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Economics, B.S.

Economics is the study of how individuals, firms and nations make choices when confronted with limited resources. At Saint Louis University, economics majors learn to apply theory and problem-solving skills while balancing public policy with the choices faced by today’s society.

Through SLU'sÌýRichard A. Chaifetz School of BusinessÌýeconomics curriculum, students will receive a strong foundational knowledge of economics, taking core classes in macro- and microeconomics, econometrics and business statistics.

Curriculum Overview

The Chaifetz School of Business, through its continuing mission to provide excellence in business education, has developed an economics program that is one of a kind in the region. Helping students develop strong ethical, technical and professional skills, the program provides in-depth knowledge and expertise in both macro- and microeconomics.

Students can explore economics from various perspectives, including money and banking, health economics, sports economics and more.Ìý

Internships/Student Organizations

St. Louis’ metropolitan location provides many economics internship opportunities that allow students to gain career-related work experience while applying classroom learning to practice. Most internships are paid, and students may opt to complete one for academic credit. In recent years, economics students have interned with entities such as consulting firms, financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies and governmental agencies.Ìý

The department sponsors the Economics Club for students interested in economics. This club provides a link between students and a career in economics, offering students opportunities to establish networking relationships with potential employers.

In addition, the Chaifetz School also hosts a chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international economics honor society, which recognizes scholastic attainment and outstanding achievements in economics along with the establishment of closer ties between students and faculty in economics.

Careers

The department has an excellent record of placing graduates in graduate and professional programs, leading to high-profile jobs. In a survey of the Class of 2022's economics graduates, 100% reported they were either employed or attending graduate school within six months of their graduation.Ìý These graduates join a global network of nearly 20,000 alumni from the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business. In recent years, SLU economics students have earned internships and employment at prestigious organizations such as Boeing, Centene Corporation, Goldman Sachs, the Federal Reserve Bank ofÌýSt. LouisÌýand Wells Fargo.Ìý

Possible career paths for graduates with an undergraduate degree in economics from SLU include:

  • Actuary
  • Applied statisticianÌý
  • Business reporter
  • Data analyst
  • Economist
  • Financial analyst
  • Loan officer
  • Portfolio manager

91ÖÆƬ³§ Requirements

Freshman

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App.

All applications are thoroughly and carefully reviewed. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary criterion in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.

Transfer

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.

Applicants must be graduates of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 credits or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s).

Transfer students must have a cumulative 2.70 GPA to be admitted to the accounting program and a 2.50 GPA for all other majors. In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students, along with the following:

  • You must demonstrate .
  • Proof of financial support must include:
    • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding your time at Saint Louis University.
    • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of your study at the University.
  • Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken post-secondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition

Tuition Cost Per Year
Undergraduate Tuition $54,760

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

  • Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
  • Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Accreditation

The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance and accrediting body of business schools, ensuring continuous quality improvement in terms of curriculum, instructional resources, student selection, career placement and intellectual contributions and qualifications of the faculty. Approximately 5% of business schools worldwide have achieved AACSB accreditation.Ìý

  1. Graduates will be able to understand essential business concepts and how the various functional areas of business are related.
  2. Graduates will be able toÌýdemonstrate knowledge of ethical concepts and corporate social responsibility and be able to evaluate business problems from multiple ethical perspectives.
  3. Graduates will be able toÌýidentify and structure business problems, to propose actionable solutions to business problems and, when applicable, utilize appropriate technology.
  4. Graduates will be able toÌýdemonstrate effective written communication in the discipline of economics.
  5. Graduates will be able toÌýunderstand how cultures, politics, laws, ethics, and economies influence and impact business and use tools and concepts to analyze and formulate an international business strategy.
  6. Graduates will be able to engage in quantitative reasoning, specifically:
    1. Analyze and interpret empirical evidence to evaluate economic arguments
    2. Analyze and evaluate policies based on economic principles

Eighteen credits in addition toÌý·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý1900 Principles of Economics (3 cr),Ìý·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3120 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3 cr), andÌý·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3140 Intermediate Microeconomics (3 cr), which are taken as part of the business common body of knowledge requirements.

UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE CORE32-35
BUSINESS MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Program Requirements15
Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK)48
Major-Specific Economics Requirements *
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3010Introduction to Econometrics3
Major-Specific Economics Electives15
Select five of the following:
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3790
Economies of Latin America
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4080
Industrial Organization and Public Policy
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4120
Law and Economics
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4160
History of Economic Analysis
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4200
Money and Banking
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4300
International Trade
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4310
Exchange Rates and Global Economics
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4450
Economics of Int'l Migration
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4500
Sports Economics
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4560
Economic Development
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4600
Public Finance
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4650
Public Choice and Political Economy
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4700
Health Economics
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4770
Advanced Econometrics
GENERAL ELECTIVES ‡18-21
Total Credits120
*

In addition to completing lower and upper-division coursework in all areas of business, each student typically selects a business major before or during the first semester of the junior year. 18 major-specific credit hours are required as determined by the appropriate department. To broaden their expertise, students may complete more than one major in business, or a major and a minor in business.ÌýOutside of the Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), however, a maximum of one business course (3 credit hours) may be used to fulfill requirements in two business majors/minors.

‡

General electives may be selected from any area of study within the University, giving the student the opportunity to diversify their experiences.Ìý Students should consider University Undergraduate CORE attribute requirements when selecting electives.

