Overview
Economics is the study of how people make choices about their material conditions, that is, about work, investment, and consumption, and the implications of those choices for the wider society, implications such as general level of prosperity and poverty, inflation, and the public debt. In order to address such matters, the courses in our BSc program introduce you to a set of theoretical and practical tools that have an application to a broad range of issues, many outside the realm of economics narrowly defined. Upon graduation, you will have become familiar with the “way of thinking” of economics, which will allow you to understand and have a perspective on the public discourse on economic issues. You will also be able to approach personal and business decisions with greater precision and consistency. The program of study includes not only the basic tools of the discipline but a variety of applications of those tools to areas such as finance, economic development, and international trade.
Objectives
- Prepare students for a variety of occupations and for graduate studies.
- Develop students’ core skills so that they will be able to succeed at any job in any field.
- Increase students’ understanding of how economic decisions are made, and how the economy operates.
- Increase students’ understanding of the causes of observed economic outcomes such as the levels of GDP, inflation, unemployment, poverty, and public debt.
- Expose students to numerous sub-disciplines of economics, such as micro, macro, monetary, environmental, and development economics.
Admission Requirements
CXC (at least grade III) or GCE O’ Level passes in Mathematics and English Language plus three other subjects. In addition, applicants must have at least one of the following:
- CAPE (Units 1 and 2) or GCE A’ Level passes in at least two subjects.
- An Associate degree, Diploma and/or Certificate from other approved tertiary institutions having attained a B+ average or a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- High School Grade 12 transcript with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a minimum SAT I score of 1700 plus a minimum of two (2) SAT II subjects at a score of 500 or above or successful completion of Advanced Placement Courses or the International Baccalaureate program.
Recommended Registration
Level I
Semester I
- ECON1000: Principles of Economics I
- ECON1003: Mathematics for the Social Sciences I
- ECON1005: Introduction to Statistics
- FOUN1013: Critical Reading and Writing in the Social Sciences or FOUN1019: Critical Reading and Writing in the Disciplines
- Foreign Language Course
Semester II
- ECON1012: Principles of Economics II
- ECON1004: Mathematics for the Social Sciences II
- FOUN1101: Caribbean Civilization or FOUN1201: Science, Medicine, and Technology in Society
- Level I Free Electives One
- Level I Free Elective Two
Level II
Semester I
- ECON2000: Intermediate Microeconomics I
- ECON2002: Intermediate Macroeconomics I
- ECON2008: Statistical Methods I
- ECON2015: Matrix Algebra
- Economics Elective One
Semester II
- ECON2001: Intermediate Microeconomics II
- ECON2003: Intermediate Macroeconomics II
- Economics Elective Two ECON2016 (Recommended)
- Economics Elective Three
- Free Elective
Level III
Semester I
- ECON3049: Econometrics I
- Free Elective Two
- Free Elective Three
- Free Elective Four
- Free Elective Five
Semester II
- Free Elective Six
- Free Elective Seven
- Free Elective Eight
- Free Elective Nine
- Free Elective Ten
NOTE:
- Students are also urged to read the current handbook for additional programme requirements and departmental guidelines.
- Students who wish to pursue a MSc. Economics degree are encouraged to do ECON2016, ECON3031 and ECON3050.
- The following course are not accepted as a pre-requisite for any ECON course: SOCI1005, SOCI2008 and SOCI2007. Students must do ECON1005, ECON2008 or STAT2001 and/or ECON2014.
- Students are strongly encouraged to take COMP1126, COMP1127, ECON2010, ECON2016 and/or ECON3050 as electives.
- Students who are exempt from taking the Foreign Language course must substitute it with a level 1 free elective.
- Students have the option to take both FOUN1101 and FOUN1201 to meet their Level free elective requirements.
- Students are urged to read Part III of the current Undergraduate Handbook for details on the Foreign Language Policy and Requirements.
Career Path
While graduates of the BSc Economics program typically find employment in business, finance, international relations, and government and non-governmental organizations, employers in all sectors tend to look favorably on those with economics degrees. An economics degree signals that one has the ability to think critically and analyze objectively, which can be applied in a broad spectrum of activities.
