Economics Courses

To view courses offered by semester go to the on-line schedule, descriptions of all economics courses are available through the Catalog. The Open Course List shows which courses still have open seats.

Pre-requisites for Upper-Level Economics Courses

The standard prerequisite for all 300-level economics courses is two semesters of Principles of Economics: ECON 101 and 102. These courses are designed for students interested in learning the basics about economic analysis, and for those considering an Economics major or minor.

Before you may take a 400-level economics course, you must have credit for at least one intermediate economic theory course (ECON 303 and/or 304). The 400-level courses in economics are designed to give students opportunities to apply the tools learned in the intermediate theory courses to specific areas or topics. These courses differ from the 300-level courses in the analytical level of the discussion.

The economics curriculum was designed to give students both depth and breadth in economics. If you major in economics, you will be exposed to the basic overview of economics in ECON 101/102. You will see the concepts again in a more rigorous and analytical way in the Intermediate Theory courses (ECON 303/304). Then, depending on your particular interests, you will see many of the same concepts in greater detail in specialized 300 or 400 level courses. This repetition is by design. Most economics topics (e.g., inflation, discrimination in labor markets, pollution, and barriers to free trade) are very complex and should be discussed at several levels.

What to Expect

What type of readings are involved in first-and-second-year courses? (e.g. articles, textbook) How much reading should a student expect to do per week?

Students can expect mostly textbook chapters and articles that your professor posts to Blackboard. COLL 100 and 150 courses have more readings assigned than other courses in the first and second year. Study expectations per week are around 6 hours for a 3-credit-hour course. 

What sorts of assignments should a student expect in first-and-second-year courses? (e.g. quizzes, group projects, presentations) 

Students should expect writing assignments (papers) in COLL 150 courses, and quizzes and exams for most courses. Problem sets are common. 

Beyond the required course texts, are there other course materials a student should be prepared to purchase for first-and-second-year courses? 

Most courses do not have extra materials. Statistics and econometrics courses involve software (e.g., Stata) that could be purchased. But some (e.g., R) are free, and William & Mary has site licenses for some (e.g., Stata on campus computers). 

Is there anything else that is important for first-and-second-year students to know and/or expect from their courses? 

Read syllabi and talk with instructors to form expectations.