The Economics Department has gained Trinity College approval to make significant changes to the AB degree in Economics. Prior to the Fall 2022 semester, the AB and BS degrees in Economics were quite similar. Now, the AB degree differs from the BS degree in two main ways:
- Fewer required courses. Economics 205 (Intermediate Microeconomics 2) will no longer be required for the AB. The new AB will require Econ 101, 104, 201, 204, 210, and 5 Economics electives.
- Fewer math prerequisites. The math requirement for the AB in Economics will be Math 111 (or Math 105 and 106). AB students will no longer be required to take Math 112/122 or 202/212.
There are other changes to the AB major requirements as well. Those will be posted later this Spring.
Some additional points to keep in mind:
- The BS in Economics will be virtually unchanged.
- Econ 201 will become a bit more quantitative, relative to the version previously taught beginning in Spring 2022.
- The statistics requirement for the AB degree (Econ 104) has not changed.
- Economics majors will be required to complete all core courses by the end of their junior year.
- The Finance Concentration will only be available as a sub-plan of the BS in Economics, but BA students will also have access to many finance courses.
- As of Spring '25, both the AB and BS degrees carry a STEM designation.
- Students who declare the AB in Economics during Spring 2022 will do so under the current major requirements, so they will have to use these requirements in their What If reports.
- Students who matriculated before Fall 2022 will be eligible to change to the new AB if they wish, and may do so starting in Fall 2022.