Business Economics
B.A. Department of Economics · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
The Business Economics major is for students seeking a business orientation in their study of economics. It does not replicate the traditional undergraduate business school curriculum. Instead, it offers a more tightly focused curriculum that is guided by the rigorous logic and integrative perspective of economics.
NOTE: Students may complete only one of the three Economics majors.
Admission
Freshmen: Preference will be given to those who rank among the highest using the selection criteria as stated in the Undergraduate Admissions section of this Catalogue.
Transfer Student Applicants: Transfer applicants with the highest grades overall who satisfactorily complete course prerequisites will be given preference for admission. All applicants must complete one course in microeconomics, one course in macroeconomics, and two semesters/two quarters of approved first-year calculus. Applicants interested in the major of Quantitative Economics must also complete one quarter/one semester of approved linear algebra.
Change of Major: Information about change-of-major requirements, procedures, and policies is available in the School of Social Sciences Undergraduate Student Affairs Office and at the UCI Change of Major Criteria website.
Requirements
Departmental Requirements for the Major in Business Economics
The Business Economics major is for students seeking a business orientation in their study of economics. It does not replicate the traditional undergraduate business school curriculum. Instead, it offers a more tightly focused curriculum that is guided by the rigorous logic and integrative perspective of economics. University and School requirements must be met and must include 17 courses as specified below.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Lower-division: | ||
| ECON 20A & ECON 20B | Basic Economics Iand Basic Economics II | |
| ECON 15 | Probability and Statistics for Economics 1 | |
| MATH 2A & MATH 2B | Single-Variable Calculus Iand Single-Variable Calculus II | |
| B. Upper-division: | ||
| ECON 100A & ECON 100B & ECON 100C | Intermediate Economics Iand Intermediate Economic IIand Intermediate Economics III | |
| ECON 122A & ECON 122B | Applied Econometrics Iand Applied Econometrics II | |
| C. Seven additional Economics courses, including at least four four-unit upper-division courses. | ||
| Two of the electives must be selected from following business electives list: | ||
| ECON 125 | Business Forecasting | |
| ECON 131A | The Economics of Risk and Uncertainty | |
| ECON 132A | Introduction to Financial Investments | |
| ECON 134A | Corporate Finance | |
| ECON 134B | Corporate Finance II | |
| ECON 135 | Mathematics of Finance | |
| ECON 142A | Industrial Organization I | |
| ECON 161A | Money and Banking | |
| ECON 161B | International Money | |
| ECON 167 | International Trade and Commercial Policy | |
| And two of the electives must be selected from the following management electives list: | ||
| ECON 140 | Managerial Economics | |
| ECON 145L | Economics of Law | |
| ECON 147B | Economics of Strategy | |
| ECON 148 | Business Decisions | |
| ECON 115 | Behaviorial Economics | |
| ECON 151A | Labor Economics and Human Resources I | |
| ECON 151B | Labor Economics and Human Resources II | |
| ECON 165 | Economics of International Business | |
| D. A maximum of three four-unit courses selected from ECON 190–199 may be counted toward the major. | ||
- Must be taken at UC Irvine.
- It is strongly recommended that students satisfy the upper-division writing requirement with one of the Economics electives.
Honors Program
Undergraduates in any of the three Economics majors may complete the Honors Program in Economics. Entry into the program requires a 3.4 GPA or better in upper-division Economics courses and an overall GPA of 3.2 or better. Undergraduates hoping to enter the program must apply no later than the spring quarter of their junior year. Students in the Honors Program must complete an honors thesis and the two-quarter Economics Honors Colloquium (ECON H190A-ECON 190BW; satisfies the upper-division writing requirement).
Sample Program
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 20A | ECON 20B | Intro. Soc. Sci. course |
| MATH 2A | MATH 2B | ECON 25 |
| Lower-Division Writing | Lower-Division Writing | General Education |
| General Education |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 15A | ECON 15B | ECON 122A |
| ECON 100A | ECON 100B | ECON 100C |
| SOC SCI 3A | Intro. Soc. Sci. course | General Education |
| General Education | General Education | General Education |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 122B | U-D Econ. course | U-D Econ. course |
| U-D Econ. course | General Education | General Education |
| U-D Econ. course | Electives | Electives |
| General Education | Electives | Electives |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| U-D Econ. course | U-D Econ. course | U-D Econ. course |
| Electives | Electives | Electives |
| Electives | Electives | Electives |
| Electives | Electives | Electives |