Continuation Standards

Economics students must maintain a minimum 2.00 grade point average (GPA) in all economics courses used to fulfill major-specific course requirements.

​Students will be on program probation if their GPA in major-specific courses used to fulfill major requirements falls below a 2.00. Students will have one semester to increase their major-specific cumulative GPA to a 2.00; if not, students will not be allowed to register for 3000- or 4000-level major-specific courses.

Students will be automatically placed on university probation if any of the following occur:

  • Their Saint Louis University cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00
  • Their Saint Louis University semester grade point average is below a 1.00
  • More than two "incomplete" or two "in-progress" grades on their academic transcript

During the probationary period, advisors help students achieve academic success by closely monitoring their academic performance.

In order to improve scholastically and demonstrate their ability to make progress toward a degree, students on probation may not register for more than 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters, three credits in the winter term, and no more than one course/four credits in any single summer session term.

The conditions under which a student is dismissed from the school include:

  1. Inability to eliminate probationary status within the two semesters subsequent to the assignment of probation or
  2. A grade point average deficit of more than 15 points.

For more information, seeÌý.

Graduation Requirements

To be certified for graduation, a student must complete all course requirements and meet all of the following conditions:

  • Apply to graduate.
  • Complete the University Undergraduate Core.
  • Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in overall SLU coursework, in business school coursework, and in major-specific courses. (B.S.-Accounting students must earn a minimum 2.70 cumulative GPA in overall SLU coursework, a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in business coursework, and grades of C or higher in all courses that fulfill the major-specific requirements.)
  • Complete 30 of the final 36 credits at the St. Louis campus or an approved study abroad program.
  • Complete at least 50% of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
  • Complete major-specific course requirements in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
  • Students transferring from the Madrid campus must complete a minimum of 40 credits of coursework, including a minimum of 30 credits of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
*

Students may pursue the economics, international business or marketing majors at the St. Louis campus and/or at the Madrid campus. The residency requirement then applies to courses taken at either campus.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollmentÌýunless otherwise noted. Ìý

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
°ä°¿¸é·¡Ìý1000 Ignite First Year Seminar 1 2
µþ±õ´ÜÌý1000 Business Foundations 1 1
°ä²Ñ²ÑÌý1200
or °ä²Ñ²ÑÌý1250
Public Speaking 2
or Communicating in Groups and Teams
3
°ä°¿¸é·¡Ìý1900 Eloquentia Perfecta 1: Written and Visual Communication 1 3
°ä°¿¸é·¡Ìý3800 Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences 3
Elective in Business or Other Areas (²Ñ´¡°Õ±áÌý1200, if appropriate) 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
MATHÌý1320
or MATHÌý1510
Survey of Calculus 2, 3
or Calculus I
3
PSYÌý1010 General Psychology 3
COREÌý1600 Ultimate Questions: Theology 3
BIZ 1100/1002 Business in Action 1
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý1900 Principles of Economics 3
OPMÌý2070 Introduction to Business Statistics 3
ÌýCredits16
Year Two
Fall
COREÌý2500 Cura Personalis 2: Self in Contemplation 0
COREÌý1700 Ultimate Questions: Philosophy 3
ACCTÌý2200 Financial Accounting 3
BTMÌý2000 Introduction to Business Technology Management 3
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3120
or ·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3140
Intermediate Macroeconomics
or Intermediate Microeconomics
3
MKTÌý3000 Introduction to Marketing Management 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
COREÌý3400 Ways of Thinking: Aesthetics, History, and Culture 3
ACCTÌý2220 Accounting for Decision Making 3
BIZÌý3000 Career Foundations 4 1
BTMÌý2500 Data Modeling, Analysis and Visualization 3
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3120
or ·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3140
Intermediate Macroeconomics
or Intermediate Microeconomics
3
IBÌý2000 Introduction to International Business 3
ÌýCredits16
Year Three
Fall
COREÌý2800 Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression 3
PHILÌý2050 Ethics (meets University Core Attribute: Dignity, Ethics & a Just Society) 3
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3010 Introduction to Econometrics 3
FINÌý3010 Principles of Finance 3
MGTÌý3000 Management Theory and Practice 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
Elective that Satisfies University Core Attribute: Identities in Context 3
Major: Economics Elective 3
Major: Economics Elective 3
MGTÌý2000 Legal Environment of Business I 3
OPMÌý3050 Introduction to Management Science and Operations Management 3
ÌýCredits15
Year Four
Fall
COREÌý4000 Collaborative Inquiry 3
COREÌý4500 Reflection-in-Action 0
ENGLÌý4000 Professional Writing 3
Major: Economics Elective 3
Major: Economics Elective 3
Elective in Business or Other Areas 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
Major: Economics Elective 3
MGTÌý4000 Strategic Management and Policy 6 3
Electives in Business or Other Areas 7
ÌýCredits13
ÌýTotal Credits120
1

Must complete in first 36 credit hours at SLU.

2

Must complete in first 60 credit hours at SLU.

3

MATHÌý1510 Calculus I highly recommended.

4

Must take second semester sophomore year unless studying abroad.

6

Must have completed all other Business Common Body of Knowledge courses.

Students can complete the B.S. in economics at SLU-Madrid.

Learn More

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution.Ìý