2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog Department of Economics
Admission/Retention Requirements
Students will be admitted into the Economics department’s programs from a pool of qualified applicants on the basis of individual qualifications. Students are admitted to the major or minor in Economics on a competitive and selective basis. The number of students admitted may vary from year to year depending on program capacity and qualifications of students in the pool. The Department of Economics reserves the right to maintain a balanced enrollment. For more information on admission to the Economics major go to the Economics website.
Course Finder
Honors in Economics
Candidates for honors must fulfill the general requirements for participation in the University Honors Program and must be Economics majors with a GPA of 3.30 overall and 3.75 or higher in Economics courses. Students will be expected to complete six hours of coursework designated as honors coursework within the Department of Economics. These could include ECO 101 and ECO 102 honors, or 2 in-course honors at the 200- or 300-level. In-course honors requires individual negotiation with the faculty member teaching the course. In addition, the achievement of honors requires the writing of a substantial original paper. The student will enroll in Honors Independent Study and will receive help from an assigned faculty member. At the end of the semester the student will make an oral presentation of the paper. One copy of the original paper will be kept in the Department office and be available for inspection. Honors credit will show on the official transcript and will be stated on the diploma.
For more information on Honors in Economics, including admission and retention standards, please visit the Honors website.
Economics
Degree Offered: B.A., B.S.
Major in Economics
Standards for Progress in the Major
A grade of C or better must be earned in each of the required courses
A minimum of 15 senior hours in Economics courses must be completed at Illinois State University. The Department Chairperson may grant exemptions to students whose cumulative GPA is 3.00 or higher
Note: MGT 100 may be substituted for ECO 138
Students in the Economics major must complete one of the following sequences.
General Economics Sequence
The General Economics Sequence is an excellent complement to a variety of other majors or customized sets of courses. Majors completing the General Economics Sequence may elect (but are not required to elect) one of the concentrations found on the course requirements section.
View General Economics Sequence Course Requirements
Managerial Economics Sequence
The Managerial Economics Sequence is designed for students who desire a more focused degree in Economics that combines the core skills in the discipline with a fundamental understanding of basic business tools including accounting, finance, and data management.
A grade of C or better must be earned in each of the required courses
A minimum 2.50 major GPA in the required courses in the sequence
A minimum of 15 senior hours in Economics courses must be completed at Illinois State University. The Department Chairperson may grant exemptions to students whose cumulative GPA is 3.00 or higher.
View Managerial Economics Sequence Course Requirements
Minor in Economics
18 total credit hours required
Required courses
ECO 103 may not be counted toward the minor