Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance

• Faculty
• Field Description
• The Major in Finance
• The Major in Economics (BBA)
• The Major in Economics (BA)
  • Program Learning Goals
  • Major Course Requirements
• The Minors and Courses
• Courses
  • Courses in Economics (ECO)
  • Courses in Finance (FIN)
  • Courses in Insurance (INS)
• Department of Economics and Finance Web Site

Field Description

The Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance offers courses that enable students to prepare for careers in all areas of finance and business economics.

Economics presents theories and tools for systematic analyses of economic forces that affect everyday life. It includes microeconomics, macro-economics, and international economics. Micro-economics analyzes the actions and interactions of individual consumers, business, and government. Macroeconomics studies national income, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, and government policies. International economics builds on micro- and macro-economics to study international trade, finance, markets, and institutions.

Finance includes the study of money and capital markets, investments, and corporate finance. In addition to these traditional areas, it includes the study of modern developments in derivatives; financial market structure, such as electronic-based trading techniques and markets; and international markets and corporate finance.

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The Majors

• The BBA Major in Finance
• The BBA Major in Economics
• The BA Major in Economic

The BBA Major in Finance

The finance major prepares students for professional positions in financial institutions, including commercial, investment, and savings banks; brokerage firms; insurance companies; investment advisory services; and finance companies. Students will also be well prepared to enter the finance departments of nonfinancial corporations, nonprofit institutions, and governmental agencies.

Students who are planning on future graduate study in finance or business are strongly recommended to include advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, and econometrics in their undergraduate programs.

Program Learning Goals

Required courses for the BBA degree include

The finance major includes three required courses (9 credits) and five electives (15 credits). Liberal arts courses applied in this major will count towards the 54 business credit minimum instead of the 62 liberal arts credit minimum.

Required Courses 9 credits

The three required courses build on the foundations of the introductory finance course. These courses are prerequisites to all 4000-level finance courses. Students must earn a GPA of 2.0 or better in the three required courses to take any of the 4000-level finance courses.

Elective Courses 15 credits

In addition to the three required courses, a student majoring in finance must take a meaningful combination of five elective finance, economics, or insurance courses at the 3000 level or 4000 level. Of these five courses, at least three of the five must be 4000 level finance courses, and at least one of the 4000 level finance courses must be FIN 4610 or FIN 4710. Students may use one or two courses from the following list as major electives:

Note: Internship course credits cannot be counted toward credits required for the major.

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The BBA Major in Economics

A BBA degree with a major in economics prepares students for entry-level positions in business, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and private consulting. This work includes economic analysis, research, and empirical analysis.

Students choosing an economics major are advised that a position as a professional economist usually requires a graduate degree in economics. Students planning to enter a graduate program in economics are strongly recommended to include advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, and econometrics in their undergraduate programs.

Program Learning Goals

Required courses for the BBA degree include 

The economics major includes three required courses (9 credits) and five electives (15 credits). Liberal arts courses applied in this major will count towards the 54 business credit minimum instead of the 62 liberal arts credit minimum.

Required Courses 9 credits

The three required courses build on the foundations of the introductory micro- and macro-economics courses. Economics majors should plan on taking all three, especially ECO 4000, as early in their major program as possible.

Elective Courses 15 credits

In addition to the three required courses, an economics major must take a meaningful combination of five economics, finance, or insurance courses at the 3000 level or higher. Of these five courses, at least two must be economics courses at the 4000 level or higher. FIN 3000 may not be included in the economics major. When appropriate, a student may include up to two advanced courses from other disciplines in the five electives.

Note: Internship course credits cannot be counted toward credits required for the major.

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The BA Major in Economics

A BA degree with a major in economics deals with concepts, techniques, and cases in economics that acquaint the student with the general economic problems of modern society. This degree provides students with an excellent general background for a wide range of challenging business careers.

There are several prerequisites for the major. The major itself includes three required courses (9 credits) and 15 credits of electives.

Program Learning Goals

Upon completion of a major in Economics (BA), students will be able:

1. To apply economic analysis to evaluate problems they encounter in their daily lives
2. To apply economic analysis to evaluate government policies
3. To use empirical evidence to make an economic argument
4. To collect, analyze, and interpret economic data
5. To identify and solve problems
6. To develop deeper understanding of economic problems and their potential solutions based on specialized knowledge in specific areas of economics
7. To present economic arguments verbally or in written form

Major Course Requirements

 As with all BA majors, the liberal arts minor must be completed outside the department of the students major. A student majoring in economics cannot minor in finance.

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The Minors

• Liberal Arts Minor in Economics
• Business Minor in Economics and Finance for Business Majors

Liberal Arts Minor in Economics

The Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance offers a liberal arts minor in economics. The liberal arts minor consists of 9 credits and requires that students take

• ECO 3100
  Intermediate Micro-Economics or 
  ECO 3200
  Intermediate Macro-Economics

• 3 additional credits in 3000-level or 4000-level courses in economics
• A 3 credit communication-intensive 4000-level capstone course in economics.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all prerequisites are met. If in doubt, students should check with an economics advisor to ensure their choices conform to the requirements of this concentration.

With the exception of ECO 4000, ECO 4091, ECO 4092, ECO 4093, and ECO 4094, all other 4000-level courses are communication-intensive courses. Sometimes ECO 4093 (a 3-credit special topics course) may be communication-intensive, depending on the course material. Students are required to check the course description in CUNYfirst. Courses used for the liberal arts minor in Economics cannot be counted towards the 24 credits for the BBA in Finance.

Below is a list of capstone courses that have been regularly offered in recent years, along with the matching lower-level courses that could constitute an Economics minor.

Note: Students should also be aware that not every course will be offered every semester, therefore, they should ensure that the program they select is flexible and are advised to check with the Department of Economics and Finance (VC 10-225, (646) 312-3450) prior to the beginning of each term regarding course availability.

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The Business Minor for Business Students - Economics and Finance

A minor in economics and finance requires 9 credits using any combination of the courses listed below:

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Courses

Courses in Economics (ECO)

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Courses in Finance (FIN)

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Courses in Insurance (INS)

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