Economics

Economists study how society can best use scarce resourcessuch as land, raw materials, capital, and labor. They analyze the relationships between the supply of goods and services and the demand for them, as well as how these goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed. Some economists work on public issues such as the control of inflation, business cycles, unemployment, wage, tax, and tariff policies. Economics is widely recognized as a solid background for a career in business, government, law, teaching and research.

For additional career possibilities, visit the Career Services Center on the main campus to utilize computerized career information systems and other valuable career resources.

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Programs Offered

Degrees and Certificates

Economics Associate Degree for Transfer
Students may satisfy the requirements of this degree with approved courses (which may be fewer units) taken at other California Community Colleges. The courses listed below are SMC courses. If completed entirely at SMC, the Area of Emphasis requires 21 units.

Associate Degree in Economics for Transfer to the CSU

The Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) is designed to facilitate transfer admission to a CSU in a similar major. If you are considering transfer to a UC, private, or out-of-state school, consult a counselor regarding the transfer requirements of that institution.

Associate Degree for Transfer Requirements:

completion of at least 60 CSU-transferable semester including:
- completion of the Area of Emphasis with a grade of C or higher in each course or with a P if the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, and the P is equal to a C or higher (Title 5 §55063)
- completion of either CSU GE or IGETC; students transferring to CSU using IGETC must complete Area 1C (see www.smc.edu/articulation or visit the General Counseling and Transfer Services Center)
- a minimum of 12 degree applicable semester units completed at SMC
- a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in all CSU-transferable units
- Note: while a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for admission to a CSU, some majors/campuses may require a higher GPA. Please consult with a counselor for details.

Catalog Rights

Transfer Preparation

Many colleges/universities offer baccalaureate degrees in this field. Students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university should complete the lower-division major requirements and the general education pattern for the specific transfer institution. SMC has articulation agreements with the many UC and CSU campuses, as well as several private and out-of-state institutions.

Exact major requirements for UC and CSU campuses can be found online at assist.org.

A listing of private, nonprofit California colleges and universities can be found online at aiccu.edu. For articulation agreements between SMC and some of these institutions see smc.edu/articulation.

The University of California system has a transfer pathway for any UC campus that offers Computer Science. For more information, visit UC Transfer Pathways Guide

SMC offers the Economics Associate Degree for Transfer. Students completing this degree are eligible for priority transfer admission consideration in the majors at the California State University campuses listed below. In addition, you will be required to complete no more than 60 semester/90 quarter CSU units of coursework after transfer to complete your baccalaureate degree.

NOTE: If you are considering transfer to a UC, private, or out-of-state school, please consult a counselor before applying to transfer, as the transfer requirements may be differentfrom those required for the Economics AA-T.

For the most current list of CSU campuses accepting this Transfer degree visit Cal State Transfers

Economics, Associate Degree for Transfer

The Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer (AA-T) involves the study of how society can best use scarce resources such as land, raw materials, capital, and labor. The course of study analyzes the relationships between the supply of goods and services and the demand for them, as well as how these goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed. Some economists work on public issues such as the control of inflation, business cycles, unemployment, wage, tax, and tariff policies. Economics is widely recognized as a solid background for a career in business, government, law, teaching and research.

Upon successful completion of the Associate in Arts in Economics for Transfer (AA-T), students will have a strong academic foundation in the field and be prepared for upperdivision baccalaureate study. Completion of the degree indicates that the student will have satisfied the lowerdivision requirements for transfer into economics or similar majors for many campuses in the California State University system.

Program Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate, through written and oral academic work, an understanding of how the market economy fundamentally operates. Specifically, students will develop the quantitative reasoning and critical analytic/ graphical skills necessary to comprehend and explain basic microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts and functions, including, but not limited to, supply and demand, pricing decision, firm’s production decisions and profit maximization decision under various market structures, contending perspectives of economic thought, and the impacts of government policies (fiscal and monetary policies) on gross domestic product, unemployment, inflation, budget deficits, national debt, foreign currency, and the international economy.

Area of Emphasis: (18 units)

Required Courses: (9 units minimum)

ECON 1,Principles of Microeconomics(3)

ECON 2,Principles of Macroeconomics(3)

MATH 54,Elementary Statistics (4)

Required Calculus Courses: (3 units minimum)

MATH 7,Calculus 1(5)

LIST A: Select 1 course from the following: (3 units minimum)

ACCTG 1,Introduction to Financial Accounting (5)

ACCTG 3,Corporate Financial and Managerial Accounting(5)

ARABIC 1,Elementary Arabic 1(5)

BUS 5,Business Law and the Legal Environment(3)

BUS 6,Advanced Business Law (formerly same as ACCTG 26)(3)

BUS 32,Business Communications(3)

CHNESE 1,Elementary Chinese 1(5)

CHNESE 2,Elementary Chinese 2(5)

ENGL 2,Critical Analysis and Intermediate Composition(3)

ENGL 70,Technical Communication(3)

HIST 47,The Practice of History(3)

MATH 2,Precalculus (5)

MATH 8,Calculus 2(5)

MATH 29,Calculus 2 for Business and Social Science (3)

SPAN 1,Elementary Spanish I (5)

SPAN 2,Elementary Spanish II(5)

SPAN 3,Intermediate Spanish I(5)

SPAN 4,Intermediate Spanish II(5)

SPAN 11,Spanish for Heritage Speakers I (5)

SPAN 12,Spanish for Heritage Speakers II(5)

CS 79F,Machine Learning on AWS(3)

Other SMC Modern Language courses may be substituted

LIST B: Select 1 course from the following: (3 units minimum)

Any course not used in List A

ECON 5,International Political Economy: Intro. to Global Studies (same as POL SC 5 and GLOBAL 5)(3)

ECON 6,Contemporary Economic Problems(3)

ECON 15,Economic History of the U.S. (same as HIST 15)(3)

GLOBAL 5,International Political Economy: Intro. to Global Studies (same as ECON 5 and POL SC 5)(3)

HIST 15,Economic History of the U.S. (same as ECON 15)(3)

MATH 11,Multivariable Calculus(5)

MATH 13,Linear Algebra(3)

POL SC 5,International Political Economy: Intro. to Global Studies (same as ECON 5 and GLOBAL 5)(3)