ECON 3581.

Contact Information

Main Campus

Department Office
Gladfelter Hall, 2nd Floor

Michael Bognanno, Department Chair
bognanno@temple.edu

Michael Leeds, Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Faculty Advisor
michael.leeds@temple.edu

Belinda Wilson, Administrator
bwilson@temple.edu

Janice Vincent, Department Coordinator
jvincent@temple.edu

Temple Japan Campus

Hady Kahy, PhD, Interim Chair of the Division of Business and Technology
hkahy@tuj.temple.edu

Prachi Gupta, PhD, Faculty Advisor for the Economics Major
prachi.gupta@tuj.temple.edu

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Degree Requirements

University Requirements

• MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
• All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. The specific courses required for this major are ECON 3598 and one of the following: ECON 3596, ECON 3597, ECON 3696, ECON 3697, or ECON 3698.
• Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

College of Liberal Arts Requirements

• Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including:
  • 90 credits in CLA/CST courses;
  • 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999).
    • For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits (numbered 2000-4999) must be taken in Humanities Subject Areas: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek (Ancient), Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts, Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
  • A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
  • Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.
  • Professional Development Requirement
    • All students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take a 1 credit seminar in professional development. CLA 1002 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Majors is the appropriate course option for this major. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CLA College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
  • Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:
    • All students must complete or test out of the first and second levels of a foreign language, these are numbered 1001 and 1002;
    • All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and
    • All Bachelor of Arts students must complete one of the following options:
      • Third semester of a foreign language;
      • Demonstrated proficiency beyond the third semester in a foreign language (placement exam or certification from the language department);
      • Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Requirements page;
      • Study Abroad at an approved program; or
      • Take a second General Education Global/World Society course.
    • Notes on Foreign Language Study
      • The third level of language is numbered 1003 in French, Spanish, and Portuguese and numbered 2001 in all other foreign language subjects.
      • Students are strongly encouraged to take the third level of a foreign language as it is the minimum required for election to the prestigious honors society Phi Beta Kappa. (Taking the course does not guarantee admission but not taking it guarantees exclusion.)
      • See the College of Liberal Arts Policies section of this Bulletin for more information on the Foreign Language Placement, Regression in Coursework, and guidelines for students' other experiences with language.

General Electives are typically one-third of a student's program of study and can be focused on a second major, a minor, or towards some other personal enrichment or professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing an academic plan for these courses.

Major Requirements (37 credits)

¹

These courses are prerequisites for most of the Economics 2000-3999 courses. Check specific course descriptions for details.

Note: Students preparing for graduate study in economics or in an economics-related area are strongly encouraged to take ECON 3701, ECON 3702, ECON 3703, and ECON 3504 as well as courses in calculus and linear algebra in the Mathematics department.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year

¹

STAT 2103 has MATH and/or STAT course prerequisites. Please see the course description and plan accordingly.

Accelerated Programs

Students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.

The following accelerated program may be of interest to students in the Economics BA:

College of Education and Human Development

• Secondary Education MEd with Social Studies Education concentration